Brad Pitt let 105-year-old man live on his $40m LA estate rent-free

"He was very, very kind to the husband."

Brad Pitt let an elderly neighbour whose wife had passed away stay on at a property in his $40 million estate rent-free. The Oscar-winner purchased the 1.9-acre property in 1994 for a reported $1.7 million from Elvira, Mistress of the Dark star Cassandra Peterson, People reported, adding that he held onto it for nearly 30 years before selling it for $40 million this year. The publication noted that the sprawling LA estate was home to one more resident than Pitt probably expected. Peterson told People how she sold her home to the Bullet Train star and how he ended up playing landlord to a man who lived to be 105 years old. She said there were “like 22” houses on the edges of Pitt’s property which he purchased every time one became available. One belonged to a man in his early nineties. So, Pitt made a deal with him, allowing him to stay on in the home, Peterson explained. “He was very, very kind to the husband,” she told People.

“His wife passed away and the husband, John, lived there. I know that Brad allowed him to live there without paying anything until he died.”

However, the deal probably lasted longer than Pitt had expected, Peterson said: “It was kind of funny because John lived to be 105.” The actress joked that John “just kept living forever,” stating, “I imagine Brad was thinking well, you know, he can live there till he dies, which might be any minute now.” After selling him her house, Paterson later became Pitt's neighbour and claims she spoke with him over the years, describing him as “always kind and sweet”. She also told People how she came across Pitt as he was preparing for his role in Fight Club. The actress recalled:

“I go past Brad’s garage and he’s in there wearing only sweatpants. He’s got on boxing gloves and he is punching a bag. I swear I almost fainted.” “I remember he goes, ‘Hey, how are you?’ and I’m like, ‘Huh?’ I couldn’t talk. I was turning red. I felt like I was fainting. “He’s just so stunningly, stunningly handsome — and nice, to top it off.”

Pitt’s estate is where he and his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, 47, raised their six children. The couple split in 2016. Read the People story here. Related articles:

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