Who Received Joan Crawford’s Fortune After Her Death?

The Hidden Beneficiaries of Joan Crawford's Wealth

Joan Crawford, renowned for her unforgettable roles in Hollywood's Golden Age, left behind a formidable screen legacy.

Movies like “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”

and her Oscar-winning performance in “Mildred Pierce” have solidified her place in cinematic history.

However, beyond her on-screen success, her reputation as a difficult personality off-screen grew after her passing on May 10, 1977.

During her lifetime, Crawford's public feud with her “Baby Jane” co-star Bette Davis tarnished her image.

Davis seemed to have the upper hand when it came to trading biting remarks with her rival film star.

However, nothing compares to the shocking last will and testament that Crawford left behind, which excluded two of her four children.

Her adopted daughter Christina shed light on this callous decision in her memoir “Mommy Dearest,” published a year after Crawford's death.

Nevertheless, the exact nature of Crawford's relationship with her children remains a contentious issue.

A Notorious Last Will and Testament
At the time of her death, Joan Crawford's estate was estimated to be worth $2 million, equivalent to over $10 million in today's value.

In addition to her successful acting career, Crawford was involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company through her fourth husband, Alfred Steele, serving as a board member and later as a spokesperson.

As she died unmarried, many assumed that her fortune would be divided among her four adopted children: Christina, Christopher, and twin daughters Cathy and Cindy, all of whom were in their 30s at the time.

However, Crawford's strained family relationships became apparent in her last will and testament.

She explicitly stated, “It is my intention to make no provision herein for my son Christopher or my daughter Christina for reasons which are well known to them.”

Instead, Crawford left around $150,000 ($760,000 today) to the twins, with Cathy inheriting the majority of her mother's property assets.

According to Vanity Fair, Crawford also bequeathed $35,000 to her longtime secretary Betty Barker, with the remainder going to various charities, including the American Cancer Society, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Motion Picture Home, a charity she co-founded.

Family Grievances
If Joan Crawford's will shocked her countless fans, Christina's memoir, “Mommy Dearest,” painted an even darker picture.

In the book, Crawford's eldest adopted daughter portrayed her as an abusive and controlling mother.

The publication of the memoir was dreaded by the actress and her team, who saw it as the final blow to their already strained relationship.

Crawford accused Christina of exploiting her name for financial gain and claimed that her daughter had doubted receiving a substantial inheritance.

Vanity Fair reports that their rift deepened when Crawford replaced Christina on the CBS soap opera “The Secret Storm” while she took a break for surgery.

Additionally, Crawford accused Christopher of being sexist and resistant to having a woman as an authority figure.

A Contested Inheritance
Despite Joan Crawford's decisive exclusion of her two eldest adopted children, Christopher and Christina, from her estate, they were not willing to accept their disinheritance without a fight.

Shortly after the will became public, the siblings sued Crawford's estate, alleging that their mother was not of sound mind when she wrote the document and accusing Cathy of manipulating her to secure a larger share of the inheritance.

Ultimately, the lawsuit was successful, with Christopher and Christina each receiving $27,500, approximately $140,000 in today's currency.

To this day, the true nature of Crawford's relationship with her two oldest children remains a subject of heated debate.

Undeniably, the portrayal of the actress in “Mommy Dearest” and the subsequent cult movie based on the memoir have significantly shaped the public's perception of Crawford for decades.

However, her friends, as well as her younger children, particularly Cathy, continue to defend her, remembering her as a loving mother and grandmother, according to The Guardian.