Reality TV Producer and Cleveland Developer Face Legal Battle Over Demolition of Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood Home
Marilyn Monroe's former home may soon be reduced to rubble as a reality TV producer and developer duo face legal challenges in their plans for demolition.
Brinah Milstein, daughter of Cleveland developer Michael Milstein, and her husband, reality TV producer Roy Bank, have purchased the property at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in Brentwood for nearly $8.4 million. The couple plans to tear down the home that Monroe bought six months before her death in 1962, but they are facing some legal obstacles, Bloomberg reported.
The property is located next door to a residential lot that the couple has owned since 2016. Shortly after acquiring the Monroe home, they obtained a demolition permit, but preservationists quickly intervened and filed a lawsuit to block the demolition.
The lawsuit argues that the property holds historical significance as it was the place where Monroe lived her final days. It also claims that the demolition permit was issued without proper environmental review.
"We are confident that the court will recognize the importance of preserving this historic property and that the demolition permit was issued in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act," said attorney Caree Harper, who is representing the plaintiffs.
The couple's attorney, Robert P. Silverstein, argues that the property has been extensively altered since Monroe lived there and does not hold enough historical significance to warrant preservation.
"The plaintiffs want to make this case about Marilyn Monroe, but it's not about her," Silverstein said. "It's about the law."
Originally reported by
https://therealdeal.com/la/2025/08/29/marilyn-monroes-los-angeles-home-center-of-demolition-fight/