Her attorneys have said she wants to make sure that Redstone receives the best care and is not being manipulated by those around him-including his daughter, Shari, who has been depicted as Herzer’s main rival in the case. The trial started off with an 18-minute video deposition from Redstone, where the former Viacom chairman repeatedly referred to Herzer as a “f***ing b***h and said he had thrown her out of his house for lying to and allegedly stealing from him”. Herzer, who had been dismissed as Redstone’s health care agent and physically removed from his Beverly Hills residence shortly prior to filing the suit, had been seeking to be reinstated as Redstone’s health care agent.
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Shari Redstone said a statement Monday that she was grateful the court ended case.
On Friday, Dr. Stephen Read, a psychiatrist who examined Redstone for Herzer’s legal team, testified that Redstone as “a very thin shadow” of his former self: suffering from dementia and delusions, completely unable to function on his own, and often angry or tearful at his physical and mental limitations.
Among other causes of action, it alleges that all defendants intentionally interfered with Herzer’s inheritance rights and violated her privacy and seeks exemplary and punitive damages.
“Ms. Herzer bet wrong when she assumed that Mr. Redstone’s difficulty communicating would result in her reinstatement in his life and fortune”, said Robert Klieger, an attorney at Hueston Hennigan who’s representing Redstone.
Herzer’s attorney Pierce O’Donnell didn’t put up much of a fight in the courtroom – but in a press conference outside he announced a massive counter-attack.
Redstone controls CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. Herzer and another former Redstone girlfriend, Sydney Holland, reportedly collectively received some $150 million in gifts from Redstone between 2010 and 2015, according to his lawyers. Herzer dated Redstone from 1999 to 2001, according to her petition. If he were to be declared incompetent by the judge, it could set in motion a chain of events that would shift control of that company to seven trustees, among them Shari Redstone and Viacom Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman. “The court has heard from the one key witness Herzer herself insisted from the outset of this case that the court hear from: Redstone”.
The court papers claim that at Shari Redstone’s instigation, nurses and other staff members eavesdropped and spied on her.
Shari Redstone countered that her father’s health has improved since Herzer has been out of his life.
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The judge said Redstone appeared to be in pain and struggled to speak clearly in his deposition, but ultimately he showed no confusion about what he was asked, and what he wanted.
