Sex toy billionaire fights her step-siblings for the family’s multimillion-pound Berkshire estate in a £450,000 High Court case.
An inheritance dispute between a wealthy sex toy magnate and her step-siblings has surfaced around a multimillion-pound property situated near a renowned golf course.
Barbara Cook, the CEO of Diamond Products, one of the largest sex toy makers in the US, asserts that after their mother passed away, their stepfather altered his will, unfairly excluding her and her sister Jennifer Gough from their £450,000 inheritance.
Ms. Cook, 65, a managing director at T-Mobile and a former executive vice president of Playboy Group, is currently embroiled in a nasty legal battle with Philip Henry and Phillippa Callan, with anticipated court expenses exceeding £300,000.
Following their 1993 marriage, the sisters’ mother Rita Nelly Henry and stepfather Gordon Henry purchased the home, with Rita contributing a “unequal” portion of the purchase price.
Situated on a posh street with spacious detached homes, the luxurious pad is right next to the £93,000-per-member Sunningdale Golf Club, a popular hangout for celebs like Harry Styles and Sean Connery.
The inheritance dispute started after Rita Gough passed away in 2016. According to Mrs. Gough’s attorney, Richard Strachan Higham, Gordon changed his own will after his wife passed away, depriving the sisters of around £450,000 of their inheritance.
However, Ms. Gough won’t allow the house to be divided or sold, so for the past three years, it has been allowed to deteriorate.
CEO Barbara Cook of Diamond Products, one of the largest sex toy makers in the US, says she and her sister Jennifer Gough were unfairly excluded from their £450,000 inheritance.
CEO Barbara Cook of Diamond Products, one of the largest sex toy makers in the US, says she and her sister Jennifer Gough were unfairly excluded from their £450,000 inheritance.According to the attorney, Rita and Gordon made “mutual wills” in 2009 to divide the house after their deaths, with 25% going to Gordon’s children and 75% going to Rita’s daughters, due to “the unequal contributions of Rita and Gordon to the purchase of the property.”
Mutual wills are written agreements between two persons, usually a couple, that prohibit the survivor from altering the terms of the will after the other has passed away.
Three months after Rita’s death, in January 2017, Gordon allegedly prepared a new will, which permitted him to remove money from the house in the form of equity release, in violation of their agreement, according to Mr. Strachan Hughes.
The house was then remortgaged, and about £450,000 in loans were taken out between March 2018 and February 2020, the month of Gordon’s death, secured by the house’s worth.
The attorney is requesting a declaration from the court stating that the equity release was “illegal” and that the £450,000 ought to be subtracted from the inheritance that belongs to Gordon’s children.
‘The stated alleged mortgages were unlawful and/or in breach of the contract and/or trusts of the mutual wills and are unenforceable against the interests of the claimant and her siblings in the property,’ the attorney states.
Alternatively, under the joint wills, the aforementioned mortgages should only be charged against Gordon’s children’s beneficial interest in the property.
“The aforementioned cash withdrawals and mortgages were an illegal and purposeful attempt to lower the property’s equity to the claimant’s and her siblings’ detriment.”
The luxurious pad is located next to the £93,000-per-member Sunningdale Golf Club (pictured), a celebrity hangout frequented by Sean Connery and Harry Styles. The street is a private neighborhood of huge detached home
The luxurious pad is located next to the £93,000-per-member Sunningdale Golf Club (pictured), a celebrity hangout frequented by Sean Connery and Harry Styles. The street is a private neighborhood of huge detached homes.
Robert Arnfield, representing Mrs. Callan and Mr. Henry, argues in the defense of the lawsuit that Gordon did not execute a mutual will with Rita and was therefore free to utilize the house’s equity release to cover his own post-death care expenses.
“Mr. Henry and Mrs. Callan dispute that Gordon and Rita’s wills, both dated November 9, 1999, were written in concert,” he states.
According to their view, Gordon’s last will and testament, dated January 3, 2017, was legitimate and enforceable in accordance with its provisions, which stated that Gordon was free to handle the house as he pleased after Rita’s passing and, specifically, that the debts secured by the property were lawfully established and secured.
The claimant, the claimant’s siblings, or the personal representative of Rita’s estate are not entitled to the relief that is being sought, if any relief at all, according to Mr. Henry and Mrs. Callan.
The precise amount that Gordon and Rita contributed to the acquisition of the property is not disclosed, nor are the motivations for the format of Gordon’s 1999 will or Rita’s will.
The property is purported to have been held specifically as joint tenants by Gordon and Rita and to have passed to Gordon through the process of survivorship.
The attorney acknowledged that a mortgage of £420,000 against the house had been withdrawn, for a total of almost £450,000 plus interest.
Gordon claims that the purpose of the aforementioned mortgages and cash withdrawals was to cover his lifetime expenses, which included care fees.
He claimed that Mrs. Gough, who resides in north London’s Alexandra Park, has rejected a sale of the home.
He informed the judge that the property has been in disrepair for the past three years and that “as a result, it has stood empty and deteriorated since the date of death.”
He claimed that rather than being the only responsibility of Mr. Henry, who lives in Helmshore, Lancs, and sister Mrs. Callan, who resides in Balham, the loans taken out against the house should be subtracted from its value before the property is sold and divided.
Celebrities who have made the area their home include George and Amal Clooney, Gary Lineker, and Sunningdale Golf Club, one of the best golf courses in the world.
Sunningdale, which was established in 1900 and features two 18-hole courses, has played host to several renowned competitions, such as the Walker Cup and the British Masters.
According to reports, Harry Styles, Tim Henman, and the late Sean Connery were among its members. A full membership at the private club costs £93,000, and stars from the Premier League and Hollywood frequently visit.
The case was postponed for two months at a brief pre-trial High Court hearing before Master Iain Pester. at that time, the house, which is flanked by nearby mansions, will be assessed with an eye toward its “development potential,” according to the court.
The other sisters will have the opportunity to sign up as parties to the action and mediation will also take place.
Vivienne Sargeant and Catherine Coleman, their other sisters, are not yet involved in the action, despite the fact that Mrs. Gough is also bringing hers ‘on behalf’ of her sister Mrs. Cook.
Mr. Arnfield informed the judge that “two months ought to be enough for anybody else who wants to get involved to get involved.”
According to what Master Pester heard, if the step-siblings are unable to reach an agreement, the case is expected to incur over £300,000 in court expenses and be determined in a three-day trial.
Before relocating to the US in 2007 to continue her career, Ms. Cook held positions as managing director at T-Mobile and Gap, as well as general manager of Starbucks’ UK division.
The’sexual wellness’ brand Lovers, which Playboy acquired in 2021 for an alleged $25 million, has her as its CEO.
Following her appointment, she left the PLBY Group to take a position as CEO of Diamond goods, which owns Pipedream Products, “one of the largest designers, manufacturers, and distributors of proprietary romance products in the United States.” She was named Executive Vice President, Sexual Wellness.
The company sells its products, which include adult toys, lingerie, games, lotions, and creams, through 5,000 merchants and e-commerce websites in over 80 countries.
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