18 Aug SON OF AUSTIN POWERS CO-STAR SHAGGED BY COURT
SON OF AUSTIN POWERS CO-STAR SHAGGED BY COURTA California Appellate Court has reversed the Los Angeles Superior Court decision over the meaning of the term “grandchild” costing Damian Hurley, son of famed British actress Elizabeth Hurley and Steve Bing (although born out of wedlock), the sum of approximately $250 Million.
The imprecise language of Peter Bing’s irrevocable trust created by Peter prior to the birth of Damian and his half-sister, Kira Bond (another child of Steve Bing, PeterBing’s son), has resulted in a lengthy court battle over the sizeable trust fund. In 1980 (well before the birth of either Kira or Damian),the trust referred to “grandchild one, grandchild two, etc.” as thebeneficiariesof Peter’s trust–but there was no mention that a child must be born of a marriage. As a result, the Los Angeles SuperiorCourt ruled that the language of the trust was unambiguous and that Kira and Damian should be entitled to funds of the trust, even though they were both illegitimate. DNA tests confirmed that Steve was the father of both Damian and Kira.
Steve fought for Damian and Kira so that they would get a share of the trust. However, Peter (now 90) appealed the decision stating that it was not his intention that any person born out of wedlock be a beneficiary unless that person had lived a substantial period of time as a regular member of the householdwith Steve. Neither Damian nor Kira lived with Steve. Steve took his own life last summer. Peter’s attorneys argued that under California law, a child must live in the household of the biological parent (not the household of the other biological parent) for a substantial period of time to be considered a child. The court agreed, resulting in the entire trust estate going to the two children of Steve’s sister, Mary, who were born of her marriage.
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