A Battle Brewing for Hopper's Estate

Hopper's "almost-ex" is heading toward a legal battle for his estate

A probate battle could be brewing over Dennis Hopper's estate.

The "Easy Rider" star died Saturday morning from prostate cancer complications at his home in Venice. He was 74.

He had five wives, four divorces and four children, and when he died he was in the process of divorcing his fifth wife, Victoria Duffy, whom he married in 1996. They had a daughter, Galen, born in 2003. He died before the divorce was finalized.

Hopper was granted a restraining order against Duffy in February after he cited her "outrageous conduct" towards him, calling her "insane, inhuman and volatile."

But Duffy refused to move out even though she was ordered to do so by the court. In April, a court ruled that Duffy could continue to live on Hopper's property and that he should pay her $12,000 per month in spousal and child support.

Duffy also successfully managed to legally thwart Hopper's efforts this month to remove her as beneficiary on his life insurance policy.

TMZ.com reported that under a prenuptial agreement, Duffy is to get 25 percent of Hopper's estate and $250,000 in life insurance, but only if they were married and living together.

Duffy had been living in a separate house, but on the same property as Hopper.

Sources told TMZ she will argue that being on the property was the same as living with the actor, meaning she should get the money.

Hopper's attorney, Joe Mannis, told the website, "She said she would challenge it, and I fully expect her to do so."

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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