In 2015, Tom Benson, previous owner of the Saints and the Pelicans, was found by a New Orleans judge to have the mental capacity to handle his personal affairs. Among his first official legal acts was to completely disinherit his daughter and grandchildren in his final will: “I specifically provide that Renee Benson, Rita LeBlanc, Ryan LeBlanc, and all of their descendants shall have no interest in my succession whatsoever, and no legacy or other inheritance or benefit of any kind shall be paid to any of them under this will or otherwise.” Benson’s desire to remove the trio from his will stemmed, at least in part, from a heated argument between his wife, Gayle Benson, and Rita LeBlanc during a 2014 Saints game. Though Benson cut the three out of his will, he said that they would “be very well taken care of after I die.”
See Ramon Antonio Vargas, Tom Benson’s Last Will Makes Clear Who Was in, out of His Inner Circle Late in His Life, The New Orleans Advocate, March 16, 2018.
Special thanks to Jim Hartnett for bringing this article to my attention.
