Robbie Robertson’s Children Sues Widow and Accuses Her Of “Elder Abuse”

Amidst the legacy left behind by The Band’s late Robbie Robertson, a new legal saga unfolds as his children file elder abuse against his widow.

Roberston died a year ago and left behind a complex Beverly Hills estate. His death followed months shortly after a private marriage to Janet Zuccarini. Alexandra, Delphine, and Sebastian Robertson filed the case against the Toronto restaurateur in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Responding to the allegations, Zuccarini’s attorney, Gabrielle Vidal, dismissed the claims as “a meritless fiction,” asserting, “This is a gross and exploitative attempt by Robbie Robertson’s children to eviscerate their father’s expressed wishes for his beloved wife Janet.”

The Beverly Hills home was jointly purchased by Zuccarini and Robertson in 2021 for $6 million from David Geffen. However, the younger Robertsons contend that their father’s intention was for them to inherit 50 percent ownership of the property. They claim that Zuccarini is demanding financial support, asserting her right to reside in the property until her death, and expecting them to cover mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance expenses.

Allegations of elder abuse center on claims that Robertson was not mentally capable of understanding the documents that Zuccarini insisted he sign due to his health condition. The lawsuit also argues that Robertson’s mental faculties were compromised by the effects of medications he was taking to manage pain following a cancer-related surgery in 2022.

Robertson’s Children Say Their Dad Was ‘Severely Impaired’

The Robertson children’s attorney contends:

“Robertson’s mental state was severely impaired. 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.”

A property amendment was made months before Robertson’s death on August 2023, giving the responsibility of mortgage payments in the event of one spouse’s death to the estate. But the heirs are seeking to overturn this agreement, arguing that it was made under duress.