Zsa Zsa says daughter stole $2m
2005-06-29 20:08
Los Angeles - Colourful Hollywood personality Zsa Zsa Gabor has sued her daughter for allegedly stealing $2m and using it to buy a mansion, a court heard on Tuesday.
Gabor, 87, and her ninth husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, are suing Francesca Hilton, Gabor's daughter by hotel tycoon Conrad Hilton.
The former Miss Hungary, best known for her multiple marriages and for slapping a police officer who stopped her for a traffic violation, accused Hilton of conspiring with others to fraudulently take out a $3.75m loan on her home and of then taking $2m of it to buy herself a house.
Judge Jacqueline Connor, sitting in the Los Angeles area of Santa Monica, refused to freeze Hilton's new property, saying there was "no evidence" to suggest Hilton was planning to sell or encumber the property.
"Ultimately, what appears to be at issue is not the property, but the money used to purchase the property (the equity from plaintiffs' home in the ritzy Bel Air district)," Connor wrote.
"As long as the applicant can sue for money damages, an injunction should be denied, as there is an adequate legal remedy available."
Daughter denies charges
Hilton has denied her mother's allegations, contending Gabor asked her to refinance the Hungarian beauty's Bel Air home and claiming to have the documents to prove it.
In addition, Hilton's attorney, Ronald Richards, said $925 000 from the refinancing of Gabor's house was sent to New York to be invested for Gabor's benefit. He told the judge Hilton would return that money to Gabor.
According to Hilton's court papers, she has been living in the disputed house, which she claims Gabor gave to her "free and clear in 1998", since 1982.
"At this point in the case, there wasn't enough evidence to justify an asset-freeze pretrial," said Richards after the hearing.
Famous for nothing really
Gabor is one of the flamboyant trio of Gabor sisters who became famous for being famous.
Budapest-born Gabor was chosen as Miss Hungary in 1936 before coming to seek fame in Hollywood, accompanied by her actress sisters, Eva and Magda, who have both since died.
Married nine rich men
She had roles in scores of films and television series dating back to the original 1951 John Huston version of Moulin Rouge and a small part in Orson Welles's classic Touch of Evil in 1958.
But, she has become better known for her record nine marriages to rich men — including hotel baron Conrad Hilton and the late actor George Sanders — and her love of fur coats and jewels.
One of those marriages was voided after just a day after it emerged her divorce from her seventh husband had not been finalised.
- AFP