CLEVELAND — Editor's note: Video in the player at the top of this story was originally published in a previous article on Nov. 28, 2022.
After video surfaced earlier this week of a confrontation between the owner of A Christmas Story House in Cleveland and one of the film’s actors, those connected with the property have released a new statement.
“We have been getting a lot of mixed feelings about how things should have been managed,” according to a post on the Facebook page for A Christmas Story House. “What we all need to understand is everyone is human.”
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The statement, which was posted Tuesday, does not mention the TMZ video that shows current owner Brian Jones shouting at Yano Anaya to leave the iconic West 11th Street property.
“Brian is human, the tour guides are human, and everyone else works behind the scenes to make the house an enjoyable experience year-round for everyone to enjoy,” the statement continues. “So please, let’s make this a Christmas season of joy for everyone.”
The post also shares the following quotes from characters in the 1983 holiday hit:
- "In our world, you were either a bully, a toady, or one of the nameless rabble of victims." - Ralphie
- “In the heat of battle, my father wove a tapestry of obscenity, that as far as we know, is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.” - Old Man
TMZ reported the argument was captured on camera just one day after the iconic house was put up for sale.
"Leave now! Get away from my property," Jones tells Anaya. "Don't ever come here again. Never ever again. Leave now. I'm serious. Get going. Leave!"
Anaya, who portrayed bully Grover Dill in the original film, had expressed possible interest in purchasing the house with other members of the cast.
“Of course it would be a beautiful thing for the entire cast to run the operations of it, but there’s a lot of due diligence that needs to happen," Anaya said during an interview with 3News' Neil Fischer during a meet-and-greet event at Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted on Nov. 15. "It’s up for sale, so anybody can grab it right now. So we don’t know. We’re just going to stay positive no matter what.”
When Fischer pressed for more about the possibility of cast members trying to move forward to put together an offer, Anaya offered this additional statement: “I foresee it happening, sure. I mean, it just makes sense. Why not? But it’s still in the talks. There’s five, six, seven of us and we all want to do it as a family. You know what I mean? It just makes sense to do it as a group so that we all have a stake in it. It’s also about the fans. It really, truly is. Without the fans, it would’ve never been there.”
You can watch our full interview with Anaya below:
Jones, meanwhile, has apologized for what happened.
"I apologize for the way I expressed myself; however, it was out of concern that fans could be misled into contributing to a GoFundMe campaign that will not result in the purchase of the house," he reportedly told TMZ.
3News was first to break the story earlier this month that the house was going up on the market. We also captured video when Jones placed the “for sale” sign in front of the landmark location. You can watch that moment below:
The sale includes all associated properties like the neighboring Bumpus House, gift shop and museum. An asking price, however, has not been listed as Jones previously told 3News he's looking for the right buyer.
“Price will matter, but not necessarily the highest price that's the right fit for this business and this piece of nostalgic Americana," Jones said moments after placing the "for sale" sign in front of the house.
Could the buyer be you?
“When we say all this can be yours, we’re serious,” according to the listing. “The entire campus is for sale, which spans a total of 1.3 acres including five buildings on seven parcels. Additionally, there are two public and one private parking lots, and two empty lots, which create room for further expansion."
The house remains open for tours and overnight stays amid the sale.
For film fans visiting Cleveland, there are additional locations throughout the city used in the production that you can explore. Remember the Santa slide scene? That was filmed inside the former Higbee building downtown, which is now home to the JACK Cleveland Casino. What about the holiday windows where Ralphie first lays eyes on the Red Ryder BB gun? That was filmed in Public Square just outside of the Higbee building -- which is also where the holiday parade took place.
You can see archive footage from inside the house below: