Robbie Robertson's children have accused his widow, Janet Zuccarini, of fraud and financial elder abuse during the final years of the musician's life.
In a new lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone and filed earlier this week in Los Angeles Superior Court, Alexandra, Delphine, and Sebastian Robertson claim Zuccarini “take advantage of her relationship with a vulnerable and ill Robertson to enrich herself to the detriment of Robertson's children — the sole intended beneficiaries of his estate. ”
The lawsuit largely centers around the purchase of a Beverly Hills home that once belonged to David Geffen. Robertson and Zuccarini, a restauranteur from Toronto, began dating in 2018, and in 2021, she supposedly “convinced” him to sell his house so they could buy the “trophy home” together. The couple allegedly agreed that they would own the house equally, but the lawsuit claims Robertson covered the downpayment in full.
Two years later, Zuccarini allegedly convinced Robertson to elope, arranging a private wedding that was “kept secret” from the musician's family in March 2023 (Robertson died a few months later, in August, at the age of 80). Prior to the wedding, Zuccarini allegedly had Robertson sign a prenup prepared by her attorneys, as well as an amended Tenant In Common agreement that stated, if one of them died, the estate of the deceased would continue to pay one half of the mortgage.
The lawsuit alleges that Zuccarini went through with all of this while Robertson was battling cancer, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, and taking a variety of medications, including opioids, THC, and antipsychotics. Robertson's children claim their father's “mental state was severely impaired,” alleging that Zuccarini knew Robertson “could not read the documents for himself” and that “in his weakened state, he would not understand the subtleties” of what he was signing.
Robertson's children further claim that Zuccarini pursued the prenup and marriage in secret so that neither they nor his ex-wife, Dominique Bourgeois (with whom Robertson remained close), would “be able to review the documents in advance or discuss its content with him. ” They claim they only learned about the marriage — allegedly only attended by Zuccarini's sister and brother-in-law — a few hours after it happened, showing up to the house for what they thought was an anniversary party, before learning it was a wedding party .
After the party, Robertson's children claim their father “assured” them that “nothing in his estate plan had changed” and they would “receive all of his property upon death.” As such, they were told they would have the option to either buy the Beverly Hills house from Zuccarini, sell his interest to her, or sell it with her and split the proceeds.
But after Robertson's death, the suit alleges, Zuccarini “lawyered up” and demanded, under the amended TIC agreement, that Robertson's estate and trust cover her living expenses at the Beverly Hills home, “everything from the mortgage payments to the pool maintenance and cable bill.” The lawsuit alleges: “Given her actuarial life expectancy, measured in decades, Robertson's modest estate and trust would be drained dry unless Zuccarini decided to give up this sinecure and find a new place to live that she could pay for on her own. ”
When Robertson's children pushed back, Zuccarini's lawyers allegedly “pulled their gotcha,” claiming that the documents had been written in “such a way that, if Zuccarini didn't get her windfall from the estate, she would claim to revert to the earlier agreement ” which would still require an “even-steven” payment. Furthermore, Zuccarini's lawyers allegedly said this would make her an “omitted spouse entitled to a one-third share of Robertson's entire estate.”
Robertson's children allege that Zuccarini “knew that she had deceived Robertson.” The lawsuit claims that, less than three weeks after the musician's death, Zuccarini texted Alexandra Robertson, “I think Robbie didn't fully understand the details of what it means to pay his 50% off and keep the house in the estate.” During an in-person conversation with Alexandra and Delphine, Zuccarini allegedly said, “Had Robbie understood that keeping the house in the estate would mean paying half the living expenses for life, he would never have agreed to it.”
A lawyer for Zuccarini, Gabrielle A. Vidal, called the lawsuit “a meritless fiction” and said, “The truth will prevail.” She added: “This is a gross and exploitative attempt by Robbie Robertson's children to eviscerate their father's expressed wishes for his beloved wife Janet.”
Robertson's children are asking the court to cancel the amended TIC agreement while they're also seeking unspecified damages related to their claims of financial elder abuse and interference with inheritance.
