Tom Petty’s widow and two daughters are embroiled in a messy legal battle over the control of his estate
- Tom Petty’s family is embroiled in a legal battle over the late singer’s music
- Petty’s widow, Dana York Petty, accused his two daughters Adria Petty and Annakim Violette, from a prior marriage, of trying to ‘push her out’ of the estate
- According to Dana, the daughters are getting in the way of her including unreleased solo material on a 25th-anniversary reissue of his album ‘Wildflowers
- Dana said the daughters ‘have conspired to push her out’ of the estate, the report said, thus inhibiting a lucrative reissue which could be worth millions in royalties
The family of Tom Petty is embroiled in a legal battle over the late singer’s music.
In a new legal filing, Petty’s widow, Dana York Petty, accused his two daughters from a previous marriage, Adria Petty and Annakim Violette, of trying to hinder her role as trustee, making it impossible to manage the lucrative estate, according to TMZ.
Adria, who was named directing trustee, has filed her own court petition, accusing Dana of trying to push her and her sister out of the decision-making process that was established in their father’s will.
While Dana claimed the daughters ‘have conspired to push her out’ of the estate, the report said.
Family feud! Tom Petty’s widow Dana York (R) and two daughters from a previous marriage are in a legal dispute over the control of the late rocker’s estate (pictured in 2014)
In a lawsuit, she claimed included emails that were allegedly sent by Adria to members of Petty’s band, the Heartbreakers, Benmont Tench, and Mike Campbell.
According to Dana, the daughters are getting in the way of her including unreleased solo material on a 25th-anniversary reissue of his album ‘Wildflowers,’ which she says could be worth millions in royalties.
Dana pointed to an email directed at guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench where Adria ranted: ‘What I don’t have the temperament for is having my entire life raped. Being disparaged. My dad being disgraced. And being surrounded by selfish, unreliable people and drug addicts.’
Dana also says Adria got irate over an image that was to be used on a sign for a park dedicated to the Free Falling singer in his native Gainesville, Florida, even though she initially approved the picture’s usage.
Legal battle: Dana (L) accused Adria Petty and Annakim Violette of trying to hinder her role as trustee, making it impossible to manage the lucrative estate (pictured in 2005)
She said, she said: Both sides claim the other is trying to block them from their legal right to be apart of the decision-making for the estate (pictured in 2002)
In the end, Dana is asking a judge to appoint a day-to-day manager for the estate, and to force Adria, in particular, to act rationally.
According to Adria’s filing, her father’s will gives her and her sister equal input on decisions regarding the estate, and that Dana has tried to block them from being involved.
In fact, the sisters maintain Dana has refused to transfer her father’s artistic property assets out of his trust and into a separate company that would be jointly administered by all three women, as required by the will, allowing her to keep sole control of the assets.
RIP: The music legend is pictured here in August 2017, six weeks before his death
Adria is asking a judge to force Dana to comply with her father’s will.
Tom Petty died in 2017 of an accidental dug overdose at the age of 66.
During his career, he sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him among the best-selling music artists of all time.