For many who manage to scale the high and treacherous peak, it’s a winding and not always savory road to fame and fortune. Take Karenjit Kaur Vohra for example. The Canadian-born and America-bred daughter of Indian immigrants, more commonly known as Sunny Leone, got her start in the adult industry at 20 years old, posing for Penthouse magazine. She claims it was Bob Guccione, the now defunct publication’s founder, who chose her professional surname, and she was named as Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003. Within a couple of years Leone moved on to the hardcore side of things. Known primarily for her all-female scenes, the openly bisexual Leone quickly became a pretty big fish in the porn world pond.
It was, however, a 2011 appearance on the fifth season of the popular Indian reality TV show “Bigg Boss,” which is similar to “Big Brother,” that launched her into Bollywood’s version of mainstream reality-TV stardom. She officially quit porn in 2013 and since 2014 she’s co-hosted the MTV India dating show “Splitsvilla.” Along the way she’s headlined in numerous Bollywood blockbusters, launched a cosmetics line, StarStruck by Sunny Leone, and gathered up an astonishing 44.4 million Instagram viewers. (SocialBook places Leone as the 86th most-followed Instagram account, not far behind American film star Zac Efron and just ahead of Venezuelan-American internet sensation Lele Pons.)
Not quite four years ago, as a celebration of her success and, according to the Indian press, her 36th birthday, Leone and her husband/manager, Daniel Weber, splashed out almost $3.75 million for a spacious home set on a high plateau in the foothills above L.A.’s Sherman Oaks. The purchase was not only highlighted on Leone’s social media accounts but also profusely fawned over in the Indian press.
The couple, who have three kids and split their time between L.A. and Mumbai, made numerous improvements to the more than 5,700-square foot late-1950s traditional where they spent at least part of the Covid-19 quarantines last year. Newly re-priced at a wee lump under $4.7 million, the property was initially and quietly set out for sale late last year with James Harris and David Parnes at The Agency at $5.15 million.