The Newman’s Own Foundation, a charitable organisation started by Paul Newman’s late father, is being sued by two of his daughters.
Susan and Nell Newman, Newman’s daughters, claim in the lawsuit that individuals in control of the foundation have disregarded charitable activities and are not contributing enough to organisations.
In addition to acting in films like “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Hustler,” Academy Award-winning actor Newman also launched a food product company that put his name and likeness on things like salad dressing.
He founded the Newman’s Own Foundation, which raises money for charity by selling goods under his “Newman’s Own” brand, before passing away in 2008 from lung cancer and leukaemia.
But not unconditionally, Newman gave the organisation the right to use his name, likeness, and image. One requirement was that each of his “Daughters’ Foundations” get $400,000 annually from the foundation. His daughters claim that each year, a certain percentage of the donations were to be allocated to them.
The lawsuit claims that “shortly after his passing, individuals Mr. Newman had entrusted with the care of his legacy turned on him, made veiled threats of disinheritance to his daughters, and used their influence over his estate to set the stage for disenfranchisement of his family.”
The daughters claim that Robert Forrester, Newman’s adviser, and company manager Brian Murphy frequently “ignored, contradicted, and/or disregarded Mr. Newman’s expressed intents and objectives for his legacy.” They claim that Murphy and Forrester planned to defy Newman’s wishes before he passed away.
When his memory was fading as a result of his sickness and treatment, they assert that Newman signed a “Written Consent of Sole Member” just months before he passed away, appointing Forrester and Murphy as the foundation’s second and third board members.
According to the lawsuit, “this catastrophic decision granted the members—solely Forrester and Murphy in light of Mr. Newman’s impending death—the power to nominate the NOF Board of Directors, which, in turn, would have entire authority over NOF’s business, including its charity disbursements.”
According to the lawsuit, despite Newman frequently stating that at least one or more of his daughters should always serve on the foundation’s board, just one daughter did so for a brief period of time, with only restricted access and duties.
Murphy and Forrester acknowledged that Newman did not recall the events of that day, but the daughters claim that Newman’s will was altered around six months before to his passing.
The action claims that Mr. Newman’s wife and daughters were all taken aback when his will was read to them because it differed significantly from the explanations Mr. Newman and his counsellors had provided to them and others numerous times over the years.
The girls claim in the lawsuit that the foundation would cut the amount of money they can donate in half starting in 2020.
The action claims that this is a step toward Newman’s Own Foundation completely undermining one of Mr. Newman’s intentions for his philanthropic legacy by excluding his family from the donation process.
They are now asking for a declarative judgement ordering the foundation to adhere by Paul Newman’s desires as well as $1.6 million in damages, which will be donated to charity.
A spokeswoman for the charity referred to the complaint as “meritless” in a statement to CBS News.
The private foundation, established by Newman in 2005, “is governed by a board of directors that must adhere to regulations applicable to 501(c)(3) organisations,” the spokesperson said.
“The Board’s philanthropic giving decisions vary each year and the importance of our mission requires us to make the best use of our finite resources,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson stated that “best practises around philanthropic organisations do not permit the establishment of perpetual funding allotments for anyone, including Nell and Susan Newman.”
“The only thing a meritless lawsuit would accomplish is to take money away from those who gain from Paul Newman’s generosity.
While we anticipate continuing to seek recommendations from the Newman family for deserving organisations, our funding choices are made annually and will always be in accordance with Paul Newman’s clear objectives and the best practises governing private foundations.”
In a statement to CBS News, the attorneys for the Newman sisters said that “no one should have to feel that the legacy of a deceased loved one is being dishonoured.”
The purpose of this lawsuit, according to Lee, is not to personally compensate Mr. Newman’s daughters but rather to ensure that NOF pays more attention to the charities in the future in accordance with Mr. Newman’s wishes and holds them accountable for recent shortfalls.