Iconic singer Tony Bennett’s son Danny Bennett recently filed legal documents in opposition to the suit brought against him by his two sisters Antonia and Johanna Bennett.

In his opposition documents, filed in New York Supreme Court, Bennett requested to have the case moved to a different court or dismissed. He denies any wrongdoing related to the Bennett family trust, of which he is the sole trustee.

Following his opposition filing, the Bennett sisters filed a response asking the court to deny his requests. In court documents, the plaintiffs said they had “serious concerns” about their brother’s alleged “mismanagement” of his “fiduciary duties.”

Antonia and Johanna Bennett filed a complaint against their brother over their iconic father’s family trust last year. Tony Bennett died in July 2023 and left his family a trust designed to guard his legacy and assets. The family trust was created in December 1994 and was funded before his death, naming beneficiaries including his children Danny, Johanna, Antonia and Daegal, and his wife Susan Crow.

A condition of Bennett's will stated that the singer's "tangible personal property" would be divided equally among Bennett's children after the costs of the family trust’s expenses were paid. The Bennett sisters claim their brother Danny did not follow the wishes of their late father.

“[Tony] expressed a clear intention and direction in his estate plans that all four of his children be treated equally,” the Bennett sisters’ lawsuit says.

In court documents, the sisters allege that their brother Danny Bennett had a "history of making distributions to himself, engag(ing) in transactions in which he was on all sides of the deal," and claimed he lacked "meaningful oversight of his conduct." The plaintiffs allege Danny Bennett paid himself 2.6 million dollars in commissions.

They also allege that Danny Bennett ran numerous businesses revolving around his father’s illustrious career, and allegedly financially profited “substantially," while not compensating his sisters acceptably. The sisters also claim that their brother Danny and his attorneys have persistently failed and refused to provide information sufficient for (them) to fully identify and understand the property and assets in which they have rights and interests as beneficiaries."

In legal documents, the plaintiffs say they "have well-founded concerns about Tony's finances and assets prior to and following his death and concerning transactions involving family trust assets and Benedetto Arts, LLC, prior to Tony’s death and thereafter.”

Due to the alleged mismanagement of the trust, the sisters "seek to ensure that all property and assets of Tony's estate, the family trust and Benedetto Arts, LLC, in which the family trust holds an interest, are inventoried, accounted for, and distributed pursuant to the express terms of the family trust."

When Tony Bennett was alive, Daniel Bennett served as his manager, and the lawsuit alleges he "obtained personal benefits for himself and his company as the result of transactions carried out on behalf of Tony, Benedetto Arts, LLC, and the family trust." Some of the accusations in the suit claim that Danny Bennett supposedly managed the sale and consignment of "certain items of Tony's memorabilia, personal property and an interest in Tony's name and likeness,” from which he allegedly received a "substantial commission.”

The Bennett sisters say in legal documents that they were not allowed to visit their father’s personal property for years, such as his apartment. In 2024, when they were allowed access, the sisters said they noticed numerous items missing or not available due to a sale to Iconoclast, a company that specializes in the management and marketing of artists’ legacy works, of which the sisters said they only received “a single modest distribution.” 

Beyond the financial profits the Bennett sisters claim they never received; they said in court documents that many of their father’s possessions were of great sentimental value. Furthermore, as the Bennett sisters allege in court documents, they were “kept in the dark” about such events as property sales.

The lawsuit claims that defendant Danny Bennett never talked with the sisters about which items should remain within the family. “Tony did not express in his will or the family trust that his tangible personal property be sold,” the lawsuit states.

Dae Bennett and Tony Bennett’s widow Susan Benedetto (née Crow) are also named as defendants in the suit. The plaintiffs accuse them of “avoid[ing] accountability for Danny’s actions.”

Danny Bennett denies all allegations of fiscal malpractice and all accusations in the lawsuit.