Demi Lovato selling house where she overdosed for $9.5M

Demi Lovato is taking drastic measures to leave her demons behind—for one, by selling the Hollywood Hills home where she nearly died of an overdose.

Purchased for $8.3 million in September 2016 and now listed for $9.5 million, the 5,546-square-foot house has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, an infinity pool, soaking tub, gazebo, and “huge sky lounge terrace” offering views of the Pacific Ocean and Sunset Strip.

All in all, it’s a perfect party pad and dreamy abode for soaking in SoCal vibes. Except for recent history. On July 24, reports surfaced that Lovato, while at home, nearly overdosed on oxycodone laced with fentanyl. Thankfully, she survived, spending 10 days in the hospital. Since then, she hasn’t returned to the house.

Why Demi Lovato needs to sell this home

Many think Lovato’s decision to put this home behind her makes a lot of sense, given the traumatic events that took place.

“As a physician, I know that post-traumatic stress disorder may be triggered by being in the house [where certain events occurred],” says Goldie Winge, a physician at UCLA. “Addictive behaviors may also be triggered by being in that environment. I completely understand and agree that Lovato should move.”

“Drug-related events in homes typically leave the owners with a bad taste and negative memories of the property,” says Ashley Shahid, an associate with mortgage and real estate clients at Vested. “In Demi’s case, this home also represented a lot of partying—it is The Hills, after all—and constant connection to drugs and users in the area. It is not a good idea for an addict to live in The Hills, much less Hollywood in general.”

Must the incident be disclosed to potential home buyers?

As for whether the home’s past might affect its sale, real estate agents are divided. For starters, while sellers often have to disclose any known deaths that occurred in a home, a near death — or illicit drug use in general — does not have to be mentioned.

“Typically — unless the home was being used as a meth lab — drug use does not have to be disclosed,” says Cara Ameer, a real estate agent licensed in California and Florida.

But even if this info doesn’t have to be disclosed, “it should be disclosed,” argues Washington, DC, real estate agent Cedric Stewart. “If illicit activity was conducted on the property, the prospective buyers should know for health and safety reasons. You don’t know what was left behind and who might come back looking for it.”

Will this home’s past affect its sale?

But because Lovato’s medical emergency in this house was widely reported, many may already be aware of the property’s past. This could work against a swift sale.

“Lovato’s past in the home could potentially affect how people feel about the house,” Ameer continues. “Homes often exude a karma that you can pick up on when walking through. It isn’t something you can see. But you can often tell if there was a happy dynamic or if something seemed amiss in the space, just on how the home feels once you’re inside.”

“Demi’s incident taints the home — it will always be the ‘house that Demi Lovato almost died in,'” says Shahid.

Bad juju aside, Shahid believes “Demi will more than likely get the asking price, if not more. I believe that someone will want to buy it for the location of the home and its characteristics. Her superstar persona also inevitably elevates the home’s value, even if something tragic happened there.”

Or, as Dolly Hertz, an associate broker with Engel & Voelkers in New York City, puts it, “decades ago, Eric Clapton’s son fell from the 53rd floor of a prestigious Manhattan building, a horrendous tragedy. It was understandable that the grieving parents would not return to the residence. But in time, the unit was sold and continues to be enjoyed [by new home buyers].”

In the end, it seems a home can escape its past far easier than the people living within.