It’s not every day that a child sues his father. Especially when the child is 60. And a famous actor. Suing over a 24-year-old loan. But that’s exactly what Richard Dreyfuss is doing. In 2984 Dreyfuss loaned his father and uncle $870,000. A hefty sum today, and certainly a heftier one back then. Apparently the elder Dreyfusses assumed Richard would forget about it or something, because they never felt the need to pay any of it back. And after 24 years, Richard Dreyfuss is damn pissed.
Richard Dreyfuss is suing his father and uncle over an $870,000 loan he claims was never repaid. The lawsuit centers around a loan Dreyfuss claims he made to his relatives in 1984, who owned an interest in a downtown Los Angeles office building.
Roughly 24 years later, Dreyfuss says that loan – and interest – remains unpaid. In his lawsuit filed Friday, Dreyfuss says his uncle, Gilbert Dreyfuss, has repeatedly refused to turn over records that would show its financial status.
Phone and e-mail messages left for Gilbert Dreyfuss were not immediately returned. A woman who answered the phone at an address registered to Dreyfuss’ father, Norman, said he could not be reached there.
Dreyfuss alleges his uncle and father, Norman Dreyfuss, have acted with “fraud” and “malice.” He is seeking a repayment of the loan, plus interest and punitive damages.
[From the Huffington Post]
I couldn’t find any birth date for Dreyfuss’ father Norman, but considering Richard is 60, it’s safe to assume his father is probably somewhere in his eighties. I’m guessing this would be quite the financial burden to him, but who knows. I’d think that if his own son is suing him, he must actually think there’s some money that he can collect. I wouldn’t imagine Richard would go this far to be punitive, but who knows.
I wonder how long this has been an issue of contention for the family. I doubt they were fine for twenty three years and then all of a sudden Dreyfuss couldn’t take it anymore. Something tells me this won’t exactly heal any wounds.
Here’s Richard Dreyfuss at the Big Apple Comic Book, Toy and Sci-Fi Expo in New York on June 8th. Images thanks to WENN. Header image from the “Night of 100 Stars” Oscar Gala in Beverly Hills in February 2007. Images thanks to PR Photos.
Hey JayBird! Check the year of the loan again–2984? 😉
Sounds like this has been ongoing for awhile, if the father and uncle have “repeatedly” refused to make available their financial documents. I think Richard is doing this as a lesson, though; just because he may have money doesn’t mean he is an ATM machine! Being used by one’s own family doesn’t feel very good regardless of the amount one is taken for. The fact that he waited so long tells me he wrestled with this for quite awhile before filing the suit. I’m sorry he felt he had to do this, and something tells me this incident wasn’t the first time.
If they ever re-do Dick Tracy, He has my vote to play pruneface.
This suing family members thing never looks good. Why can’t he just hire a couple of heavies and do it the traditional way – confiscate all their stuff until they cough up.
And it’s so much more dignified, Richard.
2984 indeed. 🙂 My god, how the millenium passed…
He looks like Paul Newman in the bottom photo.
Paul Newman? I thought he looks like John McCain’s identical twin in the top photo!
I’m sure Richard does not need the money at all. However, it’s the principle of the thing and can’t say I blame him when the deal was that the loan would be repaid and wasn’t. I’m sure Richard would have accepted a gradual repayment plan but to blatantly disregard and forget about it and not make any repayment effort – it shows disrespect by your own family….and we all want to be respected.
It’s business. If it had been not family who bilked him, it would be a non issue.
Hey, that’s a shitload of money! It doesn’t matter how rich you are, someone should pay back their loans to you. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that families are made and not born. Maybe his dad and uncle are real con artists.
This is why I will never loan money to family, even if I was stinking rich. I’d rather give it away then have there be any animosity between me and my family members over unpaid loans. That said, 870,000 is a hell of a lot of money and it is blatantly dishonest and disrespectful to borrow money then make no effort to pay it back. As someone upthread suggested it may not be even about the money at this point but the principle of the thing.
