James McClain
In case you weren’t already aware, things are apparently very serious between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Serious to the tune of about $55 million, the approximate amount that the couple has reportedly agreed to pay for a major estate in prime Bel Air, where the now-reunited Bennifer will have plenty of room for their blended family and them some. TMZ broke the story — while the deal has not yet closed and is still contingent on inspections, the A-listers are focused on one particular property currently offered at $65 million.
Avid real estate watchers might be surprised about the purchase, especially given that Lopez already owns a sumptuous Bel Air estate that she bought for $28 million from actress Sela Ward a few years ago. Affleck, for his part, makes do with a $19 million mansion on the Pacific Palisades Riviera. But the couple is supposedly seeking a fresh residential start; assuming this deal goes through, they may soon sell their current L.A. homes.
As for the big Bel Air estate in question, the 1.2-acre sprawler lies almost directly across the street from the main entrance to the hoity-toity Bel Air Country Club. The house itself was built in the 1930s and designed by cherished architect Paul Williams, though it’s clearly undergone some big modifications in the almost nine decades since then.
The property is currently owned by hedge fund manager Todd Lemkin and his longtime wife Kasey, who bought the place for $27.6 million in 2016. At the time of their purchase, the once-grand estate had been expanded and renovated by previous owners into a not-particularly-stylish bloated beast of a house.
But the Lemkins subsequently gave the property a full-scale renovation of their own that likely cost many millions, transforming the ungainly mammoth of a house into a stylish traditional with elegant interiors and impressive views sweeping over the Century City skyline. In all, there are now 10 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms in nearly 20,000 square feet of living space.
Listings held by Drew Fenton and Linda May of Hilton & Hyland show that the property also contains grandly-scaled rooms that open to a massive backyard, plus a separate guesthouse. In all, there are a total of not one or two but four kitchens on the premises (a main kitchen and catering kitchen in the main house, a third kitchen in the guesthouse, and a full outdoor kitchen/BBQ center in the backyard.)
Other highlights of the three-level residence include a movie theater, wine cellar and wood-paneled office, along with an upstairs master retreat boasting dual closets and a single bathroom swaddled in a particularly glam species of marble. Downstairs, a full basement level includes a media room, gym and a private “security suite” for a full-time bodyguard. Out back, the infinity-edged pool is joined by several loggias, fire-pits, a putting green and carefully manicured gardens.
Besides their current Los Angeles homes, Affleck and Lopez have a variety of other properties in their respective portfolios. Affleck still owns a gracious estate in Georgia, while Lopez holds title to a $20 million New York City condo and a mansion in the Hamptons. She’s also got a relatively humble home in L.A.’s Encino neighborhood, acquired a couple years ago.
As for the Lemkins, the couple has reportedly relocated from Bel Air to Dallas, and they also still maintain a $23 million vacation retreat in Aspen.
