The 'Queen of Versailles' Jackie Siegel reveals there is still 18 months of construction left to go on her 90,000-square-foot Fl...
The 'Queen of Versailles' Jackie Siegel reveals there is still 18 months of construction left to go on her 90,000-square-foot Florida mansion, meaning America's largest home is set to finally be completed in 2022 - 18 years after the build first began.
The 54-year-old and her timeshare mogul husband David Siegel, 83, began constructing the mega-mansion on the shore of Lake Butler in 2004.
After the economy crash in 2008, the overdose death of their 18-year-old daughter in 2015 and a house fire in February last year halted construction, Jackie says her dream home is now edging ever-closer to completion.
‘We have a year and a half to go,’ Jackie told NECN in an interview this week. ‘And I’m going to document the whole process in the form of a TV show, which is going to be on next year.’
Jackie was nicknamed the 'Queen of Versailles' due to the massive home which she named after the Palace of Versailles in France. The family appeared on a 2012 documentary film about the build.
She said the mansion - which is set to feature nine kitchens, 30 bathrooms, 14 bedrooms, a full-size roller rink, bowling alley and 30-car garage – will be the same size as a ‘super Walmart.’
‘Everyone knows what a Walmart is,’ Jackie said. ‘So just imagine that is my house.’
Jackie Siegel reveals there is still 18 months of construction left to go on her mega 90,000-square-foot Florida mansion
Jackie said the mansion (above) - which is set to feature nine kitchens, 30 bathrooms, 14 bedrooms, a full-size roller rink, bowling alley and 30-car garage – will be the same size as a ‘super Walmart'
Jackie Siegel, wife of Westgate Resorts CEO David Siegel, stands in the unfinished grand ballroom of her dream mansion in 2012
Earlier this week, Siegel also opened up about the death of her daughter, Victoria. She died on June 6, 2015 at the age of 18 after overdosing on methadone and antidepressants.
In an Instagram post published Wednesday, Jackie paid tribute to her daughter on what would’ve been her 24th birthday.
‘I don’t have much to write today,’ Jackie posted on her official page, accompanied by a photo of her standing by Victoria’s gravestone. ‘Some days are hard.
‘Today would’ve been Victoria’s 24th birthday. I miss her so much. I’ll post some of my favorite pictures this weekend. #weloveyouvictoria.’
In another interview with NECN, Jackie also shared details about a book she released in honor of her daughter, called Victoria’s Voice, which was based on her diary entries and struggles with addiction.
‘[Victoria] told me in a text shortly before she died saying she wanted me to publish it, hoping it could help to deter [others] from doing drugs,’ she said.
Jackie said the book has helped preserved their daughter’s wishes and dreams and providing resources to a public in crisis.
‘Ultimately, she dies in the end,’ Jackie said of the book's story, ‘so it’s got a sad ending – and ultimately that’s what drugs do.'
In an Instagram post published Wednesday, Jackie paid tribute to her daughter on what would’ve been her 24th birthday
Victoria (right) died at the age of 18 after tragically overdosing on methadone and antidepressants on June 6, 2015
The Siegel family is shown above in this above image in 2014, the year before Victoria's death (Victoria is pictured to Jackie's left)
Jackie said she’s regularly approached by people who have read the book, who ask to hug her and say that the book has inspired them.
‘They say it’s so inspiring – looking into someone’s diary you get into their mind. And what I hope this book does is help people – particularly teenagers – to know they’re not alone in thinking they’re not good enough or worthy, or too fat, too skinny or not smart enough.
‘It’s just a normal thing, especially growing up. But we need to ensure they don't turn to drugs to camouflage those sad feelings.’
Jackie and David spoke at length about Victoria’s death in an interview with the Las Vegas Journal review in October last year.
The couple revealed that their daughter was embarrassed by the 2012 movie, titled the Queen of Versailles, that propelled them to fame, calling it the ‘worst thing to happen’ to her.
