Legal disputes over the estate with her ex-husband continue even after Hollywood actor Shannon Doherty's death. Although two years have passed since her death, the conflict over enforcement of the divorce agreement is ongoing.
According to U.S. entertainment outlets, Doherty's ex-husband and photographer Kurt Iswarienko (51) recently filed new court papers claiming that the divorce agreement Doherty signed while alive was "filed in the wrong court," challenging the court's jurisdiction itself. The claim was included in documents filed on Jan. 14, and Us Weekly reported it.
Iswarienko's side argues that "Doherty's marriage automatically ended when she died on July 13, 2024," and "therefore the court has no legal authority to enforce the divorce agreement after her death."
Doherty, who was beloved as the star of Beverly Hills, 90210, died on July 13, 2024, at age 53 after nearly a decade of battling cancer. Doherty signed the divorce agreement on July 12, a day before her death, and Iswarienko signed it on the day she died. The court approved it on July 15 of the same month.
However, Doherty's estate administrators strongly oppose Iswarienko, saying he has not carried out the terms of the agreement. In documents filed with the court, Chris Cortazzo, trustee of the Doherty Family Trust, alleged that Iswarienko did not list for sale within the deadline the jointly owned dwelling in Dripping Springs, Texas (worth about $1.5 million) and did not pay more than $50,000 to the estate.
He is also accused of refusing to return Doherty's personal belongings and of not submitting an inventory of photographic works produced during the marriage and their revenue. The divorce agreement included a provision to split license and syndication revenue from works created during the marriage equally.
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, was at one point declared cancer-free, later experienced a recurrence, and after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer she publicly shared her battle and became a voice for cancer patients. At the time of her death, she was reportedly surrounded by family and her dog.
Before marrying Iswarienko, Doherty had short marriages with Ashley Hamilton and Rick Solomon.
Attention inside and outside Hollywood is focused on what conclusion this legal battle over the deceased's reputation and estate will reach.
[Photo] Shannon Doherty SNS
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