Wow, 2984. Have you been spending time in the Way Back Machine. Or the Way Forward Machine? Or whatever?
So right, I Choose, on giving as opposed to lending. It’s just not worth the hassle and the bad feeling.
Maybe Richard actually needs the money. He hasn’t been working like he used to and that is almost a million dollars. Take it from someone who learned the hard way. Just because it’s “family” doesn’t mean it’s not dysfunctional. Sometimes there are reasons why people cannot “heal.” Sometimes you just have to cut with them to save your own life. I get so upset when I see people making judgments without all the facts. Life ain’t black and white and never will be.
Family members exploiting a successful actor, have been around and they should be treated with disrespect.
I assume there are more things that we are not told about the nature of the relationship.
Just because they are “family” doesn’t give them the right to exploit and rip off a person who is more vulnerable due to his fame and the media attention.
I’m kind of torn on this–on the one hand, suing your 80-something year old father, no matter how much money it is, seems awful to me. I mean, it’s been 24 years–is the money so important that you couldn’t let it go?
On the other hand, I know nothing about Dreyfuss’s relationship with his father and uncle. Maybe they really have taken advantage of RD and, based on the kind of people they are, deserve to be sued.
I agree with I Choose Me and Geronimo about lending money to family, although sometimes even just giving it doesn’t help if the family member does not appreciate it or treats you like their personal ATM. I’ve had that experience before, too, and it’s really upsetting.
What a jerk-off! It’s his FAMILY, and sure it was a hefty sum, but if he was concerned about them paying it back then he should have NEVER lent them that much. I’m sure Dreyfuss could make that much in one film, so he needs to go back to work if he wants to see it. Just get on some sitcom or a grouchy old man movie or something. Asking your dad and uncle to pay back such an enormous sum is LAME!
Dreyfuss has no penis.
No matter, if it has been this long, I would never sue my 80 year old something father over a loan made that long ago, no matter how bad I needed the money. If he did not have it, then that’s the way the loan crumbles… I’m shocked he would go to such lengths, but maybe he IS broke. What hard feelings this is going to cause with a father in his last stages of life. I hope it is all worth it, because by the time it is all over with and heard in courts, I doubt old Daddy-o will still be alive. Can Richard live with that?? I hope so.
It sounds more like they had a serries of loans from him and just kept getting one loan after another. Why should they not be repaying a million dollars? He probably wouldn’t have sued if they had given him an accounting abut the money. If my parents pulled this on me I could live with suing them.
It is not right for anyone especially your own father to rip you off.
I agree that suing an elderly parent seems pretty lame, but we really don’t know the history of their relationship. As someone already mentioned, maybe his dad and uncle are long time con artists and Richard has finally had enough. I have a few lying and cheating members of my own family whom I’d love to sue if I had the financial means to do so.
To me, family comes before money or possessions…no amount of money is worth fighting with my family over. Suing an elderly parent…unthinkable. They gave you life and everything else as a kid…forgiving a loan when you’re a multi millionaire is the least you can do.
Velvet Elvis: Don’t judge. Some people have horrible, nasty parents. I have had to consider getting a restraining order against my mother because of her violent temper and threats. Its not an easy thing to do, but that’s life. I have to protect myself and my family, that’s the bottom line.
Are we talkin’ 2984 BC?
Annnnywhooo. My family is going through some financial stuff right now too. My gramps is losing his ranch. My aunt lives there too. She’s ten years younger than my dad and the “baby.” Well, she’s over 40 and has never lived anywhere that my Grandpa hasn’t payed for. Gramps is getting foreclosed on and my aunt is hurtling accusations about my parents letting Gma and Gpa go homeless, etc. THe thing is, everytime my parents have bailed Grampa out before, he either a.) gets back into financial trouble again becaause he has to pay for something for my aunt or b.) just gives the money directly to my aunt.
So, there’s a lot more to it than that, but all I can say is I can totally understand Dreyfuss suing his dad. Just because you’re family doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn financial responsibility. It’s like, the “principle” of the matter.