Christopher Meloni is back to being a big name on network television thanks to his starring role in Law & Order: Organized Crime, as Detective Stabler fighting the criminal underworld in New York City after years overseas. Now, the actor had made a big change himself, as he and wife Sherman Williams have sold their Los Angeles house for more than $5 million. And that’s despite its haunted reputation!
The Organized Crime actor and his wife formerly lived in a home in Hollywood Hills, which has a history in showbiz even beyond housing Meloni and his wife. It formerly doubled as the home of Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven) on Entourage. More notably, however, the home is said to be haunted, with incidentally allegedly ranging from doors shutting, sheets flying off beds, a pervasive smell of rose perfume, and other phenomena.
Built in 1916, Dirt reports that the house was purchased for $5.9 million by director/producer Rawson Marshall Thurber, who has helmed projects like Dodgeball, We’re the Millers, and – more recently –Red Notice. The sale comes after the home was put on the market by Meloni in 2020, with the listed price of $6.5 million. That was later pulled and the home was rented out for the steep – although reasonable for the area and size of the house – price of $29,500/month. Meloni originally purchased for 5.25 million back in 2014.
Apparently the rumors of hauntings weren’t enough to deter their original purchase, or Thurber’s in 2022! Chris Meloni hasn’t spoken about experiencing any paranormal activity, but him previously owning a supposedly haunted house with his wife just makes me imagine what it would look like if Law & Order: Organized Crime ever delved into the paranormal. It’s unlikely, since the Law & Order franchise has been quite grounded in real life going back to the original series’ debut in 1990, but it’s fun to think about.
Would Stabler be a believer, or a skeptic? I’m not saying that I want to see an X-Files-esque spinoff in the franchise starring Meloni and his former SVU partner Mariska Hargitay, but I would watch it! Stabler is good at taking things personally, and what could be more personal than him living in a haunted home?
In all seriousness, the Hollywood Hills home has no fewer than five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and is protected by walls and gates, so it seems like the ideal house for anybody in showbiz who would want to avoid any prying eyes from fans or paparazzi. Photos of Meloni certainly appear on social media on a regular basis, although often from when filming Law & Order: Organized Crime (or guest-starring on Law & Order: SVU for a crossover) in Elliot Stabler mode. (Earlier episodes are available streaming with a Peacock subscription.)
You can see Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler in new episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC until the Season 2 finale in May. OC closes out a full night of L&O action on the network, with the original Law & Order (featuring the iconic Sam Waterston) at 8 p.m. and Law & Order: SVU (which is soon bringing back former series regular Demore Barnes) at 9 p.m. in what remains of the 2021-2022 TV season.