Speculation at the time of her death suggested that the pressures of being on TV at such a young age contributed to Victoria turning to drugs, with filming beginning when she was just 12.
'She was embarrassed by it, and she was also going through a kind of a bad period in her life, weight-wise,' David told the outlet. ‘Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.'
Jackie also shared details about a book she released in honor of her daughter, called Victoria’s Voice, which was based on her diary entries and struggles with addiction
The unfinished home sits on 10 acres of lakefront property and will feature 11 kitchens, 30 bathrooms, 30-car garage, two-lane bowling alley, indoor rollerskating rink, three indoor pools and two outdoor pools
Jackie and her timeshare mogul husband David Siegel, 83, began constructing the 'Versailles' mega-mansion on the shore of Lake Butler in 2004 (Souce: Click Orlando)
Jackie added: ‘In her diary, she said the worst thing that had happened to her was the movie Queen of Versailles.
‘When the camera people were around, David would try to lock up somewhere and hide. He had no interest in it or being with them, either. It was hard for them to catch any normal family interaction.
‘Once the movie came out, she was treated totally differently at school. People used her to buy the drugs or to get money from her, and since they knew now that she was rich, it was like, "Oh, she’s got the rich parents," even though she never cared about our money,' Jackie said.
The family rose to fame in the documentary where they chased the American dream and tried to build a modern Versailles palace in suburban Florida
Victoria's battle with addiction saw her abuse Xanax then turn to harder opiates.
'Let me tell you how she got on Xanax: She was a typical, mixed-up teenager, so we sent her to a psychiatrist for counseling and when she came home, she said, ‘He put me on Xanax,' David said.
'A few months later, she was mixed up and was not doing well in high school, so we sent her back, and she said, "He doubled my dosage,"' he added.
'I was so ignorant. I didn’t know Xanax from Advil. I had no idea what it was or what it does. We had never even seen a marijuana cigarette in our lives, or had ever used a drug, and here she is, struggling with that Queen of Versailles movie. It was a perfect storm.'
The day of Victoria's death, her family said she received 'cruel' texts from the ex-girlfriend of her then-boyfriend, who supposedly encouraged her to try out hard opiates.
While the family continues to mourn the loss of their daughter, they have dedicated the rest of their lives to raising awareness on the opioid epidemic.
The couple also said they’re planning on welcoming guests from around the world in 2022 for a grand opening fundraiser at their Florida mansion in honor of Victoria, when construction is complete.
The home is valued at $100 million, according to Jackie.
David Siegel (left) , 83, is the billionaire founder of the timeshare company Westgate Resorts
A picture posted to Jackie's Instagram in January shows the progress of the mansion
The home is valued at $100m, according to Jackie, who is pictured above in a 2012 image taken inside the unfinished property
The floor plans of the mega home are seen in these 2011 drawings
The unfinished home sits on 10 acres of lakefront property and when completed will feature 11 kitchens, 30 bathrooms, 30-car garage
Two tennis courts, a baseball diamond and formal garden will be included on the grounds
They started the project in 2004 but it was stalled after David's business was hit by the failing economy. It was previously expected to be completed by 2016.
The unfinished home sits on 10 acres of lakefront property and will feature 11 kitchens, 30 bathrooms, 30-car garage, two-lane bowling alley, indoor rollerskating rink, three indoor pools, two outdoor pools, video arcade, ballroom, two-story movie theater modeled off the Paris Opera House, fitness center with 10,000-square-foot spa, yoga studios, 20,000-bottle wine cellar and an exotic fish aquarium.
Two tennis courts, a baseball diamond and formal garden will be included on the grounds.
David Siegel, 83, is the billionaire founder of the timeshare company Westgate Resorts.
He has an empire of 28 resorts across the country, and also owns the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, the Cocoa Beach Pier and the Orlando Predators Arena League Football team.
No comments