Diving into the colorfully frenetic app that is TikTok can feel like entering an alien world, particularly when it comes to the unfathomable numbers influencers have posted. Charli D’Amelio, 16, has racked up more TikTok “likes” than there are people on the planet — 8.6 billion of them, to be exact — and the speed at which other creators have skyrocketed to stardom makes the entire thing seem mind-numblingly unreal.
But the money is still very real, and one TikTok celeb who can attest to that is Tabitha “Tab” Brown, the North Carolina native who rose to social media fame in 2020, during the height of quarantine season, with her vegan cooking videos that incorporate her soothing voice, a pinch of comedy, and a big heaping of her trademark catchphrases — “because that’s my business” among them. Last month, the 41-year-old mom was named TikTok’s second-biggest creator of 2020, behind only D’Amelio.
Brown’s popularity led to her being signed by Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Last June, she debuted her own digital show, “All Love,” on Ellen DeGeneres’ Ellen Digital Networks. She now has 4.6 million TikTok followers, and 3.2 million Instagram followers. And the former struggling actress-turned-part-time Uber driver and her longtime husband Chance have paid $2.2 million for an impressive estate in Northridge, a suburban Los Angeles neighborhood tucked into the northern San Fernando Valley.
Built in 1965, the house had been owned for the last decade by Johnny Buss, the now 64-year-old Lakers co-owner and a son of the late Lakers majority owner Jerry Buss. Baller-style upgrades to the Northridge place were many, of course, and they include a commercial-grade solar energy system with rooftop panels, a sophisticated camera/security system, and a cavernous wine cellar.
Set on a quiet cul-de-sac, the gated estate is described as a “custom Spanish Hacienda” in the listing. A long walkway hewn from clay Saltillo tile leads between mature olive trees to the front door, and there’s a separate gated driveway that accesses the three-car garage and additional three-car carport.
Mammoth interior spaces include a skylit great room with a fireplace set into a stone wall. The double-height family room has its own fireplace, and there’s a formal dining room, plus an open room that’s currently staged as a second dining room but could be converted into a media room of some sort. Though decoratively dated, the master room is huge and luxurious with a spa-style bath, private balcony and two walk-in closets.
Outside, the .73-acre flat lot is tricked out like a private resort, complete with a backyard gazebo, a full-fledged greenhouse, a children’s area with custom playsets, full outdoor kitchen, grassy lawn area, a putting green, an oversized pool/spa combo, and a full-size tennis court with lights for night play.
Of course, there’s also an indoor kitchen that’s been given a contemporary remodel, complete with a granite-topped center island and the full range of stainless appliances. Expect to see Brown whipping up some of her signature dishes in this kitchen soon — maybe her vegan mac and cheese or her famous “carrot bacon” — courtesy of TikTok.
Chris Williams of Re/Max One held the listing; Lanard Prince of Park Regency Realty repped Brown.