Casey Kasem's LA home with a heart-shaped pool lists for $37.9M
The late radio personality’s 2.5-acre Holmby Hills estate is located near the Playboy Mansion and Aaron Spelling’s former manor estate
A grand Los Angeles estate that was the longtime home of late radio personality Casey Kasem and his wife Jean Kasem is listing for $37.9 million.
In Holmby Hills, the roughly 2.5-acre property is in the center of the so-called "Platinum Triangle" -- a particularly exclusive spot that is also home to the Playboy Mansion and the Manor, the enormous onetime home of producer Aaron Spelling.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The Kasem estate comprises a roughly 12,000-square-foot, eight-bedroom Classical Revival-style mansion as well as a heart-shaped pool, which Ms. Kasem said was designed as a kind of "love letter" between the couple. "Casey had an affinity for hearts and would leave notes on the bathroom mirror and bedside for me with hearts," she said in a written statement.
Mr. Kasem died in 2014 at 82. Following his death, Ms. Kasem and some of the disc jockey's other family members, including three of his children and his brother, engaged in dueling lawsuits, according to court records. The children and brother claimed that Ms. Kasem had neglected and abused Mr. Kasem, resulting in his death, while Ms. Kasem's suit made similar claims against them. The suits were both settled in 2019, according to court records and Ms. Kasem's attorney.
In a statement, Ms. Kasem's attorney said the litigation is over, and that his client is free to sell the property. Attorneys representing Mr. Kasem's children and brother couldn't be reached for comment.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
The Kasem estate dates back to the 1950s and has a classic old Hollywood aesthetic with grand entertaining spaces, gilded chandeliers, wood-panelings, coffered ceilings and elaborate window treatments. The house has a formal dining room, a library, a large family room and a separate guest wing, according to the listing information. The property sits behind gates and up a long driveway, surrounded by sprawling lawns and hedges. There is also a tennis court with a pavilion.
The listing agents, David Parnes and James Harris of The Agency, said the home could possibly be expanded or even replaced. They noted that it would be possible to build an estate of roughly 50,000 square feet on the site under current regulations. Mr. Parnes said it is rare for such a large flat lot to come on the market in such a prime location.
The Kasems owned the property for more than three decades and hosted parties and events there regularly, Ms. Kasem said. "We wanted it to feel glamorous," she wrote. "We loved to travel and stay in hotels, and an idea of a European château was very appealing to us."
LA AND MASSACHUSETTS HOME LISTINGS FACE OFF IN VIRAL PRICE WAR
They completed a significant renovation in the mid-2000s, she said, adding a slate roof and replacing all existing windows with french doors. They also added a formal garden at the back of the property with fruit trees and vegetable plots. "The icing on the property was the 1,200 white rose bushes," she said. "White by choice so they light up the garden at night!"
Asked why she was selling, Ms. Kasem said: "It's simply time to transition and pass along all the love, all the memories, so the new owners can begin to make their own."
Mr. Kasem was the longtime host of the radio show "American Top 40 Countdown." In his signature sign off, he would encourage listeners to "keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars." He also provided the voice of Shaggy on the "Scooby-Doo" television series.