The owners of the Los Angeles home where Marilyn Monroe passed away are taking legal action against Mayor Karen Bass and the City of Los Angeles.
Brina Milstein and Roy Bank acquired the notorious Brentwood residence in 2023 for slightly over $8 million. Soon after, they received the necessary permissions from the city to demolish the existing structure and build a new one, as detailed in a lawsuit obtained by the California Post.
However, complications arose when the city designated the property as a “Historical and Cultural Monument” in 2024, which the owners claim was a rushed decision, particularly after they had already secured permits.
According to the lawsuit, this new status has turned the property into a tourist draw, leading to increased traffic and numerous trespassers attempting to breach the property’s walls since the house is largely obscured from public view.
The heightened interest in the house has compelled the couple to hire private security, and they even allege that thieves attempted to break in looking for memorabilia in November.
Located on a quiet dead-end street within a wealthy neighborhood, the Spanish-style bungalow has been a point of fascination ever since Monroe’s tragic death in August 1962, when her body was famously taken away on a stretcher.
The complaint notes that Monroe owned the property for about six months in 1962, during which she mainly resided elsewhere, frequently traveling. She sadly died there—a probable suicide due to an overdose of barbiturates.
Milstein and Bank assert that the city had shown little interest in the house for the 60 years following Monroe’s death, as it changed owners and underwent several renovations. They argue that the historic designation now makes the property “useless” and has hindered their ability to leverage the investment of $8.3 million they made when purchasing it.
The couple is seeking a court order that would either permit them to continue with demolition plans or require the city to compensate them for the property’s value.
