Photo Credit: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga by marcen27 / CC by 2.0
Tony Bennett’s daughters are suing their brother, alleging he illegally took finances from their late father’s estate at their expense.
Tony Bennett’s daughters, Antonio and Johanna Bennett, have filed a lawsuit against their brother, D’Andrea “Danny” Bennett, who was their father’s manager and now heads their family trust.
According to the sisters’ filing, Danny allegedly “exercised complete and unchecked control over Tony and his financial affairs prior to and following his death.” This, they say, occurred “through multiple fiduciary and other roles of authority that Danny has abused, and continues to abuse, for his own significant financial gain.”
The suit further claims Danny Bennett took advantage of their father’s diminished state late in life due to Alzheimer’s disease in order to make millions for himself and his company. This includes the sale of his catalog shortly before his death in a deal including name, likeness, and image rights to brand development firm Iconoclast.
Danny Bennett’s sisters also sued him back in June, seeking an accounting of their father’s assets, alleging their brother had mishandled them. But the new filing further alleges he breached his fiduciary duty and seeks to remove him from his position as head of the family trust.
The new lawsuit also accuses Danny of benefitting from “self-interested and conflicted transactions, excessive and unearned commissions,” and “substantial loans and gifts to himself and his children.” These, they assert, have rapidly diminished assets that the late singer’s will calls for to be distributed equally between his children.
The sisters claim they have received a “single modest distribution” of $245,000 each, which is “nowhere close to what they believe they are entitled to receive.” Further, they allege their brother has gotten rid of items of great sentimental value to the family in a “malicious and retaliatory manner” following their previous attempts to get an accounting of the estate’s assets.
“This lawsuit is yet another baseless attempt to distort the public and the court’s understanding of Tony Bennett’s clearly stated wishes,” said a spokesperson for Danny Bennett. “Danny has followed his father’s plans with integrity and care, and it is disappointing that those Tony supported throughout his life — and continues to support through his estate — are now challenging Danny’s integrity with unsubstantiated and unfounded claims.”
Danny Bennett was his father’s manager, both personally and professionally, and possessed power of attorney. He was manager of his company, Benedetto Arts, and continues to serve as trustee of the family trust. Another brother, Daegal “Dae” Bennett, and Tony’s widow, Susan Bennett, are also named in the lawsuit. The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial.
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