Business & Tech

Marlon Brando's House Up for Sale

Sherman Oaks house that Marlon Brando bought for his housekeeper is back on the market.

The Sherman Oaks house that the late actor Marlon Brando bought for his housekeeper Maria Cristina Ruiz, with whom he had three children, is up for sale with a purchase price that has been reduced to $1,625,000.

The five-bedroom home, at 13828 Weddington St., is in a lush neighborhood with large homes and half-acre lots. The main house has 3,027 square feet, and there is also a guest house, a gazebo, a tennis court, pool and a diving board made by Brando himself for his family with Ruiz.

"Marlon bought houses for several of his women," said Barbara Sternig, a journalist and friend of the family.

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"Maria was Brando's housekeeper up at his Mulholland Drive home in Sherman Oaks. Proximity led to a physical relationship," Sternig said. "She produced three children and he eventually moved her to her own quarters at the house on Weddington to preserve his privacy and so she could raise the kids away from his residence."

Brando was an involved father to the children he had with Ruiz, according to Sternig.

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"After the 1994 earthquake, Marlon rushed to the house where the chimney had fallen down and other damage that endangered the family with Maria," she said. "He personally sat or camped on the lawn with the family until things could get sorted out for re-occupance.

"Earlier in his life, he had also purchased a very attractive home for his former Japanese girlfriend Yachio, near the base of Coldwater Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills," Sternig said.

"He provided a beautiful West L.A. home as well for ex-wife Movita, with whom he had two children, Miko and Rebecca. Marlon remained very close to Movita and was a doting father to their children all of his life, and he spent many holidays with his Movita family in that home," Sternig said.

This is the third time in four years that the home on Weddington has been put up for sale. Realtors say the earlier asking prices were above $2 million."The neighborhood is called 'Weddington Estates,' and the asking price of $1,625,000 is a good value since the lot is huge—nearly 30,000 square feet," said realtor Alan Taylor of the John Aaroe Group of Sherman Oaks.

When Sherman Oaks Patch was taking photos of the house, suddenly Maria Cristina Ruiz came out to the street, accompanied by another woman and two children. Ruiz helped her three guests into a waiting taxi, and said,"I tried to sell the house several years ago, but there were no buyers, so now I've lowered the price and I'm hoping it will sell now."

"Where will you move to, if you sell the house?" Ruiz was asked.

"God only knows," replied Ruiz with a smile.

At this point in her life Ruiz can be described as a woman of a certain age. She was wearing jeans, and a bright red blouse and seemed quite energetic and friendly.

However, her mood darkened when asked if she minded if we took a photo of her.

"Please don't take any pictures of me, I'm a mess today," she implored. "You're not paparazzi, are you?"

She did look somewhat disheveled.

We obliged the lady.

Brando, who was considered by many to have been the greatest American actor, died at the age of 80 in 2004. His primary residence was the hilltop home he owned on Mulholland Drive in Sherman Oaks.


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