A California magnificence queen who was accused of bigamy has been ordered to repay greater than $13million to her former husband’s household after shedding a protracted Supreme Courtroom battle in Italy.
Former Miss USA Johnine Leigh Avery, 75, was left half of the Colonna household’s $33.3million (£25million) inheritance after her aristocrat husband, Prince Ugo Colonna, died in 2004.
The couple married in Florida in 1991 with widower Prince Colonna coming from Italian the Aristocracy that dates again to the twelfth century and counts former Pope Martin V amongst its wealthy historical past.
However Colonna’s son, Prince Oddone Colonna, 60, claimed that Avery was nonetheless married to South African businessman Arthur van den Heever on the time when she wed his father in 1991.
After Ugo’s passing in 2004, half of the household property went to his son Prince Oddone – who had lengthy contested the validity of his father’s will due to his stepmother’s alleged bigamy.
Avery was twice cleared of fraud and bigamy after producing divorce paperwork that have been reportedly signed within the Dominican Republic in 1980.
However the paperwork have been discovered to have been solid after the case was heard on the Italian Supreme Courtroom final October.
Former Miss USA Johnine Leigh Avery, 75, was left half of the Colonna household’s $33.3million (£25million) inheritance after her aristocrat husband, Prince Ugo Colonna (left) died in 2004. The pair are pictured collectively in Rome in 1985, above
However Colonna’s son, Prince Oddone, 60, claimed that Avery was nonetheless married to South African businessman Arthur van den Heever on the time when she wed his father in 1991. Prince Oddone is pictured, left, with Princess Alessandra del Drago in 1985
Prince Oddone’s lawyer, Michele Gentiloni Silveri, has argued his shopper is now owed a stake of round $13.5million (£10million) in inheritance, together with a Roman palazzo with a view over the town’s historic discussion board.
Gentiloni Silveri described the Supreme Courtroom ruling as ‘uncommon’ when talking with The Instances.
‘It is an uncommon ruling as a result of it is among the first events that the Supreme Courtroom has overturned two reverse verdicts by the decrease courts,’ he defined.
Avery and Prince Oddone have been buying and selling blows throughout the case that had filtered via to Italy’s highest court docket and spanned greater than a decade.
The ex-California magnificence queen has lengthy accused her stepson of attempting to forcefully acquire his father’s fortune.
Former California magnificence queen Johnine Leigh Avery (pictured left) has lengthy accused her stepson of attempting to forcefully acquire his father’s fortune
She had claimed in court docket that Prince Oddone was suing his father earlier than his loss of life in 2004, and had ‘sought to delete his residency standing’.
However the Italian aristocrat shot again at his stepmother, arguing he felt compelled to take motion after watching Avery take over his father’s affairs, regardless of rumours persisting that she was nonetheless already wed on the time of her marriage to his father.
‘She married my father when he was fairly sick, and fairly quickly she had taken energy of lawyer and was making him promote property’, Prince Oddone claimed.
Prince Ugo Colonna had bequeathed the well-known Palazzo Colonna to Avery, however the historic property is now owned by one other member of the family who has remodeled it into an enormous non-public artwork assortment.
The palace, which is positioned in central Rome, has belonged to the household for over 20 generations and is alleged to have hosted the likes of Dante in addition to Cardinals Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna.
It was additionally the house of Cardinal Oddone Colonal earlier than he was declared Pope in 1417.
Avery (pictured) had claimed in court docket that her stepson Prince Oddone was suing his father earlier than his loss of life in 2004, and had ‘sought to delete his residency standing’
Prince Ugo Colonna had bequeathed Rome’s well-known Palazzo Colonna (pictured) to Avery, however the historic property is now owned by one other member of the family who remodeled it into an enormous non-public artwork assortment
Avery had beforehand beat off challenges from Prince Oddone within the decrease Italian courts that noticed her awarded the historic palace in 2018.
However the aristocrat had at all times challenged the validity of her declare to the household fortune after he was knowledgeable at a cocktail occasion that his stepmother was allegedly committing bigamy.
‘If she by no means divorced her earlier husband, then which means her marriage to Prince Colonna was not legitimate,’ Prince Oddone’s lawyer beforehand argued throughout the trial.
‘So she will’t inherit his wealth, and all of it goes to his son.’
The Colonna household, which was highly effective in medieval and Renaissance Rome, dates again to the thirteenth century.
It equipped one Pope in addition to a slew of cardinals and leaders in each church and politics.
Avery, who was born in San Diego, represented USA in Miss World in 1968 earlier than she launched an performing profession and starred alongside Bob Hope in quite a lot of comedies.