A new motion was filed Monday morning in the competency case against Viacom founder Sumner Redstone.
Redstone’s former companion, Manuela Herzer has claimed she was improperly excluded from future decisions about Redstone’s healthcare and that he is incompetent to make health care and financial decisions. A request for an urgent ruling in her favor was rejected by a judge last month.
A new hearing was scheduled for Monday, Dec. 21.
We have presented overwhelming evidence that Mr. Redstone lacks capacity to make health care decisions. Someone forged Mr. Redstone’s signature on a document presented to the court. We are absolutely entitled to discovery and are determined to expose the truth," said Herzer's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell.,
In new documents, Herzer charges that Redstone's signature had been forged on documents according ot to a handwriting expert and that the testimony of Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman as to Redstone's competencyis "riddled with falsehoods."
Redstone’s lawyers opposed the 200-page motion, saying it's essentially the same argument being made again. Redstone, who controls Viacom and CBS, is 92 and has difficulty speaking.
"Ms. Herzer’s lies continue, and her litigation tactics lack merit and basic human decency. The Court was informed of Mr. Redstone’s speech impairment by his doctor. Ms. Herzer’s decision to mock Mr. Redstone’s physical disability and suggest it would be the subject of 'parody and ridicule' is offensive and relevant only to her character,” said attorney Gabrielle Vidal of Loeb & Loeb.
“Her attacks on anyone who disagrees with her self-serving accounts are unfounded and outrageous. It is surreal that while doing everything she can to disrupt Mr. Redstone's life, Ms. Herzer is asking the Court to be put in charge of his future healthcare decisions,” Vidal said.
