BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's longtime sidekick on "The Tonight Show," is in jeopardy of losing his multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills estate, according to media reports Thursday.

    McMahon defaulted on 4.8 million U.S. dollars in mortgage loans with a unit of Countrywide Financial Corp., which filed a notice of default in March

    Documents show that McMahon is nearly 644,000 dollars behind in payments on the mortgage loan he got in 2005.

    Howard Bragman, a spokesman for McMahon, said that his client is having "very fruitful discussions" with the lender and hopes to find a resolution.

    As of Wednesday afternoon, McMahon's Mediterranean-styled house was still in the process of foreclosure; the bank hasn't taken it over yet and no trustee sale date has been set.

    The former "Star Search" host, 85-year-old pitchman for various products, including American Family Publishers, is the highest-profile person to be caught up in the nationwide real estate downturn and mortgage crunch.

    McMahon has been unable to work since he broke his neck 18 months ago, Bragman said.

    The McMahons "understand that they are in the same situation as hundreds of thousands of other hard-working Americans, and their hearts go out to them," Bragman said.

    The McMahons purchased their secluded Beverly Hills home in 1990. The mansion is huge with six bedrooms and five bathrooms.

    (Agencies)