Movie producer Joel Silver cast as seller for $52M Brentwood estate

Ex-wife’s lawsuit elicits decision “requiring him to cooperate in the marketing” of the house

A photo illustration of Karyn and Joel Silver along with an aerial view of 470 Layton Way in Brentwood (Getty, Google Maps)

A photo illustration of Karyn and Joel Silver along with an aerial view of 470 Layton Way in Brentwood (Getty, Google Maps)

Joel Silver, producer of the Matrix and Lethal Weapon film franchises, must cooperate with the sale of his $52 million estate in Los Angeles’ exclusive Brentwood enclave, a judge has decided.

A lawsuit filed in April by the producer’s ex-wife Karyn Silver in U.S. Bankruptcy Court complained that the producer broached an agreement by obstructing efforts to show and market the 5-acre estate at 470 Layton Way. 

Judge Sheri Bluebond made a tentative ruling June 6 which would require the producer, the defendant in this case, to cooperate in the sale. 

“There will be no hardship whatsoever to defendant from requiring him to cooperate in the marketing of the property for sale,” Bluebond wrote. “If it is inconvenient for him to be present when the brokers would like to market the property, it is easy enough for the defendant to give the brokers a key and any access codes they may need to be able to show the property to prospective purchasers without his assistance.”

Karyn Silver has sought the sale of the estate to pay for alimony and child support. The sale also would cover $34 million owed on mortgages, as well as a $6.8 million tax liens. The couple’s marital settlement agreement said that the ex-wife could sell the estate if the producer did not honor agreements for settling the divorce.

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The couple ended their marriage in 2020. Karyn Silver filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2022. In her lawsuit, she alleged that her ex-husband did not place child support and alimony payments into her bank account, as required in the divorce settlement.

The 25,000-square-foot house at 470 Layton Way was designed by architect Ricardo Legorreta, who also designed The UCLA Tom Bradley International Hall Gallery and Conference Center in 1998 as well as the 1994 restoration of Pershing Square park in downtown Los Angeles. 

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Amenities at 470 Layton Way include a library, a fitness center, a sauna and a cinema. The property is listed by Branden and Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates, according to sites Redfin and Zillow.

Attorneys representing Karyn Silver and Joel Silver did not reply to emails requesting comment.