Robbie Robertson's children from his first marriage are suing his widow Janet Zuccarini for elder abuse amidst a dispute over his Beverley Hills house.
Alexandra, Delphine and Sebastian Robertson claim that Zuccarini took advantage of the late musician's altered state of mind — he was on opioids and THC following a 2022 surgery — in order to coerce him into marrying her and signing documents that gave her full ownership of the house in the event of his death. The amendment reversed the original will that left half of the house to Zuccarini and half to his kids, for the parties to jointly sell to an independent buyer or to each other.
"Robertson's mental state was severely impaired," the lawsuit reads. "These drugs he was taking, in the period of time when Zuccarini was arranging the secret wedding and having him sign oppressive documents, are known to have significant effects on cognition, including confusion, hallucinations, torpor, depression, memory loss, and dissociation."
Zuccarini, who herself is a prominent public figure through her time starring on Top Chef Canada and her ownership of Toronto restaurants like PAI, Gusto 501 and Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen, denied the claims through her lawyers.
"This lawsuit is a meritless fiction and the truth will prevail," her attorney claimed in a statement to the L.A. Times. "This is a gross and exploitative attempt by Robbie Robertson's children to eviscerate their father's expressed wishes for his beloved wife Janet."
Robertson died after battling a long illness in August 2023, five months after eloping with Zuccarini.