Celebrity Mansions That Were Abandoned
1. Mohamed Hadid's Mega Mansion
Image Source / PeopleThe father of supermodels Gigi and Bella is a multimillionaire real estate developer - so you'd think someone actually in the business would build a mansion to last. But this project took a turn for the worse; the mansion, based in Bel Air, Los Angeles, started off with a legal battle, to end up being eventually demolished.Advertisement
2. Courtney Love's Country Retreat
Image Source / LoudwireCourtney Love, the music and film star, and ex of Kurt Cobain, had a generous country retreat in Washington state, once upon a time. The retreat, on seven acres of land, had been abandoned and left to rot. Love eventually sold the abandoned home and took a loss due to the neglect.3. Steve Jobs' California Mansion
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4. David Gilmour's Stately Home
Image Source / consequence.netThe guitarist of band Pink Floyd was supposed to move into a very stately home in Oxfordshire in the UK. The mansion included 11 bedrooms, and was the site of many of the band's album recordings in the studio built there. Gilmour went on to move out of the mansion, and it's even been the site of a claimed haunting or two. The house passed from hand to hand and eventually fell to neglect.
5. Liza Minnelli's Childhood Mansion
Image Source / Herald WeeklyThis mansion in Beverly Hills was where legendary actress and singer Liza Minnelli grew up. The lavish house passed to Minnelli from her father, but she eventually went on to sell the house, where it grew into disrepair and neglect. Urban explorers have even taken to visiting the many-roomed abode.Advertisement
6. Sunninghill Park: The Mansion Of Prince Andrew And Fergie
Image Source / The GuardianThe now-disgraced Prince Andrew was given this mansion by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth. He lived there with his then-wife Sarah Ferguson, with the house boasting 12 bedrooms, stables and even a swimming pool. The royals eventually moved out and the mansion was left empty and put on the market. After the house had fallen to ruin, it was eventually demolished in 2016.Advertisement
7. Boris Becker's Spanish Mansion
Image Source / Majorca Daily BulletinFamous tennis player Boris Becker bought his own mansion in Spain in 1997, and spent lots of money renovating it to include a pool and a basketball court, to name a few. But it was too good to last, because he was not only fined for some of the additions after not getting permission, but he then put it on the market only to never find a buyer. The mansion was seized after non-payment of bills, too, only to see squatters and then fall into quite a grubby state.Advertisement
8. Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch
Image Source / PinterestThe King of Pop's Neverland Ranch is famous - perhaps for all the wrong reasons - and after Michael Jackson's death, the question of what to do with this huge amusement park, complete with railway, came about, but it fell into disrepair. The home has been put on the market many times but has failed to attract a buyer... wonder why...Advertisement
9. Mike Tyson's Ohio Mansion
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10. Nelly's Missouri Mansion
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11. P. Diddy's Abandoned Mansion: Mystery Location
Image Source / Insider P. Diddy's abandoned mansion has been the source of urban explorers and viral videos, with a bit of mystery attached to it. Nobody seems to know where the mansion is, and videos posted about it started debate about where it could be located. One Reddit user suggested the mansion, which was bought by the rapper in 2003 and later sold and abandoned, could be in Georgia.Advertisement
12. Bruce Lee's Abandoned Home In Hong Kong
Image Source / InsiderAfter martial arts legend Bruce Lee died in 1973, his Hong Kong home quickly went up for sale. It was bought, converted and then planned to sell, but fans of Lee asked for the place to be preserved in memory of Bruce Lee. The owner of the house later died and the house was left empty, before later being demolished and redeveloped.
