Tony Bennett's daughters file new lawsuit against their brother over
late father's estate
[April 02, 2025]
By ANDREW DALTON
NEW YORK (AP) — 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 makes more serious and more specific allegations of
wrongdoing.
Attorneys for Danny Bennett did not immediately respond to an
after-hours email seeking comment.
In court filings in the previous lawsuit, his attorneys said the
sisters’ claims were baseless, that they had been provided with
sufficient accounting, and that Tony Bennett trusted Danny Bennett
completely during his life and credited his son with pulling him out of
financial troubles and reviving his career.
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.
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The new lawsuit accuses him 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.
The 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 seeks damages to be determined at trial, and for a judge to
remove Danny Bennett as head of the family trust.
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. He won 19 Grammy Awards and a
Grammy lifetime achievement award.
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