Although the deal actually closed late last year, it’s only now that details have emerged about Ronan Farrow and his longtime partner Jon Lovett’s stealthy acquisition of a $1.87 million Los Angeles pied-à-terre.
Visually obscured from the street behind gates and a towering hedge, the 1920s Spanish-style cottage was “brilliantly reimagined” and remodeled by the previous owner, per the listing. The modernized house features a front door that opens directly into a living room with hardwood floors, a brick fireplace and walls painted a trendy gunmetal grey. A dining area adjoins the eat-in kitchen, which sports a chic contemporary flair with stainless steel cabinetry and upgraded appliances.
There are two reasonably spacious guest bedrooms and a master suite in the nearly 1,900 sq. ft. structure; the master includes an ensuite bathroom, ample closet space, and French doors providing convenient access to the backyard. Out yonder is a rectangular swimmer’s pool and shaded loggia with an al fresco dining area.
Tucked into a far corner of the wee .15-acre lot is a converted structure that formerly served as the two-car garage, now functioning as a deluxe guest unit with its own full kitchen and bathroom. Other outdoor amenities include a drop-down movie screen for film projecting, a grassy lawn and hammock in the front yard, and a giant sign out back that reads “no more parties in L.A.”, an apparent nod to Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar’s hit record.
Lovett, a former speechwriter for both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton turned Hollywood screenwriter and producer, is co-founder of Crooked Media. The L.A.-based progressive political media firm is best-known for its popular podcasts, including Lovett-hosted fare “Pod Save America” and “Lovett or Leave It.”
As for Farrow, the Hollywood scion and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist is credited for catalyzing the #MeToo movement through his groundbreaking sexual abuse exposés about Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves, among other prominent media figures. Farrow remains New York-based, where he continues to own his “starter flat,” a Lincoln Square-adjacent condo that he bought back in 2014 for about $1.5 million. After first listing the airy unit for $1.65 million, the property is finally in contract with a reduced ask of $1.55 million, StreetEasy shows.
And earlier this year, according to Mansion Global, Farrow substantially upgraded his Manhattan residential circumstances with the $5.65 million purchase of a Lower East Side penthouse apartment. The more than 2,000 sq. ft. unit includes a bathroom with radiant heated marble floors and a giant 1,000 sq. ft. outdoor terrace with sublime head-on views of downtown New York City.
Marcie Hartley of Hilton & Hyland had both sides of the L.A. transaction.