Abandoned Celebrity Mansions: From a £12 Million 'Haunted' House to Mike Tyson's Decaying Estate

IT’S always fun when we get to see how the other half live… with their massive mansions, sprawling gardens and lavish swimming pools.

But things aren’t always what they seem, because some celebrities that previously went into financial ruin or had projects fall through, were left with crumbling homes that were difficult to flog.

Mike Tyson’s Ohio home was a crumbling mess before a church bought itCredit: Getty Images – Getty It was left crumbling and abandonedCredit: Johnny Joo Living World Sanctuary now own the propertyCredit: WKYC 3 The home is situated in OhioCredit: Johnny Joo

Mike Tyson’s crumbling Ohio mansion

In 2020, it was revealed that – which featured tiger cages and a basketball court – had been converted into a church.

The former heavyweight champ abandoned the property after his rape conviction in 1992, and it was untouched for 10 years before being bought and renovated by the Living World Sanctuary Church.

Living Word Pastor Nicholas DeJacimo told the Warren Tribune-Chronicle: “The property had been untouched for ten years.

“You had so much grass you could have sold it for hay.”

The dilapidated pool has since been turned into a sanctuary while the living room is now a gathering place.

Remnants of the now-59-year-old’s time still remain with the basketball court still intact.

The old fireplace has since been turned into an indoor waterfall while the four-bay garage is now classrooms and a nursery.

And the tall steel cages where Tyson kept his famous four tigers have been dismantled for a pavilion.

Courtney Love’s graffiti-covered cottage

Courtney Love put her grungy three-bedroom, two-bathroom country retreat on the market in 2019Credit: Virgil Adams Real Estate It was abandoned and left in ruinCredit: Virgil Adams Real Estate The abode looked empty and unlovedCredit: Virgil Adams Real Estate She bought it in 1995Credit: Getty

Courtney Love’s home in Olympia, Washington was once a stunning abode, but was abandoned seven years ago.

The three-bed two bathroom cottage, which sits on seven acres of land, was bought for £340,000 by the singer in 1995, a year after the death of husband Kurt Cobain.

But in recent years it has been abandoned and, in 2019, she put it up for sale for £243,000, making a loss of £97,000.

The real estate blurb described the property as a “major fixer” that required “a ton of work”, adding that it needed “everything” done – and that’s no exaggeration.

The property is comprised of a main house and several outbuilding including a guest cottage, which has obvious fire damage.

The eight-stall stables are covered in graffiti, with bricks on the floor, and the interior of the main house is totally neglected.

It is not known if the property was ever sold.

Mohamed Hadid’s abandoned mega-mansion project

Mohamed Hadid had big plans for a home in LA, but he sadly never got to see his dreams become realityCredit: Hadid Design and Development The property was abandoned amid legal issues before it was sold and then razed to the groundCredit: Mega

Property tycoon Mohamed Hadid, the father of supermodels Gigi and , was forced to abandon his mansion in LA back in 2021.

The real estate developer, 77, bought the property in 2011 and planned to build a 30,000sq ft home on a 1.22-acre lot.

His plans for the land and the home he wanted to build had dimensions that were much larger and taller than city rules permit.

He was only given permission to build a 15,000sq ft property, but went ahead with double.

In the mega mansion, Mohamed wanted a 70-seat IMAX theater and a huge wine cellar.

As he worked on the project, he was plagued with legal issues throughout the construction.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2022, the tycoon said he was not sad to see the project fall through.

He said at the time: “I’ve moved on with my life – that’s all behind me now.

“I wish the people who bought it well and I wish them well with whatever they build there in its place.

“I have other projects I am involved with now.”

The estate was eventually razed to the ground in 2023.

Liza Minnelli’s Beverly Hills childhood home

Liza Minnelli’s abandoned mansion was where she grew upCredit: Youtube/AdamTheWoo The home was left abandonedCredit: Youtube/AdamTheWoo Liza grew up in the mansionCredit: Getty It is situated in Beverly HillsCredit: Getty Liza sold the house in 2002Credit: Getty Images – Getty

When film director Vincent Minnelli died in 1986, he left his estate – including his LA mansion – to his superstar daughter Liza.

As a child, the singer and actress spent six months a year living at the 19-room house, following her father’s divorce from her mother Judy Garland.

But a clause in the will stated fourth wife Lee Minnelli would have use of the house as long as she was alive.

In 2000, however, Liza decided to sell the house and offered her 94-year-old stepmother an apartment.

When she found a buyer, in 2002, Lee refused to move out and Cabaret star Liza stopped paying the electricity bills and the staff — who continued to work for free.

In return, Lee took Liza to court for breach of contract, elder abuse, and infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit was dropped in 2002 and Liza reached an agreement with the new buyers – who shelled out £1.8million – that she would pay rent for Lee to stay there.

Lee died in 2009, but the home still stands abandoned and in serious need of renovation.

