Jane Fonda’s former residence at 2001 Holly Hill Terrace is back on the market. Priced at $1.99 million, the listing marks a sharp $800,000 drop from its 2024 debut at $2.79 million. The seller, Kathleen Whyte, daughter of character actors Bryan Clark and Jo Deodato Clark, has owned the property since 1985. Her parents purchased the home for $234,180, a sum that seems quaint compared to today’s Hollywood Hills real estate market.
The house carries more history than most. Fonda rented the property during two significant marriages: first to French director Roger Vadim (1965–1973) and later to political activist Tom Hayden. It was during this period that the CIA turned its attention to the address. A 2018-declassified document lists Fonda and this specific address among 50 targets tracked by the agency in 1971. Records reveal the CIA intercepted four letters sent to her from the Soviet Union.
"That is illegal, and we stopped it in 1973," then-CIA Director William Colby reportedly told President Gerald Ford in 1975. The surveillance reflects the intensity of Fonda’s anti-Vietnam War activism. The agency’s actions, detailed in National Security Archive documents, highlight the domestic reach of intelligence operations during the Cold War. Today, the property is protected by a Los Angeles Conservancy façade easement, one of only two in the historic Whitley Heights district.
Architecturally, the 1932 Mediterranean Revival villa was the final project of developer H.J. Whitley. He designed the neighborhood to mimic an Italian hillside village, attracting stars like Rudolph Valentino and Bette Davis. The home features a two-storey veranda added in 1941, five bedrooms, and five bathrooms. A grand staircase from Holly Hill Terrace leads to the main entrance, while a separate driveway from Grace Avenue opens into a two-car garage that connects directly to the interior.
The interior offers canyon views from the primary suite’s patio and the main-floor library. A garden with fruit trees and a pool define the outdoor space. Prospective buyers should note the home’s proximity to the Hollywood Bowl and Franklin Village. The next step is clear: the market will decide if the price cut attracts a buyer willing to inherit this layered history.