5 Black Celebrities Who Went To War With Their Parents Over Money

Chris Warren High School Musical star Chris Warren followed in the footsteps of his actress mother Brook Kerr, who's best known for her role as Whitney Harris in television soap opera Passions. The young actor found his own success after starring in all three hugely successful High School Musical movies. However, Warren has not enjoyed the full benefits of his work because of what he claims is mismanagement of his money by his parents. He sued them, accusing his parents of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of his earnings from his childhood-acting roles. Warren's parents established a trust in 2001 to collect his compensation as a minor. When Warren turned 21 in 2011, he attempted to make a withdrawal from the trust, but according to TMZ, his parents refused to grant him access. The young actor says his parents admitted to spending thousands from his trust on personal expenses, but refused to confirm how much was spent or remained in the account. Last summer, a judge sided with Warren after his parents refused to answer to the suit. He was awarded $337,186.68. Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was forced to sue auction house Goldin Auctions May 2013 to halt the sale of more than 100 of his memorabilia items. Bryant's mother, Pamela, signed a consignment agreement with Goldin Auctions in New Jersey to auction items worth over $1 million. The items were collected from the basketball star's entire career including NBA championship rings and high school varsity letters. Pamela Bryant received $450,000 advance payment, which she reportedly used to purchase a home in Nevada. As the story and the pending trial grabbed media attention, Bryant insisted he was not suing his mother. That didn't stop the lawsuit from causing a rift in the family. According to Forbes.com, at the trial Bryant's father, Joe, sided with his mother's story, while Bryant's wife and sister insisted his mother did not have permission to sell the mementos. If Pamela Bryant lost the case, she would have been required to return the $450,000 advance. In the midst of the trial Bryant tweeted: "When u give Give GIVE and they take Take TAKE at wat point do u draw a line in the sand? #hurtbeyondmeasure #gavemenowarning #love?” In the end, Bryant removed over 90 percent of the items and only allowed the auction house to auction 6 items. Joe and Pamela Bryant said in a statement after the settlement, “We regret our actions and statements related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia. We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we have caused our son and appreciate the financial support he has provided over the years. We also apologize to Goldin Auctions for their inadvertent involvement in this matter and thank them for their assistance.” Tianna Madison American Olympic gold medalist Tianna Madison was experiencing the best year of her career with a gold medal for the 4x100 relay at the 2012 London Olympics. Her joy was short-lived when both she and her husband John Bartoletta were sued by her parents for slander and defamation of character. Madison's parents sought $50,000 in the suit. According to ABC News, Madison "told news outlets that her parents mismanaged her finances and knowingly allowed a boy who had molested her previously to be in her presence at their home." In the lawsuit, Madison's parents claimed Bartoletta told them Madison would be filing a lawsuit against them for "misappropriation of funds and fraud based on her power of attorney" and that he had hired a bodyguard to protect her. Madison's parents added that prior to the Olympic games they received a text from their daughter that read "after the Olympic Games, she would 'break the story' of the Madisons' selfish, controlling, and utterly abusive ways and treatment' of her, and that 'it is going to be brutal.'" The lawsuit was never filed nor did Madison reveal her family's dark secrets. Madison's parents were reportedly shocked by the allegations, but they dropped the lawsuit by spring 2013. Frank Ocean Singer Frank Ocean was on the receiving end of threats from his father who reportedly planned to sue him. The Long Beach-born artist became the darling of the music industry with the July 2012 release of his critically acclaimed album, Channel Orange. Later that same year, Ocean revealed to his Twitter followers that his father was contemplating a lawsuit against him. “Father wanna sue me for a million. Like I owe him back child support. Weak individual bought me a swiss knife at 6yrs old then dipped on me.” Ocean continued, “I got his DNA though, maybe I inherited some of his karma too.” It was never revealed why Ocean’s father sought money or if he decided to follow through on the threat of a lawsuit. Gary Coleman Former child star Gary Coleman sued his adoptive parents Willie and Edmonia Sue Coleman and ex-advisers in 1989 for misappropriation of funds. Colemen earned millions from television and film appearances, with most of the earnings coming from his iconic role as Arnold Jackson in the television series Diff'rent Strokes. According to ABC.com, Coleman sued his parents and managers for $3.8 million in loses related to his trust fund. According to reports, Coleman's parents launched a namesake production company and used it to funnel a percentage of his earnings. In addition, his parents accepted a salary from the trust fund for acting as employees of Coleman's estate. Four years later in 1993, Coleman won a ruling of almost $1.3 million, reportedly a fraction of his true earnings. In 1999, Coleman filed for bankruptcy, attributing his financial problems to mismanagement of his trust.

Related Stories

‘You Have as Long as You Want With Gigi’: Kobe Bryant’s Text Messages In His Final Days Before Tragic Helicopter Crash Revealed by Coach for Ice Cube’s Big3

Kobe Bryant Fans Outraged After Man Wears Costume Displaying Crash Site Death, ‘This is So Disgusting’

‘I’mma Lay His Lil A— Out’: Shaquille O’Neal Defends Kobe Bryant Against Draymond Green’s Shocking Disrespect