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13. Aleister Crowley's Mansion
Image Source / The TimesThe mansion that once belonged to famous occultist Aleister Crowley, located in Scotland, was later bought by Jimmy Page, the guitarist of rock band Led Zeppelin. The area the mansion is located already had lots of spooky tales and incidents from its history. After Page took over the mansion, reports of paranormal activity soon surfaced. The mansion later suffered not one, but two fires, and was left in ruin.Advertisement
14. Pablo Escobar's Abandoned Naples Estate
Image Source / GetYourGuideThe abandoned property of Pablo Escobar is probably one of the most famous estates in the world, complete with roads, swimming pools and an airstrip. After his death, the estate was abandoned and left to rot, eventually confiscated by the government in Colombia.Advertisement
15. Michael Jordan's Chicago Compound
Image Source / Jacaranda FMBasketball legend Michael Jordan spent a lot of his hard-earned net worth on a huge mansion compound in the Chicago area. The mansion includes personalised Jordan logos, including the home's full size basketball court. The problem was that, when it came to sell, the mansion was both too expensive and too much labelled with Michael Jordan logos everywhere! That's a very specific taste in decor, after all. So the mansion was abandoned and unsold.Advertisement
16. Evander Holyfield's Palace In Georgia
Image Source / Bleacher ReportFormer professional boxer Evander Holyfield faced a little bit of money trouble in his life, and one of the biggest problems for his finances was his mansion in Georgia. When he couldn't afford the ridiculous upkeep of the huge house, it was put on auction where it was snapped up by a buyer.Advertisement
17. Burt Reynolds' 'Valhalla' Florida Ranch
Image Source / American LuxuryActing legend Burt Reynolds had a huge ranch in Florida that was known as 'Valhalla', which included a farm, a horse track and even a chapel that the star got married in. Unfortunately, Reynolds got into money trouble and couldn't afford to keep the ranch. It was then abandoned, sold and eventually bulldozed.Advertisement
18. Toni Braxton's Mansion In Atlanta
Image Source / Baltimore SunSinger Toni Braxton of iconic 'Unbreak My Heart' fame ended up using her cash to buy a mansion in Atlanta, which boasted 16 luxury rooms. She eventually went on to file bankruptcy, and the mansion had to be abandoned and put on the market. It wasn't actually the last mansion Braxton would buy (or leave). She went on to buy another before leaving that one, too.Advertisement
19. Katy Perry's Hollywood Hills Home
Image Source / Daily MailSinger Katy Perry was enjoying her lavish Hollywood Hills home purchase before her separation from Russell Brand, forcing her to leave the home and put it on the market. She had to cut a lot of money off the price tag to get it to sell, but she eventually got on track by - you know - marrying Orlando Bloom.Advertisement
20. Reese Witherspoon's California Homes
Image Source / Daily MailAfter actress Reese Witherspoon purchased a Spanish colonial mansion in California, she soon became tired of it and decided to put it on the market. Unfortunately, people weren't moving to quickly snap up the property and she ended up losing a lot of money on it, but for someone with her net worth, she can abandon expensive mansions and take a loss whenever she pleases.Advertisement
21. Ryan Phillippe's Sunset Strip Home
Image Source / JustLuxeSpeaking of Reese Witherspoon - her ex, Ryan Phillippe, also had his own experience with expensive abandoned property. After buying his own home in LA, he then later decided to sell, but - despite its many amazing features - wasn't really getting any interest on the property market.Advertisement
22. Christina Aguilera's L.A. Real Estate
Image Source / Daily MailPop singing legend and The Voice judge Christina Aguilera spent her $millions net worth on real estate investment in Beverly Hills. But when she chose to pack up and leave, she also took a big loss on the price tag when she went to sell. The mansion was bedecked in a lot of pink, though, so maybe some pink-haters couldn't see past that.Advertisement
23. Harry Styles' Hollywood Hills Abode
Image Source / ForbesFollowing his obvious success as a solo artist, previous One Direction star Harry Styles decided to dip his toe in the real estate market in the Hollywood Hills. He then decided to flip it, but apparently ran into some trouble getting the amount he wanted for it (because apparently not too many people cared that Harry Styles himself had lived there).Advertisement
24. Shaquille O'Neal Huge Florida Mansion
Image Source / Los Angeles TimesLegendary basketball star Shaquille O'Neal bought a pretty darn huge mansion in Florida, complete with 12 bedrooms, over 11 bathrooms and a hefty price tag. But he soon tired of the huge house and left it, putting it on the market and then even dropping the price so that it could sell. In 2021, it finally sold.Advertisement
25. Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth's Malibu Tragedy
Image Source / Metro UKMiley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth - when still married - had to abandon their home for a more tragic reason. The pair's Malibu set up, which included two homes the pair had, became victim to one of California's wildfires. The pair later had to sell what was left of their burned homes.Advertisement
26. Nicolas Cage's Castles
Image Source / CBS NewsNot content with your traditional Hollywood mansion, actor Nicholas Cage decided to invest in a variety of expensive homes which he abandoned. He once had 15 homes, including two medieval mansions and a castle in Germany. But Cage quickly abandoned any new homes he bought to move on to the next wacky purchase.Advertisement
