Redstone’s Granddaughter Files Suit

Sumner Redstone’s granddaughter has joined the ongoing legal battle over his competency and business interests. She has filed a lawsuit to have herself reinstated to the family trust.

The ongoing Massachusetts probate court battle over the competency of Sumner Redstone has major implications for his businesses and their many shareholders. Whether Redstone was competent when Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman was ousted from his position on the trust that controls Redstone’s business interests has the potential to affect the long term viability of the business.

Underlying all of this, however, the heart the case is the common issue of undue influence and whether Redstone’s daughter is manipulating him. His granddaughter believes that is what happened and she has joined the case asking that she be reinstated to the family trust.

The Daily Mail reports on this development in “Sumner Redstone's granddaughter sues for $6million and seat on family trust after saying her aunt Shari was abusive and even threatened to kill her.”

The granddaughter has previously accused her aunt of threatening to kill her and declaring that Redstone should not be taken to a hospital if he gets ill. She claims that Redstone did not trust his daughter’s business judgment and wanted her to have nothing to do with running his businesses.

Redstone and his daughter were estranged for several years and the current legal battles began when the daughter reentered the mogul’s life and he began changing his estate plan to favor her.

While that does not mean there was undue influence and that Redstone is not competent, it does lead to the possibility of it.

Reference: Daily Mail (Aug. 3, 2016) “Sumner Redstone's granddaughter sues for $6million and seat on family trust after saying her aunt Shari was abusive and even threatened to kill her.”

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