Celebrity Estates Update

David J. Ferry, Jr., Esq.
Ferry Joseph, P.A.

Over the last year, we have provided insights into estate and trust matters concerning various celebrities and wealthy families on this blog.  As a courtesy to those interested in seeing where things stand presently with these individuals, we are now offering updates on Tom Benson, Sumner Redstone, and Prince Rogers Nelson.

When we first spoke of New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, he was caught in a legal tug of war between his current wife and his children for the future ownership of his fortune and sports franchises.  Following Benson’s decision in early 2015 to bequeath his sizeable estate to his present wife, his children filed a civil lawsuit arguing that their father was no longer mentally fit enough to make such a decision.  Benson’s children further argued that their father was being unduly influenced by his current wife and a team of Saints’ executives to exclude them from inheriting his estate following his eventual passing.

In June 2015, a judge ruled that Benson was capable of managing his affairs.  Benson’s former heirs appealed the decision, arguing that their father should have been required to testify at the trial as a means to further bolster their contention that he was no longer mentally competent.  Their appeal was eventually rejected by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal .  In early May of this year, the Louisiana Supreme Court refused to hear any further appeals in the matter, thus leaving Benson’s wish to bequeath his estate to his current wife in place as of this writing.

Similarly, media mogul Sumner Redstone had a lawsuit challenging his mental competency dismissed in early May by a Los Angeles judge.  The decision comes on the heels of the filing of a petition in November 2015 from Manuela Herzer, Redstone’s former girlfriend, after Redstone had removed her as the person in charge of his healthcare, as well as separating her from his will.

While the judge didn’t offer a specific ruling on Redstone’s mental soundness, he concluded that Redstone was in enough command of his faculties to state his intentions to place his daughter, Shari Redstone, as his healthcare proxy.  Though the judge’s decision doesn’t bring Redstone’s legal wrangling to an end, especially in light of Herzer’s filing of an appeal shortly thereafter, it does establish Shari Redstone as the heir apparent to the estate along with her healthcare duties.

As predicted by many when Prince Rogers Nelson passed away in April without a will, numerous people have come forth claiming to be related to the iconic musician in the hopes of claiming part of his estate.  Though most of these individuals’ claims have fallen short without concrete proof, some of their cases are drawing considerable interest.  The firm tasked with finding potential beneficiaries for Prince’s estate, Heir Hunters International, recently found Prince’s grand-niece, thus earning her a share in the late singer’s estate along her biological brother and sister.  In addition, the firm believes they may have found a Minnesota man who claims to be Prince’s secret love-child born in the ‘80s.  If the anonymous man turns out to be Prince’s biological child, it would push every other sibling out of receiving a share in the inheritance due to Minnesota law regarding estates without wills.