Latest news with #NicoleAvant
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Beverly Hills Estate Owned By A String Of Industry Titans Hits The Market At $17 Million
Tall gates and dense hedging ensure complete seclusion—essential for a residence that has welcomed a former president. Few buyers place 'previous owner' at the top of a must-have list, yet provenance casts color on every address. A storied history suggests how a house is lived in, loved, even re-engineered. At 708 North Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills, that color comes from an elite palette. Three power players—fashion mogul Max Azria, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos with former author, producer and former U.S. ambassador Nicole Avant, and Fox Television chief Jack Abernethy—have all at different times called these walls home. Built in 1923, the residence has been thoughtfully modernized while standing by its classic character. From the curb, the house projects discreet East Coast formality. A high hedge, twin motor courts and a black-slate rooftop adorned with dormer windows whisper New England more than Los Angeles. Step through the door and the illusion continues. Traditional millwork and formal rooms project buttoned-up composure. Yet sliding walls open to a sun-bleached pool deck—pure California. Style says tux, setting says swimsuit. Living areas favor the formality of measured layouts and polished finishes. Speaking of attire, Max Azria, founder of women's fashion brand BCBG (not to be confused with CBGB, the legendary dive bar turned NYC punk nirvana), likely found the six-bedroom layout perfect for his eye for fashion. Twin dressing areas—with closets spacious enough to host a season's collection—surely proved irresistible. The short hop to Rodeo Drive's designer ateliers only sweetened the choice. Time and temperature recommend the gathering scene: brisk coffee around the kitchen island in the morning, a chilled white on the patio once the air turns warm. Azria's buyers, Sarandos and Avant, brought a different spotlight. In 2012, the power couple staged a private fundraiser here for President Barack Obama. No press allowed. Guest cars curled through the dual motor courts and vanished behind foliage. Inside, the floor plan proved more than hospitable. Formal living and library corridored into a glassy family room, then spilled outdoors to a lantern-lit dining grove. Tickets ran towards $40,000 a seat. Proof positive that this architecture can handle both intimate scripts and box-office blockbusters. The keys would eventually land in the hands of 708 North Rexford Drive's current owner, Jack Abernethy, who quickly went to work behind the scenes. The Fox executive relocated the kitchen to the back of the house. Now marble countertops spectate as family and guests cannonball into a newly minted pool. A guest cottage sprang up a few steps away, outfitted with its own fireplace and two baths. The overhaul moved the heart of the home toward the garden, coaxing people outside, letting conversation track the sun across the lawn. The primary suite doubles its indulgence with twin closets and separate ensuite baths. Private quarters remain suitably elevated. The primary suite pushes onto an airy terrace with a fireplace. Two secondary suites play their own balconies. A convertible fifth bedroom waits on the main floor for staff, teenage independence… or a sudden brainstorm that needs an office by morning. Location completes the portrait. The Flats earns its name from—you guessed it—flat ground that stalls just before the Santa Monica Mountains begin to climb skyward. That gentle topography means quick hops to studios along Pico, red-carpet premieres on Hollywood Boulevard, late dinners on Rodeo Drive. The Beverly Hills Hotel glows five minutes away. Private jets at Van Nuys break the horizon in under half an hour. For executives who measure days in such increments, minutes matter. A detached guest house—equipped with living room, kitchen, bedroom and two baths—grants visitors enviable poolside access. So does legacy. A house that has inspired couture, courted presidents and rewritten prime-time schedules speaks to more than square footage. It signals uncompromising standards. Buyers may not list 'former owner' on a spreadsheet, yet the notion hovers. Who actually lived here? At 708 North Rexford, the cohort is hard to ignore, with each name a benchmark of success. The home rose to their levels. Now the question is: who will shape its legacy next? Priced at $16.85 million, the listing for 708 N Rexford is held by Brett Lawyer of Carolwood Estates. Carolwood Estates is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Beverly Hills Estate Owned By A String Of Industry Titans Hits The Market At $10 Million
