The Ongoing Soap Opera That Is Gary Coleman’s Life And Death

There are times when you diligently try to avoid a story, or in the case of Mr. Cole’s death, a human tragedy, but the details warrant opining on. If one chose to look in the recent tabloids, he or she would have seen Mr. Coleman on his dying bed with all manner of tubes protruding from his body. In the same pictures showing Mr. Coleman is on his dying bed… is his wife. These death-bed pictures were reportedly sold to the tabloids and the saga continues over the pint-size star’s estate.

Today, TMZ is reporting that it has in its possession a document purportedly showing that Mr. Coleman wanted his life pro-longed… a marked difference from the position his wife has taken… telling the public that Mr. Coleman wanted his life terminated if there was a possibility of it being in a vegetative state.

There are now three wills contending for Mr. Coleman’s estate and ex-wife, Shannon claimed hers is valid.  As an attorney, I can state that the valid will which was authored last would provide the most legal weight. The key is the word “valid;” no doubt Shannon’s opponents may say that he was legally divorce from her, but if Utah recognizes Common Law marriages, Shannon may retort that notwithstanding the divorce, the fact that she was living with Mr. Coleman at the time of his death, evinces that Mr. Coleman meant that for all intents and purposes that they were living as man and wife.

There is also a concept known as “Undue Influence,” but Mr. Coleman seemed to be of sound mind before his death and any will authored after the divorce will more than likely be deemed valid.

Although, I recognized the tawdry actions carried out by Mr. Coleman’s ex-wife, Shannon, (death-bed pictures), I am leaning towards her to receive his estate. The fact that they were living together before his death and the fact that the other parties seeking his estate were not part of his recent travails… makes me want to side with his ex-wife, Shannon. Why should his parents, who were estranged from Mr. Coleman, ride in and claim his estate - where were the parents when Shannon was putting in the yeoman’s work… in dealing with Mr. Coleman’s many ailments?  We are told that Mr. Coleman did not make much from residuals… and that was the reason why he was sometimes employed as a security guard.

If this is so, someone explain to me why if Mr. Coleman was in such dire straits in life… is it his life insurance policy which is causing such intense enmity and competition among the ex-wife, parents, and former manager/friend?