Louis Gossett Jr.’s Sons File To Be Co-Trustees Of His Estate

Late Hollywood star Louis Gossett Jr.‘s sons, Satie Gossett and Sharron Gossett, have filed to be named co-trustees in their father’s estate.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, the brothers want to be named co-trustees of the estate, as the people named trustees by their father have either passed away or declined the position.

Gossett died on March 29 at the age of 87. He was known as the first Black man to win an Oscar award for Best Supporting Actor.

In the court filing, Satie and Sharron claim that there are no trustees of their late father’s estate, as both of his named “successor trustees” have declined.

Gossett originally named his attorney and friend, Leroy Bobbitt, his successor trustee. However, Bobbit has passed away.

Virgil Roberts, also Gossett’s friend and attorney, was named as the second Trustee, and he, according to Satie and Sharron, has declined the position, opting to nominate the brothers as co-trustees of their late father’s estate.

The court document reads, “All interested parties, including the living named successor Trustees, are nominating SATIE BERTRAND GOSSETT and SHARRON A. GOSSETT, to act as and be the Court Ordered successor CO-TRUSTEES in this matter, with full powers under the subject Trust.”

The brothers allege in the court document that their late father’s trust “has or had assets which include, but are not limited to, multiple bank and financial accounts.”

Satie and Sharron further stated that the trust “desperately needs to have access to Trust funds to pay for monthly expenses and to secure the Trust rental real property.”

They also claim that there is “real property” involved, which is owned by Gossett’s estate in Georgia and “has a leaking roof and black mold” and that these issues need to “be resolved for the tenants therein and to cure possible liability of the Trust.”

Louis Gossett passed away at 87 in Santa Monica, California, on March 29. His passing was announced in a statement by his family, which read: “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning.”

“We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time,” they added.

The death certificate listed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the cause of death and also listed heart failure and atrial fibrillation as significant contributing factors.

Gossett began his distinguished stage career with Broadway’s “Take a Giant Step” in 1953 while still a student at Abraham Lincoln High School. He attended New York University before making his film debut in 1961’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” reprising his role from the Lorraine Hansberry play on Broadway.

Following an Emmy-winning performance in “Roots,” the New York native became the first Black actor to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman” alongside Richard Gere.

More recently, Gossett earned another Emmy nod in 2019 for his role in “Watchmen.”

In an essay for Variety earlier this month, “The Color Purple’s” Colman Domingo paid tribute to his co-star: “The first day that I met Mr. Gossett, I said ‘Thank you.’ Those were the words I wanted to say. Because I knew that there would be no me if there was no him. And other giants like him.”

Richard Gere also recently recalled his co-star as “a sweetheart” who “took his job very seriously” and remained in character throughout filming.

“I don’t think we ever saw him socially. He was the drill sergeant 24 hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in,” Gere added.

In a January interview with People magazine, Gossett reflected on his journey to Hollywood and revealed that he once declined a potential professional basketball career.

While attending NYU, Gossett harbored aspirations of playing professional basketball. According to a WGBH profile, the New York Knicks signed him to a professional contract after his graduation in 1958. However, his path soon led back to the stage and eventually to film.

“I was at rookie training for the [New York] Knicks when I got a call from [playwright] Lorraine Hansberry to be a part of “A Raisin in the Sun,” he recalled of the original 1959 Broadway production, where he starred alongside fellow Hollywood legend Sidney Poitier.

Upon learning the role paid “$700 per diem,” more than most professional athletes earned at the time, Gossett knew it was time to pivot. “I put the basketball down, and the rest is history,” he said.