CNN Producer Reflects on His Family's 2001 Ownership of Madonna's Home

"When you watch this video, you may judge us harshly, but I want to share this story because I believe it says a striking amount about one of the starkest cultural shifts our country has ever experienced."

So writes Tommy Andres in the introduction to his CNN Digital Originals film Buying Madonna's House: A Tale of Family, Fame and Misfortune.

Andres, who grew up in Rochester, is a producer at CNN. In 2001 he convinced his dad to buy the Rochester Hills home where Madonna grew up and put it for sale on eBay; if you lived in this town during that time, you likely remember the media attention that move inspired. 

Or, maybe not.

Because, you see, the million-dollar bids and the paparazzi frenzy on Oklahoma Street were quickly overshadowed by terror: this all happened in September 2001.

"It was a 30-day auction that just happened to bookend one of the biggest events in U.S. history," Andres wrote.

Listen, read and watch his story here.