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Tag: celebrity estate

  • Alexandria Zahra Jones, David Bowie’s Daughter, To Inherit A Fortune From The Late Rock Icon’s Estate

    Alexandria Zahra Jones certainly is a lucky girl to have a legendary father who was loved by many and who loved her very much.

    Even in death, David Bowie showed great generosity to the people he loved and cared about. His will, which was signed in August of 2004, was finally filed on Friday afternoon in a courthouse in Manhattan. According to a report by The New York Times, the 20-page document distributes his roughly $100 million estate among his immediate family and a couple of loyal employees.

    Bowie, whose real name was David Jones, directed his executors to grant half of his fortune to his wife Iman, and the other half to his two children. The 60-year-old supermodel and businesswoman will be receiving her inheritance from Bowie’s attorneys in quarterly installments.

    Meanwhile, his eldest child, Duncan Jones will get his 25% share upfront. Duncan is a 44-year-old film director whose mother is actress Angela Barnett.

    His youngest child and only daughter, 15-year-old Alexandria Zahra Jones – or Lexi to her family and friends – will also receive $25 million, although she will have to wait until she turns 25 to gain access to it. Bowie also gave her his vacation property in upstate New York, which will also be hers on her 25th birthday.

    He also left $2 million to his long-time personal assistant Corinne “Coco” Schwab, whom he also named guardian of Lexi in the event that Iman dies before she turns 18. Duncan’s former nanny, a Swiss woman named Marion Skene also received $1 million from the will.

    Apart from the division of his fortune, David Bowie also indicated how the family is to manage his remains.

    A Buddhist for most of his adult life, Bowie requested that his body be taken to the Indonesian island of Bali and “cremated there in accordance with the Buddhist rituals.”

    “If that is not practical, then I direct that my executors shall arrange for my remains to be cremated and my ashes scattered in Bali,” the will further stated.

    The late “Changes” singer succumbed to liver cancer last month at the age of 69, just two days after the release of his album, Blackstar. He was known for being extremely low-key and private, and was rarely seen out except for when he walked his daughter, Alexandria Zahra Jones to school.

  • Robin Williams’ Family Is Now Fighting Over His Estate, Wife Accused Of Being “Greedy”

    Robin Williams’ widow and his children from two prior marriages have gone to court over disputes regarding his estate. According to reports, the papers were filed back in December. Robin Williams’ wife, Susan Schneider Williams, alleged that his children have taken items from their Tiburon home without her permission. According to Susan, since the Tiburon home was left to her, the items in the home should be excluded in the list of items that were left for the children.

    According to Robin Williams’ will, Susan is entitled to their Tiburon home while his children, Zak from his first marriage, and Zelda and Cody from his second, are entitled to any memorabilia acquired throughout the course of his career as well as other items that were stored in a second property in Napa.

    In January, Robin Williams’ children filed a response to Susan’s claims. According to them, Susan Schneider Williams “acted against his wishes by challenging the plans he so carefully made for his estate”. They also accused her of being greedy after she asked for additional money to cover for the daily upkeep of the Tiburon home as well as for unexpected renovations and improvements.

    Jim Wagstaffe, Susan Schneider Williams’ lawyer, said, “Mr. Williams wanted his wife to be able to stay in her home and not be disrupted in her life with her children. Compared to what the Williams children were set to receive from their father, this is a bucket of water in a lake.”

    Included in the list of disputed items are Robin Williams’ collection of comic books, posters, action figures, and other memorabilia.

    “These collections were carefully amassed by Mr. Williams over his lifetime and were precious to him,” the response from the Williams children said. “As the Williams children grew, so did their father’s collections and they shared in their father’s excitement as additions were made to his collection.”

  • Mimi O’Donnnell: Sole Beneficiary To Philip Seymour Hoffman’s $35 Million Estate

    Mimi O’Donnell is the sole beneficiary of the $35 million estate that renowned actor Philip Seymour Hoffman left in his passing.  The actor had been struggling with drug addiction and died from an overdose in February at age 46.

    Hoffman wanted long-time partner and girlfriend, Marianne “Mimi” O’Donnell to inherit his whole fortune and use it however she deemed fit, believing that she will do what is best for their children. The two had been together for fourteen years and have three children together – a son, Cooper, 10, and two daughters, Tallulah, seven, and Willa, five.

    The couple were never married but Hoffman’s accountant was quoted to have observed that he always treated her “…in the same manner as if she were a spouse.” This is further confirmed by the joint bank accounts they held that had substantial deposits.

    Hoffman’s other reason for not leaving any money for his children was that he didn’t want his kids growing up as privileged and bratty “trust fund kids”. While living, he repeatedly declined his accountant’s suggestions to set aside funds for his kids, this according to the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court filing on July 18.

    Hoffman’s only other request, according to his 2004 will, was that O’Donnell raise their son in one of three cities: Manhattan, Chicago, or San Francisco to allow the boy exposure to the “…culture, arts, and architecture that such cities offer.” If living in one of these cities is not an option, he asked that O’Donnell bring his child on trips there at least twice a year.  This request doesn’t mention the couple’s daughters as the will was drafted before they were born.

    Mimi O’Donnell was a costume designer who met Hoffman in 1999 when they worked on a play together. They had been together since and were living in New York with their children, until she asked Hoffman to leave the apartment they shared in late 2013, reportedly due to his drug dependence.

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