Victoria, Dennis and Marin Hopper in 2008
Dennis Hopper, who passed away in May at age 74, was in the middle of divorce proceedings when he died of prostate cancer complications. Now apparently his adult off-spring from other marriages aren’t so happy that they have to share estate proceeds with the widow, Victoria Duffy, and the couple’s 7-year-old daughter Galen, reports HousingWatch.
This might seem like another Hollywood celebrity tale, but there’s a lesson every family can learn from the Hopper family struggles, whether you earn millions a year or just thousands.
Hopper, who filed for divorce from his 43-year-old wife in January less than three months after he received the terminal diagnosis, wanted her and the daughter cut from the will. The pre-nup would’ve taken care of that for Duffy even without the divorce being finalized since there was a clause that limited what she’d receive if they were not still living together at the time of his death.
Whether or not they were is up for debate among the heirs. Duffy, who was living on a separate property on the Venice estate claims they were. The adult offspring, spearheaded by daughter Marin, say no way. And since the divorce was still pending, they fight over who gets what art work, who pays for horse feed, and who gets to sell the house or live in it.
Experts say the Hopper family is a prime example of why you should get your affairs in order — even a divorce, if that’s what you want — before you’re nearing your death bed.
“Unresolved divorces can spill over into a fight among heirs,” says Andrew Mayoras, co-author of “Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!“
“When fights are ugly like this it is about emotions,” he told HousingWatch. “If you let your emotions control you, the only ones who will win are the attorneys. You have to put your estate planning in place to help prevent fights like this.”
For more, read “Dennis Hopper Heirs Sell to Give Widow Hell” at HousingWatch.
