Estate battles of the stars
Exposition: This Texas-born beauty rocketed to fame after appearing for one season on the hit TV show, “Charlie's Angels.” Fawcett's angelic face seemed to be everywhere in the mid-to-late Seventies: on TV screens, magazine covers, and bedroom walls (her poster was an instant hit). Fawcett went on to do movies and theater, but never attained the same celebrity. She finally succumbed to cancer in June 2009, leaving an estate estimated at $50 million.
Flap: Farrah's estate was plunged into controversy just months after the actress died. Amazingly, the imbroglio all stemmed from a documentary ('Farrah's Story') about Fawcett's fight with cancer — a film that Fawcett made to offer a true glimpse of what cancer victims deal with. The initial producer on that film, Craig Nevius, immediately sued NBC, claiming the finished film didn't adhere to Fawcett's wishes. In January, the late actress' estate countersued, claiming Nevius had botched the film and had embezzled money from Fawcett's company. In a court filing in March, the producer fired back, claiming Fawcett's estate was mismanaging the late actress' money and had withheld funds from beneficiaries.
Outcome: TBD. But the estate battle over 'Farrah's Story' threatens to overshadow Farrah's story – a tale of remarkable courage. [The Associated Press contributed to this item]