'Selling Sunset' star Alanna Gold said she owned a California desert town. Now, she says she doesn't. (2024)

After "Selling Sunset" premiered last Friday, it wasn't long before Pioneertown residents called on Gold and "Selling Sunset" to formally apologize for her mischaracterization. One owner told Business Insider the ordeal was "really upsetting."

Pioneertown residents called on Gold and 'Selling Sunset' to apologize

"Pioneertown is a mile-square census-designated community with over 400 residents and is privately owned by more than 100 independent parties," the residents said Monday in a statement shared on The Pioneertown Gazette's Instagram page titled, "The people of Pioneertown kindly request an apology from Selling Sunset & Alanna Gold."

"Mrs. Gold has a small minority non-controlling interest in an entity that owns six of thirty-five parcels in the Mane Street area," the statement continued, "constituting less than 1% of Pioneertown's total 640 acres. The claim that she owns the 'entire town' is verifiably false."

"If you spent your whole life trying to create a business, and somebody else comes along and says that they own it, that's really upsetting." — Red Dog Saloon owner Ben Loescher

In a statement sent to Business Insider, Gold apologized.

"I am so deeply sorry for the confusion I have caused. I certainly do not own Pioneertown. I never should have said that, and I apologize for doing so," Gold said Tuesday. "I want you to know that I did not mean any harm, I absolutely love Pioneertown, and I simply got too excited talking about it. My first date with my husband was there, and our wedding was at the Soundstage."

In a previous interview, Gold told BI about the love she and her husband, Adam Gold, who works in entertainment and hospitality, had for the town even though they're primarily based in LA. She said they also had their 2022 wedding ceremony there.

Longtime Pioneertown residents fear newcomers could threaten the town's character

Many longtime residents feel that the influx of investors and affluent newcomers — who moved into Pioneertown during a period when the land was cheap and plentiful — could threaten its unique character.

In emails sent to Business Insider, locals also griped that Gold's previous claims of owning the town caused confusion and undermined their businesses and hard work.

Several publications, including Business Insider, reported that Gold said she purchased the town in 2020.

"We all know the show's not real — I think even people watching 'Selling Sunset' probably know that it's totally made up," Ben Loescher, the owner of Pioneertown's Red Dog Saloon, told Business Insider. "However, the surrounding publicity and all of the articles that have been published, presumably at the invitation of those involved, caused a lot of confusion."

Founded in 1946 by Hollywood legend Roy Rogers, actor Dick Curtis, and others as a live-in Old West movie set and community for film industry workers, Pioneertown now has around 400 residents and is privately owned by more than 100 different parties.

Over the decades, it has become a popular destination for filmmakers and visitors seeking an authentic taste of the Wild West. Notable establishments include the Red Dog Saloon, Pioneertown Motel, music venue Pappy and Harriet's, and the Pioneer Bowl.

The Golds are minority investors in Pioneertown Land Company, which is owned by David Corso, the founder and CEO of Corso Marketing Group. According to public records reviewed by BI, Pioneertown Land Company owns seven parcels of land in the town, acquired in 2021 and 2022.

"I think that if you spent your whole life trying to create a business, and somebody else comes along and says that they own it, that's really upsetting," Loescher added.