The historic Beverly Hills mansion where President John F. Kennedy honeymooned and where iconic scenes from The Godfather were filmed is now in bankruptcy protection.
Leonard Ross, a financier who has owned $125 million Beverly House for four decades, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the estate on Sunday.
Those who file for Chapter 11 usually propose a plan of reorganization in order to hold onto their assets and pay creditors back over time.
Ross, aged 74, has listed $75 million in liabilities in his filing, according to Gulf News, and a hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday.
Wealthy Ross purchased the 19-bedroom, 29-bathroom home for $2 million in the mid 1970s – just years after it was used to film the iconic horse’s head scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film, The Godfather.
The financier embarked on a large-scale renovation of the home in the 1990s, and began renting it out for events. It also appeared in 1992’s The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston.
But in recent years, Ross has repeatedly tried to sell off the mansion with debts catching up to him.
Back in September 2016, Ross tried to sell Beverly House for $195 million, with The Real Deal reporting at the time that he had $60 million in debts linked to the estate.
The home was eventually taken off the market, before it was put back up for sale in September 2018 for the reduced price of $135 million. It was not sold.
Beverly House, where President John F. Kennedy honeymooned and where iconic scenes from The Godfather were filmed, is now in bankruptcy protection according to Gulf News
Beverly House has 19 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms, two theaters, a two-story library and a living room with 22-foot ceilings. But owner Leonard Ross has revealed he’s $75 million in death
Ross (far left) is pictured inside Beverly House with high-powered friends including Lionel Richie (center left) and Chris Noth (second from right) back in 2009
Beverly House is seen on the silver screen in 1972’s The Godfather, which was filmed shortly before Leonard Ross snapped up the estate for $2 million
The iconic horse’s head scene from The Godfather (pictured) was filmed in one of the estate’s 19 palatial bedrooms
According to Gulf News, Ross is currently in the midst of a separate legal battle with lenders who hold a mortgage on Beverly House.
In September, he filed a lawsuit against the private lenders, claiming he was manipulating into a mortgage agreement with them back in 2015, when he was reeling from the death of his daughter.
The lenders filed a cross-complaint, but that legal dispute is now likely to be put on hold after the new Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The drama surrounding Beverly House comes just a few years before the historic estate celebrates a centenary since it was completed.
The house was built in 1925 by English born architect Gordon Kaufman, the man best known for his work on the Hoover Dam.
JFK and Jackie Kennedy (left) honeymooned at Beverly House in 1953, before scenes from The Godfather (right) were filmed at the estate two decades later
Wealthy Ross purchased the 19-bedroom, 29-bathroom home for $2 million in the mid 1970s- just years after it was used to film the iconic horse’s head scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film, The Godfather
The house was built in 1925 by English born architect Gordon Kaufman, the man best known for his work on the Hoover Dam
William Randolph Hearst received the home as a gift from one of his mistresses, who paid just William Randolph Hearst $120,000 for it in 1946
At 50,000 square feet of interior space, Beverly House quickly became known as one of the country’s most opulent homes
At 50,000 square feet of interior space, Beverly House quickly became known as one of the country’s most opulent homes.
It was bought by banker Milton Getz but its most famous owner was publishing giant William Randolph Hearst.
The media mogul was given the property as a gift by actress Marion Davies in 1946, with his ‘mistress’ paying just $120,000 for the mansion.
Real estate pictures from the 2018 listing show Beverly House as it is today.
Built out of terra-cotta stucco, the H-shaped residence combines Spanish and Italian style. It has intricately carved ceilings and paneled walls, French doors, balconies, arched ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, which overlook cascading waterfalls to the pool and the Venetian columns beyond the pool house.
Outside, the property boasts 3.7-acres of landscaped gardens, and includes a 75-foot long swimming pool, two tennis courts and a sit-down dining area for up to 400.
The home has 19 bedrooms, 29 bathrooms, a tennis court, two theater rooms, a two-story library and a billiards room containing herringbone parquet floors and a massive carved stone fireplace mantle from San Simeon.
Real estate pictures from the 2018 listing show Beverly House as it is today, with lavish artworks and furnishings
The home is famous for its H-shaped residence that combines both Spanish and Italian style
Over the years, the home has kept a majority of its original architecture as its been passed on to other owners
The house was used multiple times in the Godfather movies, including for the infamous horse’s head scene
The Beverley House is located in the famed 90210 area code and is just a few streets away from Sunset Boulevard