Gary Coleman's Parents Tell Ex-Wife: Stop Being So Secretive
Posted on Jun 04, 2010 @ 07:52AM
Gary Coleman's estranged parents, Sue and Willie Coleman, are going to court in the fight over the late actor's body, funeral and will, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a bizarre and cagey statement just released, the Illinois couple said "they've heard the rumors" about their son’s death and announced their intention to file probate.
The legal bid has put a serious question mark on Coleman's funeral -- currently scheduled for Saturday in Utah.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Gary Coleman Said He Had 'Less Than A Year' To Live, Agent Reveals
The Colemans want custody of their son's remains for burial in his native Zion, Illinois.
"The Colemans don’t want to fight with anyone," their attorney Frederick A. Jackman told RadarOnline.com.
"They just want to bring their son home."
Jackman said Sue and Willie Coleman are the actor's "surviving family".
VIDEO: Coleman And His Wife Discuss Their Crazy Fights
It’s understood the Colemans will argue in court they are the legal custodians of his body because he was divorced from his wife, Shannon Price, in 2008.
The pint-sized actor sued his parents in 1989 for allegedly stealing his multimillion-dollar fortune -- a claim they have long denied.
Coleman suffered a brain hemorrhage after a fall last Wednesday at the Utah home he still shared with Price.
His 24-year-old ex-wife switched off his life support, because she didn't want Coleman “to be like Muhammad Ali or Terri Schiavo.”
AUDIO: Hear Gary Coleman's 911 Tape
"They’re (Sue and Willie Coleman) hoping that by applying for Formal Probate, they can get through this process the right way," Jackman told RadarOnline.com.
"Of course they’ve heard the rumors, and quite frankly, I don’t understand why so many people who knew Gary are being so secretive.
"The status of the divorce, whether or not anyone has a will, these are all issues that should be brought to the family’s attention immediately.
"Formal Probate is the way we make sure it all gets handled properly.”
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Probate is the legal process for making sure that the property of a deceased person is collected and preserved; the decedent's debts and taxes are paid; and the remaining property is distributed to the beneficiaries designated in the decedent's last will or, if the decedent died without a valid will, to the decedent's lawful heirs.
In further mystery surrounding Coleman’s death, his Diff’rent Strokes co-star Todd Bridges has come out with the surprise announcement that he is in possession of a document purporting to contain the final wishes of Coleman.
"[A friend of mine and I] have paperwork, and we'll bring it out soon, that will show what his wishes were and what he wanted," Bridges told Entertainment Tonight Thursday.
"There's a big fight going on with his parents and some other people involved, and after we bring this paperwork out, everybody's going to shut up."
"Gary had certain wishes [to exclude his parents]. I'm not going to go against a dying man's wishes," Bridges continued.
"There's a reason why he didn't speak to them for 23 years."
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In her first interview since the death, Coleman’s ex-wife — who he divorced in 2008 -- denied pushing him down the stairs.
“People are so cruel, they don’t even know,” Price said.
“I was upstairs, he was downstairs, how am I going to push him?
“That affected me more than anything, the scrutiny that people come up with... they are just heartless.'
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The Daily Juice
Jun 03, 2010 @ 14:53
Poor Gary had a sad life & now he can't get any peace in death. His ex seems like an uncaring woman & the parents obviously used him. Let this poor soul rest in peace. Like all of us, he only wanted to be loved & appreciated.
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 1:50pm
FYI, she may be his ex-wife, but unless HE removed her as his medical power of attorney, then she still had the right to make the decision she made. Divorce doesn't nullify her POA, only HE could do that, and I heard he didn't...
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 1:22pm
Did anyone pick this up?? denied pushing him down the stairs.
""“I was upstairs, he was downstairs, how am I going to push him?"""
So i mean if he fell down the stairs, wouldnt he had to of been upstairs for it to happen???
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 12:41pm
OMG, you're SO right! Something is completely fishy here. Note how she comes up with lame technical excuses instead of being outraged at the very suggestion that she pushed him to his death, as any innocent person would've been.
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 2:58pm
Jesus Todd, then just bring out the damn paperwork if u have it. U r supposed to be better than all of these people, changing your life around, etc. Look out for that Shannon & watch that interview on tmz & listen to the 911. fishy brother.
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 12:28pm
His parents aren't as innocent as they seem to appear. If my memory sounds good they stole their son's money when he was rich.
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 12:15pm
Why would he have told them anything?! Aren't they the reason he was broke? Now they are SHOCKED they knew nothing about his son's life? How about they pay for the funeral from the money they stole from him!
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 7:09am
hey parents: pay for his funeral and then shut the fk up.........same with his wife.
RIP GARY!
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 3:51am
Hopefully, Todd was entrusted to safeguard paperwork that will make this issue moot. Gary was an adult and, as the Anna Nicole case proves, blood is not enough to have control over probate.
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 2:13am
He sued them decades ago to get free of them and try to recover SOME of the money those stole from him. He legally got them out of his life and wanted nothing more to do with them. They are NOT BLOOD RELATED but are only THIEVES in his life.
Posted Fri, 06/04/2010 - 2:01am