Jay Leno Snags an Oceanfront Newport, R.I. Mansion for $13.5M

Jay Leno and his wife, Mavis, just dropped major money to become Newport, Rhode Island residents. The former Tonight Show host and star of Jay Leno’s Garage purchased a mansion on Ocean Avenue for a whopping $13.5 million, which isn’t at all unusual for this exclusive zip code.

Built in 1936, the stone-clad spread, known as Seafair, has a crescent shape and sits right on the ocean cliffs. Modern and original luxuries are seamlessly interweaved in the 8-bedroom, 11-bath home that offers terraces and gardens as well as a carriage house, pool, tennis court, and private beach. The car buff and new owner also has a sprawling six-car garage to fill with his antique stunners and plenty of scenic streets to peruse, like the iconic Bellevue Avenue nearby.

According to the Boston Globe, the abode was previously home to Denver mining heir Verner Zevola Reed Jr., who was later vice president of the Chase Manhattan Bank alongside David Rockefeller and a U.S. Ambassador under President Reagan.

While details of the transaction are being kept hush-hush, Melanie Delman, president of Lila Delman Real Estate, had the listing in the past and commented on the sale saying, “We are happy to welcome Jay Leno to Newport. It’s wonderful to see more prominent people joining our community. We anticipate a continued interest in Rhode Island, specifically with regard to the many unique real estate opportunities we have to offer.”