Apr 5, 2013

Kardashians Suing Stepmom For Selling Late Dad’s Diaries and Photos to Tabloids


The Kardashians are heading to court against their late father’s wife, Ellen Pearson, for giving his diaries and personal photos to the tabloids.
As Gossip Cop has previously reported, Kim,Kourtney, and Khloe have repeatedly blasted Pearson — who married Robert Kardashian just two months before his death  in 2003 — for providing In Touch and Life & Style with source material for a series of sensationalized cover stories.
Now the sisters have declared a legal war on Pearson, filing a lawsuit that argues she carried out a “despicable and unlawful scheme to hold in secret and convert, and now exploit … private personal and copyright protected” material.
According to the Kardashians, their father’s will gave them the rights to the “bulk of his personal tangible and intangible property,” including “personal effects,” “books,” “works on paper,” “rights in literary… properties, rights in works of art … copyrights, publishing rights, and rights to a deceased personality’s name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness.”
Thus, the women believe the diaries and photo albums are “uncontestably” their property.
But that’s not all.
The reality stars are further alleging that Pearson willfully hid the possessions, and failed to declare them when she filed for bankruptcy in 2010, despite knowing they held monetary value as a result of the family’s ever-growing fame.
Instead, they’re arguing, Pearson hold onto the diaries and photos “with the express intent to one-day capitalize and exploit the valuable property and celebrity of the famous Robert Kardashian.”
In the lawsuit, the Kardashians assert their stepmom “sought to peddle and exploit, and disclosed to tabloid and other media, the private and valuable personal papers of Robert Kardashian,” beginning in January, and received payment for the material, in addition to an interview.
They’re suing for “conversion and copyright infringement and demanding a full and complete accounting and imposition of a constructive trust,” according to the official documents, which add that the sisters are seeking “at least $500,000 in damages, plus more in profits, statutory damages, punitive and exemplary damages.”
Marty Singer, an attorney for the family, tells Gossip Cop: “The Kardashians and Kris Jenner have filed a suit against Ellen Pearson for taking personal property belonging to them by virtue of Robert Kardashian’s will and by virtue of copyright protection. The filing should serve as notice that they will vigorously defend their rights when forced to do so.”

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