Audrey Hepburn’s Two Sons Agree to Split Her Memorabilia

Audrey Hepburn was known for her elegant style, and after her death in 1993, she left behind a treasure trove of memorabilia, which included costumes, jewelry, photos, scripts, and awards. This memorabilia, however, incited a legal battle over who would get what between her two sons. Hepburn had left her assets to her sons equally, but she presented no strict guidelines as to who received each particular item. After a two-year-long battle, it seems that the brothers might finally be coming to an agreement by attending mediation and signing a memorabilia agreement. 

While one legal battle ends, another is only beginning, as the eldest son was sued this past week over his interference with the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund. The charity was planning to exhibit some of Hepburn’s dresses and other memorabilia, which is the organization’s main source of funding, but there are now claims that Hepburn’s son is halting the exhibition and potentially tarnishing the charity’s reputation. 

See Amanda Ulrich, EXCLUSIVE: Audrey Hepburn’s Sons Agree to Split Their Late Mother’s Treasure Trove of Belongings, Including Costumes, Jewelry, Scripts and Awards, After Two-Year Legal Dispute, Daily Mail, March 9, 2017. 

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.