Dennis Hopper's Widow Turns Divorce Battle into New Lawsuit
March 10, 2011
The divorce contest between the late Dennis Hopper and his wife, Victoria Duffy-Hopper, was ugly when he was alive. It’s turned even uglier since he’s passed away.
Duffy-Hopper dropped a new bomb on the children of the Easy Rider star, and the Trustees of his Trust, by filing two new lawsuits recently in Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles.
In the cases, she claims that his children wrongfully forced her to move out of Hopper’s house, so they could grab a bigger inheritance at her expense. She alleges Marin Hopper, one of Hopper’s children from a prior marriage, manipulated, coerced and told Hopper “cruel lies”. She did this, according to one of the lawsuits, to drive a wedge between the happy couple and force him to file for divorce.
But, the marriage couldn’t have been too happy, since Duffy-Hopper takes aim at her late husband, too. She asks the Court to invalidate the couple’s premarital agreement, saying that Hopper intimidated, coerced and threatened her until she signed it.
Duffy-Hopper also sued his Trust to make it pay damages based on what Hopper did to her, including sabotaging her business, hindering her career and education, and forcing her to support his career and promote his art instead of allowing her to work. She’s seeking $700,000 for this claim alone.
She also targets his Trustees for bouncing a check and failing to honor child support obligations and make other payments that were ordered during the divorce proceeding, before Hopper succumbed to his battle with prostate cancer on May 29, 2010.
Are these claims legitimate efforts of a widow victimized first by her husband, then by his children, and finally by the Trustees after he died? Or is Duffy-Hopper making a wild and desperate money grab?
Danielle and Andy Mayoras of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! discuss the latest developments in the Dennis Hopper estate battle:
By Andy and Danielle Mayoras, co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!, husband-and-wife legacy expert attorneys, and hosts of an upcoming national PBS special. The charismatic duo has appeared on the Rachael Ray Show, Forbes, ABC's Live Well Network, WGN-TV and has lent their expertise and analysis to hundreds of media sources. As dynamic keynote speakers, Danielle and Andy delight audiences nationwide with highly entertaining and informative presentations, dishing the dirt on celebrity estate battles while dispensing important legal information.
For legal help in Michigan, visit Andy and Danielle's law firm's websites, The Center for Elder Law and The Center for Probate Litigation. For the latest celebrity and high-profile cases, with tips to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your clients, subscribe to The Legacy Update at www.TrialandHeirs.com.
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