Tony BennettThe two daughters put a new legal action against their older brother, alleging that he had “abused” his power over the succession of their father for a “important financial gain”.
Johanna and Antonia Bennett accused Andrea “Danny” Bennett of “inappropriate and illegal conduct” in her role as a trustee on family succession, saying that he has opted against their father’s wishes that his four children “are also treated”.
Since the death of Tony, Johanna and Antonia have discovered that Danny has been exercising a complete and uncontrolled control of Tony and her financial affairs before and after her death through several roles of fiduciary and other authority roles that Danny has abused, and continues to abuse, for her own important financial gain, “said Bennett’s lawyers on Monday.
The sisters claim that Danny has paid “excessive and not won commissions” and has granted “substantial loans and gifts to himself and his children” before their The father’s death in 2023.
“Danny has engaged in these inappropriate transactions without responsibility or surveillance of any kind, using and freely controlling Tony’s assets and assets of Tony often as if they were specific to Danny,” said the costume.
This claims that Danny took advantage of the decrease in the ability of her father late in life Due to Alzheimer’s disease To conclude agreements for himself and his business, including the sale of the catalog of Tony Bennett and his name, his resemblance and his image rights to the brand’s development firm, iconoclast, shortly before the singer’s death.
The deposit comes after a trial in June 2024When the sisters continued Danny, alleging that he had poorly managed their father’s assets and asking him to open the books for the family trust so that all the money can be taken into account.
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In the judicial files of the previous trial, his lawyers declared that the allegations of the sisters were baseless, that they had received sufficient accounts and that their father had completely trusted Danny during his life and that the artist credited him with having withdrawn him financial problems and the relaunch of his career.
Danny was his father’s personal and professional director with proxy and was the director of his company, Benedetto Arts. He is the Family Trust trustee, says the trial.
The new trial accuses him of benefiting from “interested and conflicting transactions, excessive and not won commissions” and “substantial loans and gifts to himself and his children” which have reduced the assets that Tony’s will calls on his four children to divide too.
Another brother, Daegal “Dae” Bennett, and Tony’s widow, Susan Bennett, were also appointed defendants in the trial.
File – Tony Bennett, her daughter, singer Antonia Bennett, and her son, producer Danny Bennett, attend the pre -grammy party Clive Davis at Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, California, February 26, 2002.
Ron Galella, Ltd./ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
The sisters say that the US $ 245,000 they received from the estate are “far from what they believe they have the right to receive”.
They also allege that Danny rejected the sentimental articles that belonged to their father in “malicious and reprisals” after the previous trial.
The Bennett piano, which, according to Antonia, was promised to him, was in “terrible state” when they were allowed to see him during a visit to the singer’s apartment, where they say they were refused access to a large part of his property.
The 38 -page trial indicates that at the time of Tony’s death in 2022, its assets were estimated at $ 12 million, but the sisters claim that its lifetime profits have exceeded $ 100 million.
“Johanna and Antonia have received no credible explanation on what happened to Tony’s substantial gains before his death,” said the trial.
They also allege that Danny has contracted two loans to the Family Trust for a total of more than a million dollars and sold the rights of the name and the resemblance of their father and the flow of fees to his music without consultation.
While Danny’s lawyers did not comment on the last trial, a source close to him told Billboard magazine that the most recent case was “yet another Baseless attempt to distort the public And the understanding by the court of clearly indicated wishes of Tony Bennett “for his succession.
“Danny followed her father’s plans with integrity and care, and it is disappointing that these Tony supported throughout his life – and continues to support in his succession – now disputes Danny’s integrity with unsupported and unresolved statements,” said the source.
Tony Bennett died in 2023 At the age of 96. Before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, he released more than 70 albums and received 19 Grammy Awards.
– With files from the Associated Press
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