With the exception of a few updates and a gate surrounding the property, the home looks largely the same as "Brady Bunch" fans recall. (Anthony Barcelo/Carswell and Partners)
After Lance Bass revealed a corporate buyer ruined his change to purchase the iconic "Brady Bunch" house, HGTV has officially come forward as the winning bidder.
The former *NSYNC member thought “It’s Gonna Be Me” when he came out on top in the bidding war for the home in Los Angeles' Studio City neighborhood, but that quickly turned into “Bye Bye Bye."
With the official announcement from Discovery CEO David Zaslav to Wall Street analysts on Tuesday, Bass now knows where to direct any anger at – HGTV.
“One of our projects for HGTV will speak to those ‘Brady Bunch’ fans on the call,” Zaslav said during the call about the company’s second-quarter earnings. “You may have heard that the house from the iconic series was recently on the market in California. I’m excited to share that HGTV is the winning bidder and will restore the Brady Bunch home to its 1970s glory as only HGTV can.”
Bass expressed a similar level of his excitement in his Friday announcement that he placed the winning bid to buy the beloved home, saying it was going to be a “fun project” for him to tackle. The house that appeared as the exterior of the Brady family home on television between September 1969 and March 1974 was put up for sale in July for $1,855 million.
Disappointment hit Bass the very next day.
“Marcia Marcia Marcia! I’m feeling heartbroken today,” Bass wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday. “As many of you may have heard, we placed the winning bid on the iconic Brady Bunch house—at least that’s what we were told.”
Though the exact number is unclear, the former boy band member said his winning bid was “way over the asking price” and was even informed he had successfully bought the house after the deadline passed.
“This was a dream come true for me and I spent the night celebrating amongst friends, family and fans alike. The next day, due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ the same agent informed us that there’s another Corporate Buyer (Hollywood studio) who wants the house at any cost,” Bass said.
Bass added that his team was prepared to place a higher bid, but the agent said the studio had “unlimited resources” to outbid Bass.
“How is this fair or legal?? How can I compete with a billion dollar corporate entity? I truly believe I was used to drive up the price of the home knowing very well that this corporation intended on making their offer and it’s not a good feeling,” Bass said. “I feel used but most importantly I’m hurt and saddened by this highly questionable outcome. I just hope it is not demolished. Thanks for all the love and support.”
Bass’ announcement that he purchased the “Brady Bunch” home received approval from Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on the popular sitcom.
“Congratulations! May all your problems from here on out always be solved in a half hour!” McCormick tweeted at Bass.
The singer replied promising McCormick would be the first dinner guest.
The two-bedroom, three-bathroom split-level home was put up for sale after the children of the original homeowners, George and Violet McCallister, decided to sell the property when their parents died. The McCallisters purchased the home in 1973 for $61,000, records showed.
Ernie Carswell, a Douglas Elliman agent who listed the house, did not rule out the notion that the house on the 12,500-square-foot lot would be torn down, as the Los Angeles Times reported that several properties in the area have been torn down in recent years for new developments. But he said the owners will give first dibs to those who don't have plans to demolish it.
The “Brady Bunch” home attracts 30 to 50 visitors on a daily basis, and it even has its own Yelp page with a 4-1/2 star rating.
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