The Feb. 5 release of “Framing Britney Spears” provoked an avalanche of social media commentary and vitriol, much of the latter aimed squarely at Britney’s father Jamie Spears. The FX documentary details the circumstances surrounding the singer’s long-running conservatorship, which began in 2008 and sparked the #FreeBritney movement.
Coincidentally, just three days after the documentary’s premiere, a 90210 mansion known for being the linchpin of Spears’ 2007 breakdown sold again — this time for $6.1 million. Tucked away in “The Summit,” an exclusive guard-gated community high in the mountains above Beverly Hills, the Italianate-esque villa packs six bedrooms and 6.5 baths into nearly 7,500-square-feet of mansion-sized living space.
The Princess of Pop bought the property in January 2007, paying $6.75 million and immediately moving into the premises. One month later, on a random Friday night in February, the 25-year-old walked into a Tarzana salon and proceeded to shave her entire head; less than a week after that, she was photographed attacking a paparazzo’s car with an umbrella. Other bizarre circumstances followed — some infamous nights of partying with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, a 14-day psychiatric hold — that ultimately led to Spears’ 2008 conservatorship, now in its 14th year and seemingly going strong.
Within two months of her rash residential purchase, the Summit mansion was back on the market, initially asking $7.5 million. By 2009, Spears had permanently decamped Los Angeles, moving out to far-flung reaches of the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County. She rented in the communities of Calabasas and Hidden Hills for a few years before settling in a semi-remote area of Thousand Oaks.
But despite years on the market and some multimillion-dollar pricechopping, her long vacant 90210 house didn’t sell until May 2012, when Australian venture capitalist Jeff Friedmann scooped it up for just under $4.3 million, a nearly $2.5 million loss for Spears. Friedmann made some quick renovations and meticulously maintained the place before flipping it this week for the aforementioned $6.1 million — doubtless a lot of money, but still $650,000 less than what the “Toxic” singer paid almost exactly 14 years ago.
The property’s for-sale listing made no secret of its provenance, advertising the two-story structure as a “former celebrity Mediterranean villa” with “immaculate architecture and design.” Set behind hedges and trees on a cul-de-sac, driveway gates open to a brief motorcourt, where there’s a three-car garage bordered by a wee patch of grassy lawn.
Inside an ornate front door, the double-height foyer with its crystal chandelier are guaranteed to impress guests. Beige stone floors continue into a double-height living room, where there’s a fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves. Other well-scaled public spaces include a formal dining room with French doors opening directly to a patio, a sunny breakfast banquette set into three walls of windows, and a chef’s kitchen with upgraded stainless appliances and granite countertops opens to a fireplace-equipped family room.
The listing notes that nearly all of the downstairs rooms — which also include a study and separate maid’s quarters — open to the .37-acre lot’s lush gardens, which are accented by big bunches of bougainvillea and palms. There’s also a dark-bottomed plunge pool with an adjoining raised spa, surrounded by a concrete patio with its own firepit. A built-in BBQ/outdoor kitchen services the tree-shaded backyard.
Back inside, the neutral decor theme continues upstairs, where there are five ensuite bedrooms. Chief among them is a rather frilly master suite trimmed in shades of gold, complete with poofy curtains, a bedroom fireplace, built-in soaking tub, and a private balcony that overlooks the pool area.
All of these amenities must seem a very distant memory to Spears, who now resides on a much grander 21-acre estate in the Hidden Valley region of Thousand Oaks. The guard-gated compound includes a 13,000-square-foot hilltop mansion with an infinity pool and long views over the surrounding hills.
Josh and Matt Altman of The Altman Brothers Team at Douglas Elliman handled both sides of the transaction.