Tom Petty married Dana York Petty in 2001 after years of dating, and according to Rolling Stone, she became the directing trustee of his trust following his death. However, the late rocker’s two daughters, Adria Petty and Annakim Violette — whom he shared with his first wife, Jane Benyo — weren’t happy about this. According to the late singer’s daughters, the terms of the trust entitle them to “equal participation” in decisions regarding how their father’s catalog is exploited. Adria and Violette interpreted the term “equal participation” to mean they each, along with Dana, received one vote as it pertained to “significant decisions” regarding the rocker’s assets. Dana did not agree, and as People reported, the singer’s daughters filed a $5 million suit against their father’s widow for equal control of his estate in 2019.
“Tom Petty wanted his music and his legacy to be controlled equally by his daughters, Adria and Annakim, and his wife, Dana. Dana has refused Tom’s express wishes and insisted instead upon misappropriating Tom’s life’s work for her own selfish interests,” Alex Weingarten, an attorney for Petty’s daughters, said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
Dana’s attorney, Adam Streisand, fired back with a statement of their own to Variety, saying, “This misguided and meritless lawsuit sadly demonstrates exactly why Tom Petty designated his wife to be the sole trustee with authority to manage his estate. Dana will not allow destructive nonsense like this to distract her from protecting her husband’s legacy.”
Nicki
