Tony Bennett's daughters file new lawsuit against their brother over the singer's estate
Tony Bennett's two daughters have filed a new lawsuit against their brother, alleging he illegally enriched himself at their expense against their father's wishes both before and after the legendary singer's death in 2023.
Antonia and Johanna Bennett filed the lawsuit Monday in New York against D'Andrea "Danny" Bennett, who was their father's manager and heads their family trust.
"Since Tony's death, Johanna and Antonia have discovered that Danny exercised complete and unchecked control over Tony and his financial affairs prior to and following his death through multiple fiduciary and other roles of authority that Danny has abused, and continues to abuse, for his own significant financial gain," the suit alleges.
It says Danny Bennett took advantage of his father's diminished capacity late in life due to Alzheimer's disease to make deals to make millions for himself and his company, including the sale shortly before his death of Tony Bennett's catalog and his name, likeness and image rights to the brand development firm Iconoclast.
The sisters previously sued their brother in June seeking an accounting of their father's assets, and alleging Danny Bennett had mishandled them. The new suit alleges he has breached his fiduciary duty and seeks to remove him as head of the family trust.
"This lawsuit is yet another baseless attempt to distort the public and the court's understanding of Tony Bennett's clearly stated wishes," a spokesperson for Danny Bennett said in a statement. "Danny has followed his father's plans with integrity and care, and it is disappointing that those Tony supported throughout his life — and continues to support through his estate — are now challenging Danny's integrity with unsubstantiated and unfounded claims."
Danny Bennett was his father's personal and professional manager with power of attorney, was manager of his company Benedetto Arts, and is the trustee of the family trust, the suit says.
Danny Bennett came up with the idea for the late singer to hold two big concerts at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Lady Gaga, he told CBS News in 2022. They were his final performances.
"The pandemic was a big ... it was a big thing for me. Like, ending his career on that note," Danny Bennett told "60 Minutes." "(It) couldn't end that way. After all that he did."
The new lawsuit accuses Danny Bennett of benefiting from "self-interested and conflicted transactions, excessive and unearned commissions," and "substantial loans and gifts to himself and his children" that have diminished assets that Tony Bennett's will calls for his four children to split equally.
Another brother, Daegal "Dae" Bennett, and Tony's widow, Susan Bennett, were also named as defendants in the lawsuit. Susan and Tony had been together for more than 30 years. She was also his full-time caregiver.
The first lawsuit noted Daegal and Susan were named solely because of their capacity as a beneficiary of the Family Trust "in anticipation that one or more parties, or the Court, may deem her to be a necessary party to this action."
The new suit says the sisters have received a "single modest distribution" of $245,000 apiece that is "nowhere close to what they believe they are entitled to receive."
The sisters also allege their brother has gotten rid of items of great sentimental value to them in a "malicious and retaliatory manner" after their attempts to get an accounting through the previous lawsuit.
Bennett's piano, which Antonia says was promised to her, was in "terrible condition" when they were allowed to see it in a tour of the singer's apartment, where they say they were denied access to much of his property, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit seeks damages to be determined at trial.
Tony Bennett, a legendary interpreter of classic American songs who created new standards including "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," died in 2023 at age 96. There was no specific cause, but he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016.
Bennett released more than 70 albums. The last was released with Lady Gaga in 2021 — after his Alzheimer's disease had already progressed. He won 19 Grammy Awards, including two for that album, and a Grammy lifetime achievement award.
"Tony and Danny's record of unprecedented success speaks for itself," the defense statement said, "and Danny remains committed to honoring and preserving his father's memory and legacy."
