Two of late screen legend and philanthropist Paul Newman’s five daughters are suing the charitable foundation their father started after its board of directors cut the amount of money allocated to them annually for their own charitable donations in half.
Susan Newman—the actor's second eldest daughter from his marriage to Jackie Witte—and Elinor “Nell” Newman—the eldest daughter of Newman and actor Joanne Woodward—filed a lawsuit against the Newman’s Own Foundation on Tuesday in Connecticut.
According to the New York Post, court documents state their father’s legacy is “under assault” by the board of directors who ignored his final wishes by reducing the money his daughters are provided to donate to charity.
The court filing states:
“Mr. Newman granted to Newman’s Own Foundation the rights to his name, image and likeness and other publicity and intellectual property rights, but not unconditionally."
"Instead, Mr. Newman made that grant on the condition that Newman’s Own Foundation allocate $400,000 each year to each of his ‘Daughters’ Foundations,’ for them to donate to charities identified by his daughters pursuant to specific rules that he established.”
The documents state the annual amount Nell, Susan and his other daughters—the eldest Stephanie and the two youngest Melissa and Claire Olivia—individually receive was reduced from $400,000 to $200,000.
It also alleged:
"[T]he years since Mr. Newman’s death consist of a long and consistent pattern of disregard, by those in control, of Mr. Newman’s specific intentions and direction, coupled with mismanagement, scandal, and questionable practices.”
The lawsuit claims their father’s legacy is under attack by the “very organization he founded in an effort to preserve and expand” it.
Twitter users seemed quite interested in the outcome of the lawsuit
\u201c@Angenette5 @LawCrimeNetwork Wow. That will be an interesting follow.\u201d— Angenette Levy (@Angenette Levy) 1661537615
Many agreed the change was unwarranted and wished the Newmans success in their suit.
\u201c@Angenette5 @LawCrimeNetwork Oh saw that huh? Ain't that some bs? Paul would be pissed.\u201d— Angenette Levy (@Angenette Levy) 1661537615
\u201c@Simplymarvlous @CNN 100%\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1661520690
\u201c@KestersonVicki @WSJ Agreed\u2026 and the foundation seems pretty solvent. They\u2019ve donated \u201cnearly $600m in 40 years\u201d So averaging ~$15m annual\u201d— The Wall Street Journal (@The Wall Street Journal) 1661286012
\u201cSo @NewmansOwnFdn isn\u2019t sharing with Paul Newman\u2019s daughters\u2019 charities. Shameful. They rake in $25 million a YEAR, but spent $4.5 Million on \u201coperating expenses\u201d and refuse to honor Paul\u2019s edict that the daughters\u2019 charities each get $400k per year. Something doesn\u2019t smell right\u201d— CrankyBisMissesRubyDoo (@CrankyBisMissesRubyDoo) 1661451754
\u201c100% of profits are to go to charity as #PaulNewman stated before he passed. Good on his kids for fighting to support their Dad's wishes. @NewmansOwnFdn board slashed the amount they're allowed to allocate to charities by half in 2020. I hope his kids win.\nhttps://t.co/4mOXATJKm5\u201d— Jen \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf9 (@Jen \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf9) 1661360367
\u201c@CNN This is all in writing. Should be an easy win for the sisters. Kind of a sad situation\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1661477411
\u201c@AP I hope they win the lawsuit and their father\u2019s wishes and instructions are honored and kept. What he and Joanne did in their later years are commendable to the utmost. They are their father\u2019s legacy.\u201d— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1661377505
Paul Newman began his foundation three years before his death in 2008.
It is funded with after-tax profits from the food company Newman’s Own Inc.—which the board of directors also operate and control.
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