The family of a celebrated guitarist, who played lead for a renowned musician in the mid-to-late 1960s, has filed a lawsuit against his widow, alleging elder abuse.
The adult children of the esteemed musician, who passed away in August at the age of 80, have taken legal action in Los Angeles Superior Court, naming a well-known restaurateur as the defendant.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendant took advantage of the guitarist in his later years, particularly regarding the ownership of a prestigious property in Beverly Hills.
According to the suit, the guitarist and the defendant purchased the home with an agreement to share ownership equally. However, the guitarist covered the entire $1.8 million down payment. Within two years, the defendant allegedly convinced the guitarist to marry her.
The children of the late guitarist have filed a lawsuit against his widow, alleging elder abuse.
The musician’s children, who are part of the lawsuit, allege financial abuse by the defendant.
The wedding, which took place in March 2023, was allegedly kept secret from the guitarist’s children and was held during a decline in his health and mental capacity.
Prior to the wedding, the defendant allegedly had the guitarist sign a prenuptial agreement and an amended Tenant In Common agreement, which stated that the estate of the deceased would continue to pay half of the mortgage in the event of their death.
The guitarist’s estate and trust are now facing the consequences of these agreements, and his children have joined the lawsuit, alleging that the defendant financially abused their father to gain a portion of his estate.
The suit claims that the defendant saw an opportunity to marry a “sick and dying man” and manipulated him into spending significant amounts on renovations and furnishings for the Beverly Hills home.
The guitarist performing with a renowned musician in 1972.
The Beverly Hills home that sparked the legal dispute.
The guitarist with his ex-wife and a renowned musician in 2022.
The suit alleges financial elder abuse and tortious interference with inheritance, claiming that the defendant pursued the prenuptial agreement and wedding in secret to prevent the children or ex-wife from reviewing the documents.
The children claim they only learned about the marriage hours after it took place and were initially under the impression that it was an anniversary party. They were later informed by their father that nothing in his estate plan had changed and that they would receive all of his property upon his death, which did not come to pass.
The lawsuit seeks to cancel the amended Tenancy In Common agreement and also requests unspecified damages. The renowned guitarist, who had a long-standing professional and personal relationship with a famous musician, passed away in August 2023 due to complications from pancreatic cancer.