Tony Bennett’s children’s court battle reveals his personal struggles

Legal drama between Tony Bennettthe children continue, and his eldest son brings up his dark past to support the argument.

The discord in the music icon’s family began last year when his daughters, Anthony and Johanna Bennettaccused his older brother Danny Bennettabusing the trustee’s rights before and after the father’s death.

The women claimed their sibling was involved in “several conflicting fiduciary rights”, prompting them to demand a detailed accounting of Tony Bennett’s estate. However, the eldest Bennet child refused to comply with their wishes, citing that they were not allowed to see the expenses of the estate.

According to court documents, Danny recently responded to his sisters’ claim for their late father’s estate expenses. He declined their request, stressing that he had played a significant role in Tony’s successful career, especially his memorable comeback.

Danny claimed Tony credited him for turning his life around “after he hit rock bottom in the late 1970s, including a near-fatal cocaine overdose and a financial disaster that led to the IRS seizing his Los Angeles home.” .

The founder of RPM Productions served as his father’s manager from the 1970s until his retirement in 2021. Tony, he believes, acknowledged that position when he won a Grammy in 1995. His lawyer echoed similar sentiments in documents obtained In connectionstating:

“Tony considered Danny one of his greatest assets. In addition to the name Danny trusteeTony also saved Danny to be his personal manager and his supervisor.”

In addition to helping Tony turn his career around, Danny noted that after the jazz icon was unable to go on tour, he reinvigorated his career and landed a lucrative deal on his behalf. He signed an agreement to sell the singer’s memorabilia, music royalties, and rights to his likeness and advertising.

The contract, known as the “Iconoclast Deal”, included a purchase price and a revenue stream over a limited period from various projects. Danny added that he was “completely transparent” with his sisters about the details of the deal, including the profits made.

Regarding Antonia and Johanna’s request for the estate’s accounting, Danny argued that they had no legal rights to view the finances before and after their father’s death. His lawyer reiterated his position, noting:

“It just doesn’t make sense to go to the expense and effort of accounting for an estate that’s only been open for a year.”

Antonia and Johanna did not dispute Danny’s role in revamping their late father’s image, but urged him to engage in “self-reliance” before and after Tony’s death. They claimed he provided “contradictory financial statements” about the estate.

Their allegations continued with claims of “unexplained expenses totaling many hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more).” In addition, there were “significant distributions, gifts and other payments that Danny made directly to himself or for his own benefit, wearing every possible fiduciary hat.”

Antonia and Johanna claimed that Danny’s actions before Tony’s death “were anything but normal and raised serious concerns about the post-death period”.

According to their complaint, he “acted in several conflicting trusts over an extended period prior to Tony’s death and took (for himself and his children) substantial funds from the Family Trust.”

Tony’s daughters noted that Danny had announced his diminished capacity before his death. They claimed that during this phase their father failed to act as trustee, making their brother the sole non-controlling trustee of the Family Trust.

Antonia and Johanna stressed that this was wrong because their father had created a trust for his four children and wanted him to treat them equally. “It is vital that all the beneficiaries of the Family Trust are able to check on Danny’s behavior to ensure that Tony’s wishes are carried out.”

The Bennett children include a second son, Day, who is not involved in the legal battle. The accounting drama began in June 2024, a year after Tony’s death in July 2023, with Explosion reporting that Danny initially tried to delay the court hearing.

Last year, Danny asked the court to extend the accounting drama because his lawyer was recently hired and unfamiliar with the case. The legal representative also noted that he and his partner have an upcoming vacation and are unable to respond to the Bennett sisters’ petition.

However, Antonia and Johanna rejected Danny’s request, insisting that they owed a detailed account of their late father’s estate. They declined the counteroffer, noting that they would agree to an extension if their brother provided the requested financial information within 45 days.

The struggle of the sisters for the accounting of the estate began because of significant disparities in Tony’s finances. They believed their father had amassed more than $100 million over the past 15 years, but after his death, his estate was worth only $7 million — an amount they claimed deserved clarity.

Will Tony Bennet’s children be able to settle their differences amicably?