Joseph Octaviano, a nurse in Mr. Redstone’s employ since early 2014, testified during the first day of a trial regarding the mental competency of Mr. Redstone, a case that could have serious implications for his controlling stakes in Viacom Inc.VIA 0.43 % and CBS Corp.CBS.A 1.18 % He said he formed a relationship with Shari Redstone, Mr. Redstone’s daughter, that year and routinely emailed her about what then-girlfriend Sydney Holland and Manuela Herzer, a former girlfriend and later companion and caretaker, did.
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HERZER is suing REDSTONE over her removal as the billionaire’s designated health care agent, contending that REDSTONE was not mentally competent at the time he made the decision.
Attorney Pierce O’Donnell, who represents Redstone’s ex-girlfriend Manuela Herzer, said Redstone is a feeble shell of the media titan he once was, and has been manipulated by his daughter.
Herzer filed the claims that launched today’s trial in November of a year ago, alleging that Redstone was not mentally competent when he removed her from his estate plan in October.
Although Redstone had to be asked some questions a few times, and had an interpreter to help understand his answers, the billionaire appeared to settle some of the central questions at issue in the trial. “How can I sit here and say after listening to that video, ‘No, you can’t have what you want.'” He’s asking both sides to file briefs by Saturday night so that he can rule Monday morning.
“Mr. Redstone’s testimony was strong”, Cowan says.
“Your burden now is a hard one”, Cowan told Herzer’s attorneys, according to Reuters.
Redstone has stepped down as executive chairman. In it, he said Herzer stole from him and called her a “fucking bitch”. So family members ensured Redstone won every bet by showing him prerecorded games, the doctor said. Octaviano conceded that Redstone would have been unhappy, and likely would have fired him, had he known he was making the secret reports. His daughter, Shari Redstone, with whom he is now reconciled after an estrangement, is one of the seven trustees. For example, he didn’t answer a question about his birth name, and had trouble saying some words.
But Redstone’s videotaped deposition told a different story. He agreed when asked by a lawyer for Ms. Herzer if he “hated” Ms. Herzer and said there was a celebration among house employees when she was evicted.
Robert Klieger, an attorney for Redstone, said in his opening remarks that his client doesn’t tolerate lies and needs to trust the people around him.
Redstone’s deposition was presented to a packed Los Angeles courtroom on Friday.
A summary of Mr Redstone’s taped deposition was released to the media after being played in a closed court on Friday, at the start of legal proceedings to decide whether he should continue to manage his own medical care.
The judge also is expected to hear testimony on Friday from Dr. Stephen Read, a geriatric psychiatrist who was hired by Herzer and examined Redstone in January. He plans to seek to recover the US$150 million from the two, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified.
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On cross examination, Read acknowledged that it would now be “very difficult” for Herzer to take part in Redstone’s health decisions, given his feelings about her.
