Couple’s Bid to Tear Down Historic Fifth Helena Drive House Denied

The Brentwood home where Marilyn Monroe spent her final months — and where she died in 1962 — will remain standing after a Los Angeles judge upheld the city’s decision to protect the property as a historic landmark.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant issued a brief written order Tuesday rejecting a legal challenge from the home’s current owners, producer Roy Bank and his wife, Brinah Milstein. The couple had asked the court to overturn the landmark designation so they could demolish the house and incorporate the land into their adjoining property.

The ruling leaves intact a Los Angeles City Council vote from June 2024 that officially granted the Fifth Helena Drive residence protected status. The decision

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