‘The house that Steve Jobs hated’

Steve Jobs hated his home in CaliforniaCredit: Flickr/Jonathan Haeber He purchased the property in 1984Credit: Jonathan Haeber/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) The home was left abandoned when Steve relocatedCredit: Jonathan Haeber/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) Steve Jobs was the CEO of AppleCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Steve Jobs bought the Jackling House in Woodside, California, in 1984.

The 14-bedroom mansion, built in 1925 for copper mining magnate Daniel Cowan Jackling, boasted spacious balconies, a games room, marble bathrooms and elaborate chandeliers.

But the co-founder of Apple quickly fell out of love with the property after marrying Lauren Powell, in 1991, and welcoming their first son Reed.

The family relocated to a home in Bay, in 1994, and Jobs applied to have the mansion demolished and replaced with a smaller house.

But locals – who dubbed the mansion ‘The house that Steve Jobs hated’ – were up in arms and years of legal wrangles followed.

The former grandeur of the Spanish style property began to rot away, with paint peeling, plaster crumbling from the walls and vines growing inside the rooms.

Jobs eventually won his case and the bulldozers moved in 2011, but not before locals removed chandeliers, door handles and a huge pipe organ with 3,300 pipes.

In a cruel twist of fate the former Apple CEO lost his fight against pancreatic cancer and died eight months later.

Dave Gilmour’s haunted stately home

David Gilmour’s former manor is situated in OxfordshireCredit: Trevor Bishenden The property was used as a recording studioCredit: Trevor Bishenden Hook End now has new ownersCredit: Trevor Bishenden As of 2020, it was reported that the property had been renovated and brought back to its former gloryCredit: Media Drum World Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour previously owned Hook EndCredit: Getty – Contributor

Hook End, in Oxfordshire, was built in 1580 for the Bishop of Reading and once served as a mental hospital.

But the eerie property was bought by Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour in 1980.

Two of the band’s albums were recorded in the studio at the house, which was sold on to music producer Trevor Horn in 1986.

This came amid rumours that Gilmour’s wife Ginger believed the house was haunted.

The Smiths singer Morrissey, who stayed at the house in the 1980s, claimed he saw the ghost of a monk who appeared in the early hours to summon residents to prayer.

Horn used the property as a studio, with acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and the Manic Street Preachers recording there.

But in 2006, Horn’s wife, Jill Sinclair, was shot accidentally shot in the neck with an air rifle by their son, Aaron, and fell into a deep coma.

She never fully recovered and she died in 2014.

Following the tragic accident, Horn sold the property to producer Mark White for £12million and, while he invested in the studio, the house fell into disrepair.

Hook End now has new owners and has been renovated.

Michael Jackson’s Neverland

The Neverland Ranch was once a place full of lifeCredit: Alamy The ranch reached a state of disrepairCredit: Splash News The ranch was sold in 2020Credit: Splash News

bought Sycamore Valley Ranch in California for £23m in 1988, five years after staying there with Paul McCartney to record their hit Say, Say, Say.

The Thriller star renamed the property Neverland, after the magical land in Peter Pan, and set up a fairground in the grounds, with two railways and a station, a petting zoo, a ferris wheel, pirate ship and carousel.

The 2,698 acre also included three guest houses, a pool house, waterfall, tennis court and a 5,500-square-foot cinema and stage.

In 2003, when Jackson was accused of abusing a 12-year-old boy, Neverland was searched by police.

He was acquitted in 2005 but moved to Bahrain and abandoned the mansion. Struggling with a £215m bank loan, he closed the house as a cost cutting measure, owing staff £244k in back payments.

The singer stayed away until his death in 2009, and the ranch fell into disrepair. The fairground rides were removed and the stunning grounds, with formal gardens, a stone bridge and four lakes, became overgrown.

The ranch was sold in December 2020 to billionaire investor Ron Burkle for $22 million, a fraction of its original $100 million asking price.

Boris Becker’s Spanish villa turned adult movie set

Boris Becker’s villa was left to rotCredit: Facebook/Georg Berres

bought the stunning villa the Finca de Son Coll, on the island of Majorca, for £422,000 in 1997.

The former champ spent a fortune adding a pool, a Moroccan-style pool house, a guesthouse and a basketball court.

But in 2004 he was served a £190k fine for work that was not approved by the authorities and ordered to tear them down.

Three years later he attempted to sell for £12m but no buyer was found.

Facing financial ruin, after his £11m divorce from first wife Barbara in 2001, Becker struggled to keep up the maintenance and in 2011 he was sued by his gardener for £246k owed in salary.

The property was confiscated until the money was paid and, in 2014, it was confiscated again over £312k outstanding for building work.

The German ace managed to get the property back, but lost it again when he was.

After that, squatters who called themselves the Intergalactic Auxiliary and Rescue Command, moved in.

Since their eviction by court order in January the house, which is still owned by the state, has reportedly been used as a set for an adult movie .

He is the former Wimbledon championCredit: EPA