The estate of late actress Shannen Doherty has initiated legal proceedings against her former husband Kurt Iswarienko, alleging he failed to honour multiple financial and property agreements made during the finalisation of their divorce.
Legal Battle Over Unfulfilled Divorce Terms
According to legal documents obtained by The Daily Mail, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star's estate has accused Iswarienko of several breaches of their divorce judgement. The actress passed away on July 13, 2024, at age 53 following a prolonged battle with breast cancer that had metastasised to her brain and bones.
Remarkably, Doherty's divorce was finalised almost simultaneously with her death. She signed the judgement just one day before her passing, with a judge granting official approval the following day.
Specific Allegations and Financial Disputes
The estate's primary complaints centre around three key areas where Iswarienko allegedly failed to meet his obligations. Most significantly, he stands accused of refusing to list their $1.5 million Dripping Springs, Texas home for sale by the agreed-upon date of April 1, 2025.
The divorce judgement explicitly stated that Iswarienko must place the property on the market and equally divide the net proceeds with Doherty's estate upon its sale. However, legal filings claim that as of November 24, 2024, he had refused to list the residence.
Additionally, the estate alleges Iswarienko withheld $50,274 that was due following the sale of an airplane hangar in August 2024. The payment should have been made within five business days of the hangar's sale, or by August 21, 2024, making the amount 15 months delinquent according to the filing.
Property and Personal Belongings Disputes
Further complications arise from agreements regarding creative works and personal property. The former couple had agreed that Iswarienko would produce a comprehensive list of works he created during their marriage, along with copies of any published materials.
This inventory was due by September 1, 2024, but the estate claims he has failed to comply, now making this obligation 14 months overdue. Under their agreement, Doherty was entitled to receive half of all licensing and syndication fees Iswarienko received from works created during their marriage, with certain exceptions.
The estate also alleges that Iswarienko has not returned Doherty's personal property and has failed to remove all photographs of the actress from his website, as stipulated in their divorce agreement.
Another provision required Iswarienko to purchase Doherty's interest in her Mooney-20 Airplane for $100,000 following the sale of the airplane hangar, though the current status of this arrangement remains unclear amid the broader allegations of non-compliance.
The legal action was filed by Chris Cortazzo, trustee of the Shannen Doherty Family Trust, who sought to become the Successor in Interest to Decedent to enforce the judgement between Doherty and Iswarienko.
Doherty's cancer journey began in 2015 when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. After achieving remission in 2017, the disease returned as stage four cancer four years prior to her death. Her publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed the actress was surrounded by loved ones and her dog Bowie when she passed away.
