Since the early 1900s, Hollywood has been the hub of celebrity news, fueling the interest of audiences and driving the careers of many famous people. One of the most prominent stories of the early 1900s was the romance between famed actor William Powell (known for his work in the movie The Thin Man) and socialite and entrepreneur Ella Elsworth. In 1908, the couple married and Ella adopted Powell’s two children from a previous marriage. In 1911, the couple bought a townhouse in the fashionable Westchester suburb of Yorktown. Two years later, the family moved to a spectacular estate in Franklin Township that came to be known as The Villa. The beautiful house had 24 rooms and featured a grand piano that was reportedly once played by Cesar Chavez.
While The Villa was built during a time of prosperity in the U.S., the Great Depression began to take its toll, particularly on individuals within the entertainment industry. Fortunately, the couple’s lives were unaffected by financial hardship, and they were able to maintain their grand lifestyle. In fact, the estate was passed down from generation to generation and remained in the Powell family until 2006. In that year, it was purchased by David Beckham, who later sold it to Kourtney Kang and her husband, Scott Mandell, for $22 million.
Ella and William Powell are not the only celebrity interracial couple to have had an estate in Yorktown. In 1932, the prominent socialite and businesswoman Mrs. Andrew W. Mellon (the richest woman in America at the time) bought a Yorktown mansion that was previously owned by the singer and actress Lillian Gish. Known as The Andrew W. Mellon Residence, the Georgian-style building features nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms as well as an indoor pool.
More recently, the late Steve Jobs and his wife, Joanne, also owned a townhouse in the area. The couple purchased the home in 1977 and made substantial renovations. In 1983, they moved into their Mountain Retreat, a custom designed residence that was built atop a knoll overlooking Yosemite Park. The couple had a lot of property in Yorketown (now called Jobs Forest), including a former Apple Headquarters building that they used as an office and a small schoolhouse that students from nearby Apple School used for meetings. The estate had 17 bedrooms, 17.5 bathrooms, a movie theater, and a spa.
It’s not just famous people who made their homes in Yorktown. The suburb was also the setting for some of the most luxurious mansions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the most prominent homes in Yorktown is Cliffwood, located at 17 Bridge Point Road. The 34-room mansion was built in 1901 and was the residence of American tycoon William Kissam Vanderbilt III. The 13-story mansion had 27 fireplaces, an indoor pool, a tennis court, and a private zoo with peacocks, gibbons, and orangutans.
Also in Yorktown, there’s the Benedictine Hotel, which opened in 1923 and is now a museum. One of the most luxurious hotels in America at the time, the Benedictine Hotel featured 20 bedrooms, a branch library, and a private pool. During the hotel’s era, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and Alice Roosevelt (daughter of President Roosevelt) spent time there. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Since antiquity, Hollywood has been the place where history is made, and it still is. Some of the most prominent historical events in Hollywood include the release of the first motion pictures, the invention of television, and the development of silent film versus sound film. Located at 1727 N. Highland Avenue in North Hollywood, the Los Angeles Historical Society Museum (also known as Historical Society Museum of Los Angeles) is dedicated to the history of Hollywood and the Southern California area. It was founded in 1968 and offers an array of exhibitions and educational programs for children and adults alike. The museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
Robert Pattinson
If there’s one celebrity on this list who doesn’t need much introduction, it’s Rob Pattinson. The 29-year-old Brit is best known for his role as Edward Caitlyn James in the Twilight series. The young actor also stars in the rebooted Hunger Games series Catching Fire, based on Suzanne Cornish’s best-selling novel. He also had a role in The Great Gatsby, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Faircloth.
In addition to acting, Rob has also been doing quite a bit of traveling. Since 2014, he’s been on a movie-related tour of Europe, and he also did a stint in Vancouver to film an episode of Catching Fire. This past October, Rob completed his latest film, The Last Christmas, in which he plays Santa Claus. The movie is based on the Charles Elphick novel The Battle of Christmas Saving Santa Claus From Obi Wan Kane. The Santa Monica Pier will host a special screening of the movie on December 18th.
Riley Keough
It’s almost impossible to discuss celebrity and Hollywood biographies without mentioning the name Riley Keough. The 27-year-old actress and model is best known for her role as Mia King in The Hunger Games, as well as for starring in The Saving Grace and The Private Investigator. She also had a supporting role in The Matrix Reloaded. In addition to acting, Riley is a model and entrepreneur, having launched her own clothing line, Riley Keough Shop, in 2015. She is also the face of Nautica Cologne and Nautica Sunscreen.
Riley and her husband, John John Hopkins, have a daughter, Lulu, who was born in 2016. They also have an infant son, Abel, born last January. In October 2017, Riley announced that she was pregnant with twins. In September 2018, she gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter. As the Twilight saga is coming to a close, fans may see a lot more of Riley, who is set to co-star with Rob Pattinson in the upcoming Masks series, where she plays Mia, the wife of Michael Caine’s character.
How Much Do They Know About Each Other?
Now that we know a little bit about Rob Pattinson and Riley Keough, let’s discuss what we know about their relationship. Unfortunately, very little is actually known about their personal lives. While they did star together in several films, they largely keep their personal life private. Even Olivia Beguin from Celebrity Entertainment Daily, who is often featured on this list, has said that she “had no clue that [the Pattinson-Keough] couple were even dating.” In fact, Riley Keough generally avoids talking about Rob Pattinson at all costs, referring to him as her “boyfriend.”
This private behavior likely stems from growing up in very wealthy families and being the child of two prominent Hollywood celebrities. In an interview with USA Today, Riley said that she and Rob Pattinson are shy and don’t want to overshare about their relationship. She also discussed some of the restrictions her family put on her, saying that she “couldn’t date anyone [she] wanted to be with for the rest of [her] life.”