Inheritance Battle Over Bert Stern Estate

Latecelebrity photographer Bert Stern is famous for snapping provocative photos ofMarilyn Monroe shortly before her death as well as shots of Elizabeth Taylor,Audrey Hepburn, and Truman Capote.  Histhree adult children and much-younger wife are now in Manhattan Surrogate’sCourt fighting over his $10 million fortune.

Thedispute centers around two wills: one signed in 1997 which divides his estatebetween his children and a foundation and the other signed in 2010 which poursall his assets into a private trust controlled by wife, Shannah Laumeister.  Stern’schildren are demanding to examine the attorney who wrote the 2010 will and itswitnesses. 

Stern died a few months ago at age 83.  Laumeister, 44, secretlymarried Stern in 2009.  

See Julia Marsh, Marilyn Photog’s Inheritance Fight, NewYork Post, Sept. 23, 2013.