The first home Bozoma Saint John bought in L.A. was a condo in Marina del Rey.

“It was the first time I bought anything on my own, and it was such a boost to my confidence,” said the entrepreneur, marketing executive and star of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” “L.A. has been an interesting place for me from a real estate standpoint.”

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

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Saint John has called L.A. home for 11 years, having moved from New York City after her husband died in 2013. “L.A. felt like a refuge that was new and exciting,” she said. “It’s where I’ve found myself in a second act.”

This month, Saint John was one of the tens of thousands of people who lost their homes in the devastating Palisades fire. When we checked in with her in the aftermath of the destruction, she said: “My God, I feel like I’m in purgatory.”

Saint John acknowledged that she is privileged to have a second home, but the loss is still extremely significant to her, as this house in Malibu was one she had “prayed for.”

“I fought for every single inch of that property: from the process of getting it, which is its own terrible story, to the 25 years of work so that I could afford it,” she said. “Nothing that I own has ever been given to me. On top of that, I was intentional with the house in how I revamped it and decorated it so that it wasn’t just mine, but really for my people.”

Typically in the Sunday Funday column, notable folks in L.A. share a play-by-play of their ideal day in the city. But this week, in the wake of the fires, we had a conversation with Saint John about her recent reflections on L.A. and the meaning of “home.” In Sunday Funday form, we also chatted about her favorite places in town. Because, as she says, “That’s home too.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What was it like moving from New York to L.A.?

Los Angeles felt like home immediately. Maybe it was because of my mindset that I had coming here. I’m not ashamed to say that I was running away from something. I think people often say you shouldn’t run from something in order to go to something. And I’m like, “Why the hell not?” Like, yes, I ran away, and I found Los Angeles, and I said, “I’m gonna make this home.”

What made you want to settle in Malibu? What was it like being a Black female homeowner in Malibu?

I wanted to be in Malibu because I love the water. And Malibu feels like it’s worlds away, even though it’s close enough that I could escape and have a sanctuary without having to book a flight or drive three hours. Someplace where I didn’t have to pack a bag.

And it was very, very, very difficult to get it. First of all, I think we all know the inventory is not [vast], especially if you want to live on the west side of the Pacific Coast Highway. The second thing is that there’s not a lot of diversity when it comes to ownership of homes in that particular strip. I had come up against situations where I put in an offer above asking and was rejected, so I knew that I had to probably find another way to eventually get accepted. I had to put the offer in a trust inside a trust in order to buy that house, so it wasn’t [obvious that it was] me, and that’s how I got it.

I know it’s early, but what do you plan to do? Do you expect to rebuild or settle somewhere else?

Man, I don’t even know. All those questions are in my head right now. There’s a part of me that is a fighter. I’m somebody who doesn’t take no for an answer, and it feels like somebody was trying to tell me no. It’s like, “Well, screw you. I’m coming back.” And then there’s the practical side of me, which is like, “Girl, you don’t want to go through this again.” But where is safe? Where can I go where there will be a guarantee that nothing happens? And is that the kind of life I want to live? I don’t want to make decisions based on my fear of something tragic happening And so my instinctual feeling is that I’ll rebuild.

What do you like best and least about living in L.A.?

I’m gonna sound [like such a] Coloradan and New Yorker, but I love the weather. You can’t beat the weather in L.A. Year-round, I don’t have to worry about wearing a coat too often. I can wear open-toed shoes whenever I want. Can’t beat that. It’s so fantastic.

What do I love least? Traffic. This is why I always try to triangulate where I live, work and where my daughter goes to school, so I don’t have to be involved in too much traffic.

So living in Malibu and being a girl who doesn’t like the cold, do you ever get in the water?

Let me tell you something: No, I don’t [laughs]. I will walk in up to my calves. But that’s the beauty of living in Malibu, your house is your house. Like, I don’t have to make use of getting in the water because there’s no expiration date. When you’re visiting a place, because you’re there for a short amount of time, you feel like, “Oh, I gotta jump in because if I don’t I will never have another chance to.” But prior to this, I would always say, “Ah, next time I’ll go in.”

If you had a perfect L.A. Sunday, what would you do and where would you go?

I’d probably start off going to Reparations Club. I just love all kinds of books, but right now mostly historical fiction based on women’s stories. The last good book I read was Margaret George’s “The Memoirs of Cleopatra.” It’s like 700 pages. And I just love it because I think everybody has an opinion on who Cleopatra was, and this turns it a little bit on its head. You really see the woman, the mother, the warrior.

I would then probably want to go get something to eat [at the restaurant] Issa Rae just [opened], Somerville. It’s Sunday, so I’m drinking right away. I like Issa’s bubbly, that feels like a nice Sunday drink. And then I would probably want to hit up the All Chill Hip Hop Ice Cream Shop for dessert. I’m a vanilla ice cream type of girl. Maybe you can throw a little chocolate sauce on there, maybe some nuts, but just two scoops of vanilla is good for me.

And then maybe a wine spot like 1010 Wine. And then after all this eating, I probably would want to go take a nap. I’m wearing what I wore [out] and I’m sleeping on the couch. No blanket [laughs]. You can’t nap with the blanket because otherwise you know you’re gonna be asleep.

Afterward, I would definitely hit the gym: Strong House Fitness; shout-out to the owner of the gym, Jerry Housey. He’s amazing. And because it’s Sunday, it’s probably a cardio day. So I’ll run on the treadmill. Actually, I’ll probably run from my house, but it’s not too far so don’t be impressed.

And I’d probably end it at a spa like Elle Marie Spa with a facial or something to brighten my face. I don’t want layers of skin taken off or anything like that. I want one that massages, something that feels soft and relaxing that can take me into the evening right after this full day where I’ve worked out.

After that, I’m going home and getting ready for Monday. I’m thankful to be in a position where almost everything on my calendar I chose to be there. So I like to see what’s coming up, what I need to prepare for. Maybe hitting people up on Sunday like, “Hey, I’m so excited to meet with you this week.” That always feels good. I like to put good energy into meetings. When people feel like you are looking forward to seeing them, the meeting ends up being better. Maybe they were feeling the Sunday scaries, but now they don’t feel that.

JENNIFER LOPEZ
IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCE AT SUNDANCE

Published January 26, 2025 6:04 AM PST