Hallmark’s Jonathan Bennett Announces Unexpected Move

Jonathan Bennett

Heavy/Getty Hallmark star Jonathan Bennett

Jonathan Bennett and his husband Jaymes Vaughan have decided to sell their beloved and much-buzzed-about home in Palm Springs, California, which has been featured in design publications from Architectural Digest to Modern Home for its retro feel, unique design, and modern amenities. The Hallmark star shared the news via Instagram on March 31, 2023, surprising many fans who know how much the couple has loved their home and the town of Palm Springs.

“It’s been such a special place for us,” he wrote of the place they nicknamed Mai Tai Manor. “We hope the new owners create amazing memories here like we did.”

The three-bedroom, two-bath home with a backyard pool and mountain views is listed by Compass for $1.15 million. But where the couple plans to go remains a mystery that Bennett said he doesn’t want to share publicly yet.


Jonathan Bennett Says Palm Springs Home Has Been Their ‘Getaway From Everything’

Bennett and Vaughn bought the 1970s ranch home in 2020 for $625,000, according to TMZ.

When it was featured on The Design Network’s “Celebrity Homes Unlocked” the following year, Bennett said they bought the house from a friend after staying there on vacation.

“We just fell in love with the home and fell in love with Palm Springs,” he said, adding that the vacation spot — “107 miles away from L.A.” — had become their “getaway from everything.”

Vaughan said the home has a “Hawaiian Polynesian influence,” inspired by a book called “Tiki Pop.” The kitchen had already been updated when they bought it, so they decided to “keep elements of modern” while making other spaces feel like they’d been transported back to the 1970s.

“It’s all new stuff, but it looks 70s,” he explained.

With open houses for prospective buyers happening on April 1 and 2, Compass realtor Joe Chung wrote on Instagram that the home’s upgrades include updated doors, new refrigerator and garage door system, as well as a high-tech security system. Bennett and Vaughan also updated the backyard “oasis” with brand-new pool plaster, tile, a deck, plumbing and landscaping.

Most of the home’s furnishings are by Kardiel, which also features the house on its website, and the buyer will get almost everything in the house included in the purchase, including professionally installed Breda Murphy bunk beds.

On Bennett’s Instagram post about the home sale, Vaughan jokingly commented, “So glad you cleaned up your 17 cans of nightstand Bubbly’s before this photo shoot.”


Jonathan Bennett Says Where He’s Moving is the ‘Million Dollar Question’

In November 2020, the couple got engaged in the backyard of their Palm Springs abode, as seen in a video published by People. Bennett thought they had photographers on hand to take a Christmas card photo, but Vaughan had actually orchestrated a filmed proposal, with a song he wrote for Bennett playing over the sound system. The couple were married in Mexico in March 2022.

After splitting their time between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the couple discovered they felt most at home in the town of 45,000, Bennett told Palm Springs Life in November 2022, and decided to move there full-time.

“People ask why we live in Palm Springs, and I joke that when I hit 40, West Hollywood kicked me out,” he said.

“If I have to go to L.A. for a job or audition,” Bennett continued, “I’d rather take the hour-and-45-minute drive back at the end of the day to my backyard with my dog, husband, and the beautiful mountains and trees of Palm Springs than have to live in L.A. ever again.”

On Instagram, Bennett said the couple is now ready for their “next chapter,” but it’s not clear if that means they’ll stay in Palm Springs, which they’ve loved for its close proximity to L.A. and large LGBTQ+ community.

“I love it so much,” he told Palm Springs Life. “Palm Springs is the best thing to ever happen to me and my husband. It’s absolute gay heaven in the middle of the desert. We love every part of it.”

However, when Palm Springs business owner Jason Ball asked Bennett on Instagram if he and Vaughan are leaving town, the actor answered, “That’s the million dollar question. And something I probably won’t post on a public social media page. DM me for details 👏”