It was one of those “Wait, what? ” moments.
The estate that once belonged to Jerry Lewis surfaced on Airbnb.com last weekend. This was news for the current home owner, Jane Popple, who listed the residence at 1701 Waldman Ave. in the historic ’80s district of Scotch for $ 1.25 million.
“It’s impossible,” Popple said on Sunday when asked about the registration. “I live in it.”
Nonetheless, a spare bedroom in the six-bedroom, six-bathroom estate has been listed for at least Sunday morning through Wednesday morning. The minimum rate posted for two nights was $ 1,500 per night. The list was under the name Davar Avar, who Popple says she met last year while she was selling household items.
Popple bought the house from Lewis’ widow, Sam Lewis, in June 2018. The listed purchase price was $ 1.2 million.
The Airbnb ad is linked to a home items sale in May 2019. Popple sold a framed photo of one of the Lewis family’s chihuahuas to Avar. During this first meeting, Avar offered to help Popple treat her boyfriend, John O’Brien, who suffered from heart disease as well as a head injury he suffered during a fall. at home.
Avar also had health issues and told Popple he was on Veterans Disability. Popple said he stayed in the spare bedroom for a short time last November and then left after Popple said his help was no longer needed.
The listing later mysteriously appeared on Airbnb, under “Jerry Lewis Home,” with the rate of $ 1,500 per night, along with a calendar for reservations and a link to the “Davar” post directly.
Reached by phone Tuesday morning, Avar said he released the Airbnb listing “some time ago” when considering buying Lewis’ former home. When asked why he hadn’t removed the ad, given the concerns of the current owner, Avar replied, “I have cancer and I have better things to fear.”
Then the call was dropped. Efforts to reach Avar for follow-up were unsuccessful.
On Wednesday morning, the ad was not found on the Airbnb site.
The post caught the attention of the Lewis family, who were concerned that Jerry Lewis’s name could be associated with a short-term rental in a historic Las Vegas neighborhood. As Lewis’s daughter Danielle said of her childhood home on Wednesday: “I think it’s sad how my father’s old home is being presented to the public right now.”
Popple insisted the Airbnb post was a surprise to her. From Sunday morning to Tuesday morning, the owner of the estate has always said she was angry with the announcement. As of Tuesday afternoon, she referred the matter to a lawyer, who requested that efforts to contact her about the matter be halted due to Popple’s health concerns.
Popple is a well-known investor in the luxury real estate market, having purchased homes in Las Vegas that were previously owned by casino legend Ted Binion on Palomino Lane and singer Juan Gabriel on Pinto Lane. She sold both estates, as well as her old estate to Rancho Circle.
This is not the first unusual episode centering on the house in which Lewis and his family lived from 1982 until his death in August 2017.
In May 2019, the announcement of a real estate sale for the Lewis House sparked confusion and concern among neighbors and the entertainment legend’s family. Initially, it seemed like Lewis’s own items were on the market. But the sale mainly included Popple’s goods and those brought in by a jewelry collector.
Also that month, a live auction inside the house drew an astonishing bid of $ 2.5 million, as the house was listed at $ 1.8 million at the time. The person who made this offer, which was not accepted, was never identified.
The home is still listed for sale and remains on the market for long-term rental for $ 9,900 per month, with a minimum lease of four to six months.
The former home of Jerry Lewis is certainly a piece of Las Vegas history, and it has quite a history.
John Katsilometes column is published daily in section A. His PodKats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. To follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @ JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
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