Redstone unleashes vile rant at ex-girlfriend
Sumner Redstone repeatedly called his ex-girlfriend a “f- -king bitch” in a legal deposition while accusing her of plundering $40 million, a Los Angeles court heard Friday.
The 92-year-old controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom — once a proud titan of the media industry and now the subject of dementia allegations — is trying to rid himself of an Argentine beauty who lived in his house and was his main caretaker.
Manuela Herzer, 51, wants to be reinstated as Redstone’s health-care agent — a position that would conceivably give her a huge amount of power over the future of his $43 billion media empire.
Judge David Cowan said he would weigh Herzer’s claims over the weekend and could rule as early as Monday against her.
Redstone, meanwhile, wants to claw back some $150 million in gifts given to Herzer and another former girlfriend, Sydney Holland, according to his lawyers. That suit is yet to be filed.
In a videotaped deposition played behind closed doors Friday, with a transcript made available to the media, Redstone struggles with his dentures while repeatedly trashing the woman he admits he once loved.
Asked by her lawyer, Pierce O’Donnell, “Who is Manuela Herzer?” Redstone responds, “She is — Manuela is a f- -king bitch.”
Questioned over why she was forced out of his Beverly Park mansion, he says, “I kicked her out,” adding, “Manuela is a f- -king bitch.”
Asked when a photo of him and Herzer was taken, Redstone says, “Who cares?”
O’Donnell asks, “Did Manuela steal money from you?”
He responds, “Yes.”
When O’Donnell asks why Redstone didn’t explain his reasoning, he says, “Because she’s a f- -king bitch.”
In the deposition, Redstone is asked by his own lawyer, Gabrielle Vidal, “Who do you want to make your health-care decisions?”
He responds, “Shar — Shari,” referring to his daughter, Shari.
Shari Redstone had reached a preliminary agreement to take over those duties just weeks ago, but a settlement with Herzer broke down.
After Herzer was booted from Redstone’s home in October 2015, Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman was appointed as Redstone’s main health-care agent, a move that raised eyebrows with the judge, who questioned how effective Dauman could be, given he lives in New York.
It also is an apparent conflict of interest since Dauman is CEO and could exert influence on Redstone, the majority shareholder.
The interview showed Redstone is able to articulate himself by pointing to letters of words he is trying to say. He was unable to respond to a question about his birth name.
The stunning deposition is the first glimpse anyone has had of Redstone since his last public earnings call in November 2014, when he appeared to be cut off briefly after only a few words.
The backdrop to the weeklong trial involves the future of Viacom, which houses MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount, and CBS Corp., home of the CBS network and Showtime.
Until February Redstone was the highly paid executive chairman of both Viacom and CBS.
Now he controls the two companies via the Boston-based National Amusements. He holds 80 percent of National Amusements, while his daughter owns the balance. In turn, National Amusements owns 80 percent of both CBS and Viacom.
If Redstone is deemed incapacitated, a seven-person trust may kick in and take over the assets. Shari is believed to have votes to decide how things play out across the two big corporations.
The court also heard from a psychiatrist hired by Herzer, Dr. Stephen Read, who described Redstone as suffering from “mild to severe dementia.”
Read told the court Redstone “has impaired short- and long-term memory that is between mild and severe, but towards severe.”
He is unable to identify different colors, the doctor said.
Lawyers for the mogul argued in early filings that Redstone retains capacity.
Read also testified that Redstone’s family plays him recorded sports events and makes sure the mogul’s bets always pay off even though he can’t identify the teams.
The doctor also told the courtroom that Redstone can’t complete the “most crucial and executive functions,” such as understanding problems and the ability to process information and change plans.
Oddly, Redstone’s granddaughter, Keryn, testified Friday in support of Herzer, who became Redstone’s main caretaker after prior girlfriend Holland was booted from Redstone’s Beverly Park mansion for having an affair.
Judge Cowan said it’s possible the trial may not continue Monday. He is set to consider both sides over the weekend.
After hearing from Redstone that he wants his daughter to take on his health-care duties, Cowan said, “How can I sit here after listening to that video and say you can’t have what you want?”