Tony Bennett’s family appears headed for a legal battle less than a year after the legendary singer died at the age of 96.
Bennett’s daughters Antonia Bennett and Johanna Bennett on Wednesday named their brothers D’Andrea ‘Danny’ Bennett and Daegal ‘Dae’ Bennett and the singer’s widow Susan Benedetto in a legal filing regarding the singer’s estate, according to court docs reviewed by People.
Bennett’s daughters in legal docs asked the court to force Danny, Daegal and Susan Benedetto to list and turn over all properties and assets held by the late crooner to be reviewed by the court, according to legal docs.
Danny worked as his late father’s manager and oversees the family trust in the role of trustee.
Antonia and Johanna told the court they are in search of ‘equitable relief’ and claiming that Danny did not fully account for the totals in selling a portion of the rights to the late singer’s catalog, name, image and likeness to the company Iconoclast this past March.
Tony Bennett’s family appears headed for a legal battle less than a year after the legendary singer died at the age of 96. The late singer was pictured with daughters Johanna and Antonia Bennett in NYC in 2016
The late singer’s widow Susan Benedetto, pictured with him in 2019 in NYC, was also named in a filing regarding the singer’s estate
Danny ‘obtained personal benefits for himself and his company’ in the deals, Antonia and Johanna said in legal docs of the transactions, which also included the selling off of some of Tony’s personal belongings and memorabilia.
Danny and his lawyers ‘have persistently failed and refused’ to show the full details of the aforementioned transactions, Antonia and Johanna said in their filing, noting they have a vested interest as beneficiaries.
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Attorneys for Antonia and Johanna said in their filing that Danny and his legal team ‘have provided piecemeal information and produced some documents’ in the case that fall short in clarifying the issues at hand.
‘The information provided raises more questions than answers and fails to provide anything close to an accounting of Tony’s assets and financial affairs,’ lawyers for Antonia and Johanna said in the court filing.
Antonia and Johanna said they have ‘well-founded concerns’ in regards to the totals the I Left My Heart In San Francisco performer left behind amid his death via the family trust and the company Benedetto Arts, LLC, according to legal docs.
Antonia and Johanna are requesting the court to order all holdings be ‘inventoried, accounted for, and distributed pursuant to the express terms of the family trust,’ according to legal docs.
They are asking for Danny to account for all totals with documentation in regards to taxes, disbursements and related expenses, according to court docs.
The lawsuit is centered around the division of property and assets stemming from sales following the entertainer’s passing last summer at the age of 96. Pictured in 2009
Bennett’s most famous songs include I Left My Heart In San Francisco and Rags to Riches. Pictured in NYC in 2015
Iconoclast on March 19 announced it had acquired significant portions of Bennett‘s catalog, name and likeness, though Sony Music said it remains the owner of the singer’s catalog, according to Billboard.
Other aspects of the deal included Bennett-branded endeavors such as a restaurant in New York City, a watch brand and a documentary on Paramount+ about Bennett‘s work with Lady Gaga.
The company’s founder Olivier Chastan said in a statement at the time: ‘We all walk in the footsteps of giants. Tony was one of these giants.
‘Besides his extraordinary talent that radiated for over 60 years, Tony’s legacy is one of character, integrity, kindness and courage. We are truly honored to be the custodians of this incredible and historical legend.’
Danny Bennett said at the time, ‘In working with Tony for over 40 years, my philosophy was always that I didn’t manage a career but, rather, managed a legacy. Iconoclast … will continue this tradition.’
Antonia Bennett and father Tony were pictured at the Oscars in LA in February of 2012
Bennett dealt with health issues in his final seven years, as he revealed to AARP in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
Benedetto told the outlet, ‘There’s a lot about him that I miss. Because he’s not the old Tony anymore … But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.’
She said the health issues had been kept quiet for years because Bennett ‘never wanted the audience to know if he had a problem’ as he liked to ‘say he’s in the business of making people feel good.’
Benedetto said that the Rags to Riches artist at the time was ‘not always sure where he is or what is happening around him.’