27. Billy Joel's Beach House
Image Source / TopTenRealEstateDeals.comLegendary singer Billy Joel did what any self-respecting celeb would do when they're rolling in it: he bought a beach home! But after later deciding he didn't want it, he left the home to put it on the market, but (surprisingly, due to those great views) had trouble selling it.Advertisement
28. Celine Dion's Florida Home, Complete With Water Features
Image Source / Town & Country MagazineAnd we don't just mean a pretty fountain in the garden - the singer actually had a water slide, a river and two pools in her Florida mansion! It also came with beach views, so you could get a glimpse of some more water, if that wasn't enough. But apparently it wasn't the place for her as she later moved out and put it up for sale.Advertisement
29. Jennifer Lopez's Mansion
Image Source / Architectural DigestJennifer Lopez actually has more to her than singing, dancing and acting - turns out she's quite the whizz with real estate. Which makes it all the more surprising that she struggled to sell her Hidden Hills mansion after deciding she wanted out of it. It took a while, but she eventually managed to sell for many millions in 2017.Advertisement
30. Keith Richards' Luxury Apartment
Image Source / Town & Country MagazineLegendary Rolling Stones star Keith Richards had a rather nice luxury apartment in Greenwich Village, which was as big as a mansion inside to say the least. He decided he didn't want it, though, and put it on the market - where it spent two years waiting to be sold. Eventually, the penthouse did find a new owner.Advertisement
31. These other abandoned mansions with creepy pasts: Elda Castle, USA
image source: secrethike.com
This now abandoned castle includes an eye-watering 50 acres of land, both of which were once occupied by a family that then saw a great deal of tragedy. The daughter of the family died in an accident, before the father himself died from a fever in the castle. The remaining members of the family moved and the castle was left empty, now decaying and left in ruin.Advertisement
32. Lynnewood Hall, USA
image source: en.wikipedia.org
It gives off White House vibes, doesn't it? This huge mansion once housed the most important private European art collection in the whole country of the US. The mansion passed hands down the family line until the last member of the family died, and with no surviving members left, it was passed to a property developer. Sadly, nobody could afford the mortgage, and it was abandoned.Advertisement
33. Lennox Castle, Scotland
image source: en.wikipedia.org
This abandoned castle in Scotland was once the home of a very important Scottish family, built back in the 1800s. But it didn't stay a home forever, when it was eventually made into a mental asylum instead. It also served as a hospital during the Second World War. As you can imagine, that makes this now-abandoned castle a pretty eerie place to be - and you can imagine a ghost or two!Advertisement
34. Ashlar Hall, USA
image source: en.wikipedia.org
Ashlar Hall was originally built as a family home in Memphis, Tennessee, until eventually the family turned the huge house into a restaurant and place of business instead. But despite success on its initial opening, later the Hall was purchased from the family - as well as the surrounding area - and the investors left the house to rot, focusing on developing the land around it instead.Advertisement
35. Lui Family Mansion, Taiwan
image source: kathmanduandbeyond.com
Also creepily named the Minxiong Ghost House, this mansion has a tragic history - but nobody knows quite what the truth is. It was originally occupied by a family who mysteriously fled the home, leaving it empty. There are many tales as to why they left abruptly, including the maid committing suicide; years later, it was taken over by members of the Kuomintang of China, who were also said to have committed suicide there.Advertisement
36. Bannerman's Castle, USA
image source: roadtrippers.com
Found on the Hudson River in New York, this eerie abandoned castle sits on an island which was bought back during the time of the Civil War so that it could used for military means. The wealthy man who bought it also had a separate home nearby, but his death meant that construction on the castle stopped. Later, storms meant people couldn't cross to the island, and eventually the house remained empty and then fell victim to fire damage.Advertisement
37. Ha Ha Tonka Mansion, USA
image source: martincitytelegraph.com
There's nothing funny about this creepy abandoned mansion! Located in Missouri in the Ozarks, it was the dream project of a wealthy man who then tragically died in an accident. His sons carried on construction, but both sons eventually left after it was completed, and it changed from a home into a hotel. A fire soon brought an end to its business, and it was left only as remains.Advertisement
38. Mudhouse Mansion, USA
image source: en.wikipedia.org
When it was standing, nobody really know how or why it was built, adding to the creepy mystery around this place. Found in Ohio, it was once the home of a family who later vacated it, and then it was completely demolished in later years. This only fuelled the fire of people coming up with their own eerie legends about what the mansion was all about, and what happened there.Advertisement
39. Casa Sperimentale, Italy
image source: dezeen.com
