Shonda Rhimes seeks $25 million for Hancock Park trophy home
Days after inking a massive deal with Netflix that will keep her with the streaming service for five more years, Shonda Rhimes is looking to ink another in Hancock Park. The prolific producer behind “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal” just listed her 12,000-square-foot villa for $25 million.
If she gets her price, it’ll be the most expensive sale in the affluent neighborhood so far this year.
Records show Rhimes picked up the historic estate for $8.8 million in 2014, but she’s not the only notable name tied to the property. It was built nearly a century ago by Elmer Grey, the Pasadena architect behind the Beverly Hills Hotel and Huntington Art Gallery. More recently, it was owned by actress Patricia Heaton, who starred in the sitcoms “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle.”
During her stay, Rhimes completely remodeled the Mediterranean-style mansion with the help of Michael Smith, the interior designer whom President Obama tapped to make over the Oval Office in 2010.
Today, it boasts grand spaces that combine hardwood floors, crown molding, Venetian plaster, designer lighting and custom wall and window coverings. Skylights and a blown-glass chandelier hang over the marble foyer, and the living room features tray ceilings and a stone-carved fireplace.
The three-story floor plan also includes a two-story gallery with a music mezzanine, chef’s kitchen, library and lower level with a snack bar, playroom and movie theater complete with stadium seating.
Seven bedrooms and 12 bathrooms complete the residence, which opens to a backyard with two expansive lawns, a stone patio, loggia, swimming pool, spa, paddle tennis court, herb garden, secret hedged garden and cabana with a patio and fireplace. The guesthouse adds a private courtyard, hair salon and wellness center, completing the double-parcel property that covers a little more than an acre.
Rhimes is the founder of Shondaland, a TV production company with hits over the last two decades including “Private Practice,” “How to Get Away With Murder,” “Station 19” and “Bridgerton.” The 51-year-old inked a multi-year development deal with Netflix in 2017, and her recent expanded deal with the company will see her work on new revenue streams such as live events.
On the real estate side, she also owns a Manhattan penthouse and sold another home in Hancock Park for $7.166 million in 2019.
Ed Solorzano of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties holds the listing.
