Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson on Oct. 22 sold a three-bedroom, 2,159-square-foot condominium on the 36th floor of a Streeterville high-rise for $1.225 million.

Henson, 55, has had a long career in show business, both on film and on TV. She started spending time regularly in the Chicago area starting in 2015, when she began starring in the Fox drama “Empire,” which was filmed in Chicago until its run ended in 2020.

In Streeterville, Henson most recently has owned two side-by-side units on the 36th floor of the building at 600 N. Lake Shore Drive. Through an opaque land trust that masks her name, she paid $1.925 million in 2017 for the larger of the two units, a three-bedroom, 2,540-square-foot unit with lake views. Then, in 2019, Henson paid $1.554 million for the smaller, 2,159-square-foot unit next door.

In August 2024, Henson listed both units combined for $3.379 million. She concurrently listed the two condos individually, asking $1.479 million for the smaller one. She cut her asking price to $1.429 million in March and then to $1.25 million in September before finding a buyer.

The unit that Henson sold was recently repainted and has 2-1/2 bathrooms, an open floor plan, walls of windows, a foyer with two oversized closets, spacious living and dining areas, newly refinished hardwood floors, an east-facing balcony, organized closets and blackout shades in each bedroom, and a primary bedroom suite with an organized walk-in closet and a bathroom with a steam shower, a dual vanity and a spa. The unit’s kitchen has a breakfast bar, granite countertops, a custom tile backsplash, under-cabinet lighting, a double oven and a newer Samsung refrigerator and dishwasher.

Listing agent Sharon O’Hara of @properties Christie’s International Real Estate declined to comment on the sale.

Meanwhile, the larger unit next door that Henson still owns remains available for $1.7 million.

The unit that Henson just sold had a $21,996 property tax bill in the 2024 tax year. It also comes with $1,591 in monthly homeowners association fees.

Henson continues to own a 3,188-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills area, which she purchased in 2016 for $6.45 million.

Meanwhile, the six-bedroom, 17,597-square-foot mansion on 8.3 acres in Barrington Hills that was the backdrop for “Empire” finally sold in April for $6.5 million. Seller Salvatore “Sam” Cecola had had the mansion on and off the market since 2014, when he first listed it for $13.5 million. On “Empire,” the mansion was the home of the show’s record mogul and lead character, portrayed by Terrence Howard. Public records do not yet identify that Barrington Hills mansion’s buyer.

Although “Empire” mostly filmed in Chicago, the show occasionally filmed scenes at the Barrington Hills mansion, said listing agent Michael LaFido of LPT Realty.

“Although it was built in 2008, it was so timeless — it was very meticulously built and special,” LaFido said. “The setting was so unique, it was almost like you were on a peninsula. You were on two lakes and on what felt almost like a private island.”

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/20/actress-taraji-henson-streeterville/