Ghost stories, a spider infestation and a leaky roof aren’t enough to stop Munchkin, Inc. millionaire from purchasing the infamous “American Idol” mansion in Los Angeles. Once home to the popular show’s contestants, the Bel Air mansion was sold to Steven B. Dunn in late July for $11.2 million; the asking price was $12 million.
Located in the coveted Bel Air neighborhood, the 15,000-square-foot house sits on two acres of land. The mansion features nine large bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an enormous pool, and a motor court that is big enough to fit 100 parked cars. The inside of the Los Angeles mansion is covered with marble while the outside features several luxurious waterfalls, an impressive pool table, and a nice koi pond.
So what is so “spooky” about the former American Idol mansion? The show’s contestants from season 8 and season 10 have told several magazines that the place is haunted by spirits. Back in season 8, contestant Anoop Desi told People magazine that Alison Iraheta claimed that she had contact with a kind by curious spirit in the home, whom she called Phyllis. If that wasn’t strange enough, there’s more. What changed the name of the house to the “haunted Idol house” were the events that occurred during the taping of season 10. Some contestants swore they saw a bed sheet floating down a hallway. And that’s not all. Another contestant, James Durbin, told OK! magazine that he was frightened by a hand that appeared out of nowhere in the garage. Durbin said that others saw the hand, too. The haunting became so bothersome that the show’s producers had to relocate the season 10 contestants to a new house.
Along with tales of ghosts, many said the house was also in bad shape. Contestants complained about a spider infestation, a leaky roof from a recent rain storm, and flickering lights. One person said that the mansion was “falling apart.” Another said that it was not “up to par.” The woman contestants on season 10 were especially annoyed because they had to share one bathroom, even though the mansion has nine.
Even if the home is a fixer-upper, we’re sure that millionaire Steven B. Dunn can afford to shell out some cash and bring it up to par.
