Colleen McCullough’s $2.1million estate will go to widower after court battle with her best friend

The entire estate of late Australian best-selling author Colleen McCullough has been awarded to her widower following a long and bitter court battle with her best friend.

The NSW Supreme Court ruled on Friday for Ric Robinson to receive all of the $2.1 million estate, more than three years after the death of his wife of more than 30 years.

The author’s estate was the centre of a lengthy legal dispute between her best friend Selwa Anthony and her husband, who was accused of pressuring his wife to leave him everything prior before her death.

 

The $2.1 million estate of author Colleen McCullough (pictured) has been at the centre of a bitter court dispute between her widower and best friend

The NSW Supreme Court ruled on Friday for the late author's husband  Ric Robinson (pictured) to receive the entire estate

The NSW Supreme Court ruled on Friday for the late author’s husband  Ric Robinson (pictured) to receive the entire estate

The court heard Dr McCullough had previously bequeathed her estate to the University of Oklahoma Foundation in what was known in the case as ‘the Oklahoma Will’.

Mr Robinson claimed a new will was written shortly before his wife’s death in January 2015.

Ms Anthony told the court, during the eight-day hearing held in May, that she was told by Dr McCullough six months before her death that she kicked her husband out of their home due to an alleged affair.

The couple later reconciled as Dr McCullough’s health deteriorated. 

‘I was sad because that wasn’t what she really wanted to do,’ Ms Anthony told the court. 

Dr McCullough's best friend Selwa Anthony (pictured) told the court in May that the author told her she'd kicked her husband out of her home less than a year before her death due to an affair

Dr McCullough’s best friend Selwa Anthony (pictured) told the court in May that the author told her she’d kicked her husband out of her home less than a year before her death due to an affair

In his ruling on Friday, Justice Nigel Rein said by signing and documenting the new will, McCullough intended to revoke the ‘Oklahoma Will’ and bequeath the entire estate to Mr Robinson, 9 News reported.

Justice Rein also found Mr Robinson did not coerce his wife into signing the new will.

Neither party was in court on Friday to hear the verdict.

Bestselling author Colleen McCullough (pictured) died on Norfolk Island in early 2015, aged 77

Bestselling author Colleen McCullough (pictured) died on Norfolk Island in early 2015, aged 77

Outside court, Ms Anthony’s legal team would not say whether she was disappointed.

‘We just have no idea yet, we haven’t had a chance to speak to her … we just have to read the judgement and consider it,’ barrister Kim Morrissey told the ABC.

One of Australia’s most renowned authors, Dr McCullough wrote 25 books between 1977 and 2013.

Her second novel The Thorn Birds went on to become an international bestseller with more than 33 million copies sold worldwide and inspired one of the most-watched television miniseries of all time in the 1980s.

Dr McCullough died on Norfolk Island in January 2015 aged 77.



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