Taylor Swift isn't the only one on Forbes' list of richest celeb women who has a RI house
Two of the 10 richest celebrity women in America own houses in Rhode Island.
Forbes recently released its list of America’s Richest Women Celebrities as part of its larger list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. The cutoff to make the list this year was $350 million, up from $300 million last year.
One of the two women on the list with a Rhode Island house is an easy guess: billionaire Taylor Swift. According to Forbes, the singer, who owns a house in Watch Hill, is now worth $1.6 billion, an increase of about $300 million over last year.
She's the third-richest celebrity, behind Oprah Winfrey ($3.1 billion) and Kim Kardashian ($1.7 billion).
Coming in at the 10 spot is Judy Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, worth $580 million, including a house in Newport. At age 82, Sheindlin still makes 120 episodes a year of "Judy Justice," which are streamed online and syndicated to 100 television stations.
Here's a look at the Rhode Island houses of these two famous women.
Taylor Swift's $17 million house in Westerly
A big star with a big reputation, Taylor Swift is arguably the most well-known of Rhode Island’s celebrities. Dubbed the “Holiday House,” the Watch Hill mansion was bought by Swift in 2013, complete with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a past that ties it to the Standard Oil fortune. The songwriter spun the story of the house’s past – and the divorcée who lived there, Rebekah Harkness – into the song "The Last Great American Dynasty” on her eighth studio album, "Folklore."
In this era, the house is known for hosting Swift and her friends, particularly during the summertime. Swift recently had renovations done to the house, including the addition of a bedroom and bathrooms and an expansion of the kitchen.
Judge Judy Sheindlin's Newport Mansion
After 25 years of being television royalty, Judge Judy Sheindlin bought a house fit for the title in 2018 for her and her husband, former Judge Jerry Sheindlin. The Newport mansion, called "Bird House," on Beacon Hill Road has six bedrooms and six bathrooms and features grand views of the outside.
Front and center are the ocean views, of course, but also the garden, which was carefully cultivated by the home’s previous owner, the late Campbell Soup heiress Dorrance H. Hamilton, who was known for her love of gardens and helped start the Newport Flower Show.