The reason this one looks so eerily different to a lot of mansions on this list is because it was actually built as a treehouse! And although you have to be impressed by this, it doesn't change that it looks a little creepy. Located in a coastal town outside of Rome, it was built in the 60s, with the architects family living there. Nobody really knows why it was abandoned to waste away, but it's believed to have happened after the architect simply passed away.Advertisement
40. Villa de Vecchi, Italy
image source: atlasobscura.com
If this eerie shot isn't enough to give you nightmares, you should also know that this abandoned mansion is known as the 'House of Witches'. It was originally built as a summer house for the man it's named after, but tragedy soon struck the family. The architect died after construction, then Vecchi's wife was murdered and his daughter missing. After not being able to find her, he committed suicide.Advertisement
41. Hegeler Carus Mansion, USA
image source: en.wikipedia.org
Found in Illinois, this abandoned mansion-home was originally built by the same architect responsible for the state capitol building. The family living there suffered tragedy when two of the children died in the same year, and then another in their early 20s. The family continued to live in the home until the remaining member finally died, and the house was left empty before being turned into a museum - with some people now saying it very much has 'haunted house' vibes...Advertisement
42. The Los Feliz Murder House, USA
image source: housebeautiful.com
And if there's one abandoned house likely to be haunted, it's this one. The Los Feliz Murder House based in LA was once the home of a man and his family, until one night he killed his wife in her sleep before trying to do the same to their three children. Luckily, one of the children woke in time for the children to flee, and the man drank acid, killing himself.Advertisement
43. Dungeness Mansion, USA
image source: southofseeds.com
On Cumberland Island you can find the abandoned Dungeness Mansion and its grounds, which had been home to many different figures through the years, including a British settler and a war hero from the Revolutionary War. The house was later abandoned and left empty, before it then burned down. Today, the ruins of the eerie house and its grounds have been preserved for visitors.Advertisement
44. John List House, USA
image source: dirt.com
John List is the name of the man who killed his whole family back in 1971, in this home in New Jersey. He murdered his wife, his own mother, and his three children. He then laid their bodies out to be found in the ballroom before fleeing the property. It wasn't until a month later that the bodies were found, and the house was eventually burned down, with a new house being built on top of the remains.Advertisement
45. Cambusnethan Priory, Scotland
image source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Another creepy abandoned property from Scotland, this was once a beautiful and unique building, and is actually one of the last examples of this particular architectural style: Gothic Revival, with a focus on 19th-century neo-Gothic aesthetics. It was abandoned by the 1980s and left empty and cold, and has since fallen into a state of disrepair, with some believing it doesn't have long left to stand.Advertisement
46. Bamboo Palace, Democratic Republic of Congo
image source: archive.felixfeatures.com
Bamboo Palace was once a way for a dictator in this region to show his power, money and status, and while it once stood proud as an impressive mansion, it's now abandoned and derelict. President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire once lived here, and was completely kitted out with extreme luxuries, including a plane runway, which now all stand lost and forgotten.Advertisement
47. Swannanoa Mansion, USA
image source: virginia.org
Built in 1912 in the Blue Ridge mountains by a man who wanted a place for he and his wife to life, the house only served as a home for a short time after its completion before both occupants passed away. Left empty, it was then inherited by family members, who went on to sell it. Unfortunately, the people who bought it then went bankrupt, leaving the enormous mansion empty and rotting - and supposedly haunted...Advertisement
48. Pidhirtsi Castle, Ukraine
image source: en.wikipedia.org
Designed by an Italian architect, this once-stunning castle was one of the most impressive in the history of Ukrainian mansions - and it's also now believed to be one of the most haunted castles in the country. The castle was originally vandalized during both the Polish-Soviet War and World War II, and then abandoned completely for around 40 years before being managed by a museum trying to raise funds to restore it. You could certainly bank in on a ghost tour or two!Advertisement
49. Bokor Hill Station, Cambodia
image source: en.wikipedia.org
It's hard to believe this was once a successful mountain resort, and a luxury one at that! Now just a creepy shell of what it used to be, even just a photo of it is enough to tell you it's most likely haunted. You definitely wouldn't want to spend the night there... if you even could. The resort was abandoned in 1972, leaving only the enormous structure behind.Advertisement
50. Kinmel Hall, Wales
image source: en.wikipedia.org
Originally designed by an English architect, it was at first a residential home until the late 20s when it was then converted to a health center. When World War II began, it was then converted again to a hospital. It then went on to become a girl's school. And if there's one thing we know about creepy ghost stories, it's usually the abandoned buildings that were once hospitals or schools! Not to mention it also suffered a fire.Advertisement