Well, it appears to be over, the “it” being the fight over guardianship of multimillionaire socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor.
Anthony Marshall, who had been acting as his mother’s guardian, has been “permanently removed” as the guardian of her multimillion-dollar estate. Marshall’s replacement will be Annette de la Renta and JPMorgan Chase Bank, acting together as guardians of her person and property.
The announcement came as a shock to many, who had expected a lengthy court battle for the guardianship. This summer, Astor’s grandson, Philip Marshall, 54, accused his father of neglect and mishandling Astor’s finances and filed papers to have him removed as guardian.
Anthony Marshall vehemently denied the charges and claimed that he would fight to prove his innocence. In the end, he didn’t have to fight long. State Supreme Court Justice John Stackhouse ruled today that he found “by clear and convincing evidence that Brooke Astor is in need of guardians for her property and her persons.”
