The youngsters of Robbie Robertson, the guitarist of the Band who died final 12 months, are suing the girl he married shortly earlier than his demise, claiming she took benefit of the musician’s declining well being to have him signal paperwork that may favor her within the occasion of his demise.
Robertson’s three grownup youngsters — Alexandra, Delphine and Sebastian Robertson — filed the lawsuit Wednesday night time in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom towards Janet Zuccarini, a well known Toronto restaurateur who lately opened Stella West Hollywood. Robertson died in August, simply months after he was married to Zuccarini.
The primary declare within the lawsuit stems from Zuccarini and Robertson’s joint buy of David Geffen’s Beverly Hills dwelling on Gilcrest Drive in 2021 for $6 million. The couple every owned 50% of the home, however Robertson put down the entire $1.8-million down fee, in accordance with the go well with.
Whereas Robertson’s intent upon his demise was for his youngsters to grow to be homeowners of fifty% of the home with the power to promote it to Zuccarini, purchase Zuccarini’s share or collectively promote the property with Zuccarini, that’s not what occurred, the go well with mentioned.
Following Robertson’s demise, Zuccarini knowledgeable the household that “she was entitled to reside within the Property till her demise — and that [Robertson’s heirs] had been required to pay, from what would have been their modest inheritance, the mortgage, property taxes, insurance coverage, and half of the day by day property upkeep bills at some stage in her life,” the go well with reads.
Her declare stemmed from an modification the couple had made to their “Tenant in Frequent” settlement from 2021, after they moved into the home.
The couple signed the modification in March 2023 — months earlier than Robertson died in August — agreeing that if certainly one of them died, their property could be liable for persevering with to repay their half of the mortgage, in accordance with a duplicate of the settlement.
Robertson’s heirs argued within the lawsuit that after a 2022 surgical procedure for most cancers, Robertson by no means totally recovered. He started utilizing highly effective opioids, THC and antipsychotics to handle his ache and stimulate his urge for food, in accordance with the go well with.
“Robertson’s psychological state was severely impaired,” the lawsuit mentioned. “These medication he was taking, within the time period when Zuccarini was arranging the key marriage ceremony and having him signal oppressive paperwork, are recognized to have important results on cognition, together with confusion, hallucinations, torpor, despair, reminiscence loss, and dissociation.”
The heirs declare within the go well with that Zuccarini dedicated elder abuse by having Robertson signal paperwork when she ought to have recognized he was not mentally able to understanding what he was signing.
The go well with requires the cancellation of the settlement that break up possession of the home between Zuccarini and Robertson.
Zuccarini, by her publicist, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Robertson’s youngsters didn’t instantly remark by their lawyer.
