The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon sadly lost his battle with colon cancer in March 2015 aged just 59.
Sam had been terminally ill for several years, initially diagnosed in 2012 and given just three months to live.
He managed to exceed doctors’ expectations and lived for three years instead, branding cancer “the most amazing experience of my life”.
READ MORE: Lizzo pulls pants down to expose her whole bum for racy on-stage twerking session
The nine-time Emmy winner, who created the iconic cartoon alongside Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, donated millions of his fortune to charity before his death, but sadly that didn’t stop numerous legal battles arising over his will.
Between his girlfriend suing his estate for a whopping $5million (£4.1million) to a rift arising between the estate and Sam’s new dog owner, it hasn’t exactly been easygoing after the star’s death.
Marking eight years since Sam’s death, Daily Star takes a peek at his will.
$100million to charity
(Image: Getty Images)
The year before his death, terminally ill Sam decided to give away his $100million (£83million) to animal charity PETA, along with other humanitarian causes.
Speaking of his health at the time, he told NBC: “They showed me my scans. They said these are the scans of a dead man. I said, ‘Is it curable?’ And they said, ‘We don’t use that word.’
“He said, ‘I can’t cure you, but my job is to keep you alive.’ And he’s done a remarkable job of it. I feel great, never been happier, so thank you doctor.”
Giving away his money while he was still alive meant Sam got to see animals who had “been in concrete bunkers their whole life […] take their first steps on grass”.
He added: “I feel it is my responsibility to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Dog owner’s bitter battle
A keen animal rights advocate, Sam Simon left his beloved dog Columbo to his dog trainer, Tyson Kilmer, upon his death.
However, far from being delighted at the gift, Kilmer claimed later in 2015 that Columbo was a financial burden – and allegedly demanded “ludicrous” sums to take care of the pet.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Kilmers claimed they received the Cano Corso pooch but no funds to cover his medical and therapeutic treatments.
Columbo had undergone acupuncture twice a week at a cost of around $3,640 (£3,077) when Simon was still alive.
The Sam Simon Trust said it had allocated “reasonable resources” to take care of Columbo – adding that “consistent demands for ludicrous sums” had been made by Kilmer, including one of around $1.7million (£1.4million).
A statement from the trust said: “The trustee charged with carrying out Sam’s wishes allocated reasonable resources for Columbo’s care within the limitations allowed by the trust and the law.
“However, these generous contributions were met with endless frivolous complaints by the trainer that these funds were insufficient.”
It added: “[His] demands were even more outrageous considering that a back-up person named by Sam to care for Columbo was willing and able to do so at no cost.”
However, Kilmer told Daily Mail at the time: “He told me on his deathbed: ‘Tyson, take my dog, I got you covered.’ That’s all I needed to hear.
“I love this dog. Sam would want me to fight against this. Columbo was Sam’s son. There is no way he would not continue to get Columbo his treatments.”
Girlfriend sues estate
(Image: WireImage)
Sam’s will hit yet another roadblock in 2016, when his girlfriend Kate Porter decided to sue the estate for $5million (£4.1million), tax free.
She claimed Simon had promised her the cash “so she would not have to struggle financially or worry about her future”.
The lawsuit claimed Kate cherished being by her beau’s side during his cancer battle, cutting back on her own working hours to be with him which meant she was eventually “discharged” from her job.
Her attorney Bryan J. Freedman wrote in a complaint in 2016: “Mr. Simon asked Plaintiff to be more available to him, and told her not to worry about replacing her regular employment, as he would financially take care of her.”
But despite those promises, Kate was not mentioned in Sam’s estate plan.
She sued for breach of oral contract, specific performance of contract to make will, negligent misrepresentation and equitable estoppel.
Ex-wife’s claim
(Image: FilmMagic)
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Along with Kate’s lawsuit, his ex-wife Jennifer Tilly – who was married to Sam between 1984 and 1991, remaining close with him until his death – asked that she continue receiving money from his projects, including The Simpsons.
Though he retired from the show in 1993, his severance package meant he earned around $10million (£8.3million) per year from the show.
In her own lawsuit, Jennifer claimed that their divorce guaranteed her an ongoing community property interest, which entitled her to half of her ex-hubby’s projects.
Though they divorced, the pair remained best friends until Sam’s death, and Jennifer went to every one of his chemotherapy sessions.
READ NEXT:
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
