Earlier this year, Gene Simmons told The Times that he’s through with California. “It’s time for a quieter lifestyle. No more tour buses or celebrity maps or fires or earthquakes,” he declared, adding that he was relocating to Lake Tahoe.
The KISS star has officially followed through on his word, selling his longtime home of more than three decades for $16 million.
He’d been shopping the Benedict Canyon mansion around since last year, originally offering it for $22 million before trying to take advantage of the post-pandemic market and relisting it for $25 million in March. The final sale price is far shy of that sum, but still significantly more than the $1.34 million he paid for the property in 1986.
Back then, the two-acre estate held a 3,500-square-foot farmhouse, which Simmons quickly razed in favor of the 13,400-square-foot showplace that sits there today. He raised his family in the home, which was the primary setting for seven seasons of his A&E reality series “Gene Simmons Family Jewels.”
Tucked behind gates, the residence is reached by a long, winding driveway and a pair of sweeping staircases that ascend to the dramatic entry. Inside are seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms and palatial spaces such as a two-story foyer and great room overlooked by a catwalk.
Simmons installed two KISS-themed memorabilia rooms during his stay but remodeled them when the home went on the market, saying, “A family wants to move into a house, not a KISS museum.”
The front of the property holds a tennis court, and the backyard adds a swimming pool and lawn surrounded by patios and lush landscaping.
A native of Israel, Simmons co-founded KISS in the early 1970s and serves as the band’s bassist and vocalist. Known for their over-the-top makeup and costumes, the New York-based group has released 20 studio albums and is one of the bestselling bands ever, with more than 75 million records sold.
Josh and Matt Altman of Douglas Elliman of California handled both ends of the deal.