Herb Kent, a much-loved radio personality in the US, died in October last year aged 88 following a historic career. However, since he passed away, his daughter has revealed she was left nothing in her father’s will and has decided to challenge for a share of the estate.
Robbin Kent, who is the only daughter of the legendary Chicago-based DJ, stated she could not say how much money her father accrued during his lifetime, although he had been on local airwaves for over seven decades.
A distinguished career
The Chicago Tribune reported that ‘The Cool Gent’, as he was known, helped launch the careers of numerous big-named bands and singers, including The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield and Smokey Robinson.
“While I’m incredibly sad, I hold so much joy remembering the fun times we’ve had with him and the smiles he brought to our faces. Herb will hold an eternal place in our hearts,” said Derrick Brown, director of urban programming at iHeartMedia Chicago.
However, Ms Kent alleged her father suffered dementia in his final years, making him susceptible to manipulation from his long-term girlfriend Linda Stanford.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Herb and his daughter were close and often appeared at events together, but the relationship between Ms Kent and Ms Stanford was more fraught.
“Herb loved his daughter very much and she was close to him, but there was a split between her and Linda. They had a real nasty relationship,” said Ken Bedford, an events producer and friend of Herb.
“From Robbin’s standpoint, she felt she was being left out. For [Stanford] to leave the daughter out now is unconscionable.”
Contesting Herb’s will
Ms Stanford, who is executor of the estate, did not return phone calls to the Chicago Sun-Times, but her lawyers met with legal counsel for Herb’s daughter in May as part of a mediation process.
This appears to have been unsuccessful, with Ms Kent seeking help from crowdsourcing website GoFundMe to help her fund a will contestation.
“She hasn’t given me anything. Not a shoe or boot or a dirty pair of underwear. My father was my world and [Stanford] knows it,” Ms Kent stated.
In NSW, people who are worried about the costs of contesting a will can enlist the services of no-win, no-fee lawyers, who cover the upfront expenses of a case and only receive payment if a settlement goes in the plaintiff’s favour.
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