A midcentury dream eclipsed by crime as Brad Pitt quietly sells his burglarized “Steel House”

20 August 2025

Aerial view of the Los Feliz neighborhood in Los Angeles. Getty

Brad Pitt is closing the chapter on his Los Feliz residence known affectionately as The Steel House in an off-market sale currently in escrow. The actor purchased the midcentury modern gem in 2023 for $5.5 million, partly trading his Hollywood Hills mansion in a swap with philanthropist Aileen Getty. Though the house was burglarized in June of this year, sources stress that the decision to sell had already been set in motion well before the break-in and the unresolved crime did not accelerate Pitt’s plans.

Built in 1960, this architectural standout spans approximately 2,000-2,100 square feet and features an iconic L-shaped layout. Its sleek design boasts terrazzo floors, beamed ceilings, and cantilevered eaves signature touches from the era it was born in. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls offer panoramic city views, while three cobalt-carpeted bedrooms and light-blue custom cabinetry in the kitchen and master suite establish a quiet, thoughtful elegance. The outdoor space is as inviting as it is peaceful, complete with a swimming pool, a redwood hot tub, and a garden with a sauna and cold plunge.

On the evening of June 25, Pitt was away promoting his film F1: The Movie when three burglars climbed over the fence, entered through a window, and ransacked the home. They fled with unspecified valuables. Thankfully, surveillance footage led to the arrest of 18-year-olds Jaquory Arman Watson and Damari Zair Charles part of a suspected burglary ring targeting multiple Southern California homes. Both have now been charged with first-degree burglary.

Pitt’s decision to sell and quickly move on is part of a broader recalibration of his California real estate holdings. Recently, he acquired a Spanish-style residence in the Hollywood Hills for $12 million and continues to reside primarily at the historic D.L. James bungalow in Carmel, purchased in 2022 for $40 million. The Los Feliz house, while beautiful, no longer fit his evolving lifestyle or living needs.

While celebrities often navigate highly normalizing changes in their real estate portfolio, the intersection of violent intrusion and personal property invites a unique reckoning. The burglary was one of several high-visibility break-ins this year, contributing to an unsettling wave targeting affluent neighborhoods a phenomenon the LAPD attributes to organized “burglary tourism.” Other recent victims include A-list peers and professional athletes.

Even so, it’s clear that Pitt’s departure from The Steel House is driven less by trauma and more by a purposeful shift in environments from a Los Feliz hideaway with Hollywood memories to newer spaces reflecting a new phase of life. The property will likely attract a buyer seeking architectural pedigree as much as man-made serenity.

This sale invites us to see not just the loss of a treasured home, but the quiet grace in letting go, in shifting toward what feels next not out of fear, but by choice.