Nearly half a century after Carson first settled there, the property has returned to the real estate market with an asking price of $40 million, according to the Architectural Digest. The sale is also expected to benefit three charitable organisations, following the death of its last owner, Joanna Carson, in 2025. For decades, the Bel-Air property was part of Johnny Carson’s life away from the television cameras. The former host of The Tonight Show bought the midcentury home in the early 1970s, around the time his programme moved from New York to California. He also made changes to the estate, including the addition of a private office and a floodlit tennis court.
Carson’s interest in tennis was reflected in one of the property’s most distinctive features. He had a private court installed with lighting, allowing games to continue after daylight hours. A pavilion was built alongside it.
The layout includes a large living room with a wet bar, a formal dining room and an expansive family room overlooking the gardens. The kitchen has a central island, built-in cabinetry and a breakfast area. A circular rotunda leads towards the main bedroom suite, which has two bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes. Ulrich also described her life in Bel-Air to The Wall Street Journal. After her separation from Carson, she became part of the neighbourhood’s social circle, living next door to former US first lady Nancy Reagan and maintaining close connections with the Sinatra family. The planned donations give the transaction a purpose beyond the transfer of a high-value residential property. Rather than the proceeds remaining entirely within the family estate, the sale will support organisations working in different areas of philanthropy and community services.