Tall gates and dense hedging ensure complete seclusion—essential for a residence that has welcomed a former president. Few buyers place 'previous owner' at the top of a must-have list, yet provenance casts color on every address. A storied history suggests how a house is lived in, loved, even re-engineered. At 708 North Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills, that color comes from an elite palette. Three power players—fashion mogul Max Azria, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos with former author, producer and former U.S. ambassador Nicole Avant, and Fox Television chief Jack Abernethy—have all at different times called these walls home. Built in 1923, the residence has been thoughtfully modernized while standing by its classic character. From the curb, the house projects discreet East Coast formality. A high hedge, twin motor courts and a black-slate rooftop adorned with dormer windows whisper New England more than Los Angeles. Step through the door and the illusion continues. Traditional millwork and formal rooms project buttoned-up composure. Yet sliding walls open to a sun-bleached pool deck—pure California. Style says tux, setting says swimsuit. Living areas favor the formality of measured layouts and polished finishes. Speaking of attire, Max Azria, founder of women's fashion brand BCBG (not to be confused with CBGB, the legendary dive bar turned NYC punk nirvana), likely found the six-bedroom layout perfect for his eye for fashion. Twin dressing areas—with closets spacious enough to host a season's collection—surely proved irresistible. The short hop to Rodeo Drive's designer ateliers only sweetened the choice. Time and temperature recommend the gathering scene: brisk coffee around the kitchen island in the morning, a chilled white on the patio once the air turns warm. Azria's buyers, Sarandos and Avant, brought a different spotlight. In 2012, the power couple staged a private fundraiser here for President Barack Obama. No press allowed. Guest cars curled through the dual motor courts and vanished behind foliage. Inside, the floor plan proved more than hospitable. Formal living and library corridored into a glassy family room, then spilled outdoors to a lantern-lit dining grove. Tickets ran towards $40,000 a seat. Proof positive that this architecture can handle both intimate scripts and box-office blockbusters. The keys would eventually land in the hands of 708 North Rexford Drive's current owner, Jack Abernethy, who quickly went to work behind the scenes. The Fox executive relocated the kitchen to the back of the house. Now marble countertops spectate as family and guests cannonball into a newly minted pool. A guest cottage sprang up a few steps away, outfitted with its own fireplace and two baths. The overhaul moved the heart of the home toward the garden, coaxing people outside, letting conversation track the sun across the lawn. The primary suite doubles its indulgence with twin closets and separate ensuite baths. Private quarters remain suitably elevated. The primary suite pushes onto an airy terrace with a fireplace. Two secondary suites play their own balconies. A convertible fifth bedroom waits on the main floor for staff, teenage independence… or a sudden brainstorm that needs an office by morning. Location completes the portrait. The Flats earns its name from—you guessed it—flat ground that stalls just before the Santa Monica Mountains begin to climb skyward. That gentle topography means quick hops to studios along Pico, red-carpet premieres on Hollywood Boulevard, late dinners on Rodeo Drive. The Beverly Hills Hotel glows five minutes away. Private jets at Van Nuys break the horizon in under half an hour. For executives who measure days in such increments, minutes matter. A detached guest house—equipped with living room, kitchen, bedroom and two baths—grants visitors enviable poolside access. So does legacy. A house that has inspired couture, courted presidents and rewritten prime-time schedules speaks to more than square footage. It signals uncompromising standards. Buyers may not list 'former owner' on a spreadsheet, yet the notion hovers. Who actually lived here? At 708 North Rexford, the cohort is hard to ignore, with each name a benchmark of success. The home rose to their levels. Now the question is: who will shape its legacy next? Brett Lawyer of Carolwood Estates holds the listing for 708 N Rexford. Carolwood Estates is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
South China Morning Post
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Netflix boss Ted Sarandos' wife, Nicole Avant: from the Hollywood nepo baby's Beverly Hills childhood to becoming US ambassador, backing Barack Obama and coping with grief after her mum's murder
A former US ambassador, film producer and author Nicole Avant grew up with Hollywood royalty. Her father, Clarence, was a well-known music mogul and her mother, Jacqueline, an art collector and philanthropist. Her parents have been widely described as having helped shape Black American culture. Avant, 56, married to Netflix boss Ted Sarandos, released her memoir, Think You'll Be Happy: Moving through Grief with Grit, Grace and Gratitude, in 2023. The book detailed her mother's murder in 2021 and how her family tackled the grief. It was her father who encouraged her to write the book, according to Town & Country magazine, telling her, 'You cannot give your power away to somebody. If you don't write your book because of what this man just did to our family, then he wins again.' Advertisement Nicole Avant supported Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. Photo: @nicoleavant/Instagram From supporting Barack Obama before he was popular, to finding the courage to write about her mother's death, get to know Nicole Avant. She was raised as part of Hollywood royalty Nicole Avant (right) grew up in Beverly Hills. Photo: @nicoleavant/Instagram Nicole's father Clarence, former head of Motown Records, was also known for fighting for equal rights for African-American artists. Her mother Jacqueline was a well-known philanthropist and art collector. According to Town & Country, Nicole was raised in Beverly Hills, spending her childhood playing tennis and celebrating her birthday by going to glitzy events, such as jazz musical Sophisticated Ladies, starring Gregory Hines. Her mother was murdered
