Angelina Jolie’s realtor has a blunt response to reports that Madonna bought the actress’s historic Los Angeles estate: “That’s not true.”
Ernie Carswell addressed the claim during an Oct. 8 appearance on The Society Group’s Real Talk, speaking with publicist Alexander Ali about the sale, according to PEOPLE.
Carswell, of Sotheby’s International Realty, handled the Los Feliz listing with Jon Grauman of Resident Group. His team signed a non-disclosure agreement protecting the buyer’s identity, he said, and would neither name that person nor offer identifying clues.
He also criticized the rush to connect the transaction to a famous purchaser, accusing parts of the press of having “pulled something out of the air.”
A Reported Virtual Tour Preceded the Buyer Claim
The New York Post linked Madonna to the property on Aug. 27. Its Gimme Shelter column reported that the singer had expressed interest but was outside Los Angeles, prompting representatives working on her behalf to arrange a private video tour.
The account relied on an unnamed source. Representatives for both stars and the listing brokers had not responded to the newspaper’s requests for comment when it was published.
Madonna had previously owned a Hidden Hills estate, which she bought from the Weeknd in 2021 and sold in 2023.
On Oct. 6, The Real Deal, citing Robb Report, identified Madonna as the purchaser.
Prospective Buyers Faced Background Checks
Carswell said his team used background checks to assess prospective visitors’ financial qualifications and genuine interest in buying before granting access to Jolie’s home.
He described a recurring problem with celebrity listings: people who request viewings because they want to see inside a famous person’s house. Carswell called those visitors “wannabes” and said keeping them out was part of his responsibility as the listing agent.
The Estate Has Ties to Cecil B. DeMille and Charlie Chaplin
Architect B. Cooper Corbett conceived the main residence in 1913, according to the official listing. Filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille purchased it three years later and expanded the estate in 1920 by acquiring the neighboring Dodd residence, which had previously housed Charlie Chaplin. The DeMille family retained the property until the late 1980s.
Set across about two acres in Laughlin Park, the estate includes a Beaux-Arts residence and approximately 11,000 square feet of living space, with six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. The grounds contain a pool house, fitness studio and tea house, with century-old trees, rolling lawns and views toward the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Observatory.
A separate guesthouse studio has a private gated entrance, while the detached garage includes a security station.
Jolie Paid $24.5 Million for the Estate in 2017
Jolie bought the property in 2017, the year after filing for divorce from Brad Pitt, according to the Wall Street Journal. She put it on the market in May for $29.85 million and sold it Sept. 24 for $24.75 million.
The final price was $5.1 million below asking and approximately $250,000 above her purchase price, before commissions, closing expenses and ownership costs.
Jolie had previously said she intended to leave Los Angeles once her youngest children were adults. Twins Knox and Vivienne turned 18 in July.
Following the sale, a source close to Jolie told TMZ that she had not chosen a permanent new home base. The source said she planned to visit her children and continue working internationally, including in Cambodia.
Carswell described the Los Angeles market as difficult and acknowledged that the listing had been challenging. Asked whether Jolie was happy with the result, he said she was “doubly happy.”