What was once a star-studded mansion in the Hollywood Hills has now become a nightmare for neighbors, as graffiti, garbage, and trespassers have taken over the 8,000-square-foot home that once housed celebrities like Mary J. Blige.
Perched along Multiview and Mulholland drives, the sprawling property has become an eyesore and a safety hazard. Squatters have been coming and going freely for over two years, with the LAPD responding to multiple calls of vandalism and trespassing.
“Mary J. Blige used to live here,” said a neighbor, identifying himself only as Jack. “We had some high-level business folks, so to speak. I think some influencers have lived here over the years. It’s a really cool house, about 8,000 square feet. It’s big,” ABC7 reports.
But the mansion’s grandeur has long faded, replaced with the scars of neglect.https://abc7.com/post/abandoned-hollywood-hills-mansion-covered-graffit…
“They cut the fence. There were a lot of very questionable people. Some were crazy, some actually became threatening,” said another neighbor, Karin Gideon.
The mansion, which sits just a stone’s throw from some of the city’s most expensive homes, has become a hotspot for graffiti artists. Filmmaker Nick Sozonov, who documents the tagging community, said the property has caught the attention of some of the city’s most notorious taggers—those who once marked the famed “graffiti towers” downtown.
“With the graffiti towers and this graffiti mansion right now, it feels like a big middle finger to the city,” Sozonov said, adding that the tagging has escalated in recent weeks as word of the mansion’s history and its connections to the entertainment industry spread.
One tag on the roof, in bright spray paint, reads “Diddy was here,” a nod to the fact that Sean “Diddy” Combs filmed part of his music video for “Last Night” at the home.
“We all recognized the song, and once we knew that was the house, everyone was excited about it, like a celebrity mansion,” Sozonov said.
On Thursday evening, Eyewitness News captured footage of three taggers fleeing the scene as private security arrived. The LAPD has been called to the property six times this month alone, removing ten trespassers on Wednesday and arresting one individual with an outstanding warrant.
So, who owns this once-luxurious property? According to public records, the mansion belongs to John Powers Middleton, a Hollywood producer whose father owns the Philadelphia Phillies. Middleton also owns another Hollywood Hills mansion, similarly plagued by squatters and dilapidation, which has become a neighborhood blight.
“It’s become a bit larger than it should be, and there doesn’t seem to be much concern for the safety and well-being of the neighbors,” said Magnus Fiennes, another concerned resident.
Despite neighbors’ complaints and repeated calls to L.A. Councilwoman Nithya Raman’s office, little has been done to address the situation. Raman’s office issued an abatement order, but according to neighbors, the owner has ignored it, allowing the property to further deteriorate.
Squatters have taken over a nearly 10,000 square foot, $6.5 million mansion in Hollywood Hills in CA.
According to locals, the squatters are attacking locals and are spreading their “artwork” to other properties now that the mansion is completely covered.
The home belongs to… pic.twitter.com/IT6J5fYyrD
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 21, 2024
“The longer it sits like this, more people are going to come and keep doing what they’re doing,” said Jack. “The neighborhood, this house specifically, could use a security guard. Two guards … not that expensive. Let’s keep the neighborhood safe.”
Adding to the mess, Eyewitness News has learned that a lien has been placed on the property, and Middleton has defaulted on property taxes for several years. In a statement, Councilwoman Raman’s office said, “This is in egregious violation of the law… we are elevating the issue with the abandoned buildings unit at the department of building and safety to ensure that the fullest extent of enforcement is being implemented urgently and swiftly.”
For now, the once-glamorous mansion remains a symbol of how far things can fall when the rich and famous check out, but their homes are left behind.
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