These four celebrities call Newport home

NEWPORT — In a city full of mansions some stand out more than others. That's also the case for the owners.

Newport has long been a place celebrities have turned to purchase homes. Behind gated entries, these celebrities enjoy amenities and some of the City-by-the-Sea's best views. Here's an opportunity to brush up on some of Newport's more famous residents and their homes.

Alexis DeJoria

In 2017, Alexis DeJoria purchased Ocean Lawn, also known as the Firestone estate, located at 51 Cliff Avenue on the Cliff Walk in Newport. DeJoria, a pro-drag racer, purchased the property for $11.65 million, according to an article published by the Providence Journal. In 2016, the home was listed for $18.5 million, but the price was later reduced to $15 million. 

The 24-room, 16,237-square-foot estate was built in 1889, and has 24 rooms in it, including 13 bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms, and one half bathroom. It also has his-and-hers libraries. 

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DeJoria's Queen Anne-style home was designed by Peabody and Stern. The grounds overlook the Atlantic Ocean, with an ocean-facing pool and garages. There is also a  660-square-foot playhouse that contains a kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom and fireplace.

The Ocean Lawn estate originally included 22-acres, but the property was subdivided after Mrs. Firestone’s death in 1992 and turned into an eight-dwelling gated community, leaving the main house with six-plus acres that extend down to the ocean.

DeJoria's residence picked up added attention when the dog owned by DeJoria's then-husband Jesse James, of West Coast Chopper fame, went missing in Newport. Coco, a French bulldog was eventually found a month later.

Larry Ellison

In 2019, Ellison, who founded the tech company Oracle, purchased Seacliff located on Bellevue Avenue, for $11 million. The purchase gave him ownership of all four properties between Rosecliff and Marble House, two Preservation Society of Newport County mansions.

Seacliff has a total of 10 rooms, of which five of them are bedrooms. In 2019, the total assessed value of the mansion was listed as $6.81 million. 

Judge Judy Sheindlin

In 2018, famed television Judge Judy Sheindlin, and her husband Judge Jerry Sheindlin, purchased the Bird House, at 70 Beacon Hill Road for $9 million. The home was previously owned by the late Campbell Soup heiress Dorrance H. Hamilton. At the time of the purchase, July 2018, the sale price was the highest in Rhode Island. 

The home has a two-story entrance hall and a living room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.  

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Jay Leno

In 2017, comedian Jay Leno and his wife Mavis purchased four of the five condos at the Seafair estate located at 254 Ocean Ave., for a total of $13.5 million. The home was designed for Verner Z. Reed Jr. by William MacKenzie on an 11.5 acre lot next to the shoreline. 

According to a previous Newport Daily News Article, the first listing for the mansion on assessor’s records is 1935. The estate was converted to Seafair Condominium in 1988, according to assessor’s records.

Bethany Brunelle can be reached at bbrunelle@newportri.com  907-575-8528 or @bethanyfreuden1 on Twitter, Insta: bethanyfreudenthal, TikTok: thehijabicrimereporter, Muckrack: https://muckrack.com/bethany-freudenthal