The children of billionaire philanthropist Wallis Annenberg found themselves in a complicated legal battle with her longtime girlfriend just weeks before the 86-year-old heir reportedly suffered abuse and neglect concerning her health.
Annenberg’s three children—Gregory, Lauren, and Charles—were supposedly at odds with Vicki, their mother’s personal assistant, who was also in charge of making medical decisions for her. They accused her of accelerating Annenberg’s decline through what they described as dangerous control, as noted in court documents. Unfortunately, Annenberg passed away from lung cancer on Monday.
The siblings expressed their distress regarding plans that apparently existed for composting their mother’s body shortly after she died. According to various applications, this idea upset them immensely.
Vicki’s sisters reportedly dismissed these allegations as “malicious and false.” They contended that Annenberg had not suffered any undue medical abuse, arguing that the disagreement over her care stemmed from her children’s exclusion from the decision-making process about her health.
The family tension escalated after Annenberg, heiress to her father Walter Annenberg’s publishing fortune, was diagnosed with cancer in late 2023. While she managed to enter remission, the disease returned last fall, and court records indicated that she opted against further treatment.
By May, she was undergoing hospice care, receiving medication aimed at alleviating pain and anxiety linked to her declining lung function.
In June, Annenberg’s children claimed that Vicki had enlisted a new team of nurses who began administering what they described as excessive doses of powerful narcotics like fentanyl and morphine. They alleged these drugs pushed their mother into a “nutritional state” where she seemed to lose her autonomy concerning her healthcare, even feeling that Vicki was somehow coercing her.
In July, they filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court to remove Vicki from her role as Annenberg’s healthcare agent.
Lauren expressed concern, stating in a declaration, “We have been informed that mother may only have a few weeks to live, and I don’t want to spend those weeks in a medically induced coma. This is not helpful for her well-being.” They sought a ruling to prevent Annenberg’s body from being removed immediately after her death, wanting to ensure proper farewells.
Vicki Levine, who had a long-term relationship with Annenberg since 2009, strongly refuted these claims, suggesting that the siblings had been given unrestricted access to their mother.
She asserted, “No one is trying to harm Wallis. We care for her deeply. They still have access, despite their behavior in a sensitive time.” Vicki added that the children often gathered near their mother’s bedside, interfering with the care provided by nurses.
Ultimately, on July 22, a judge recognized valid reasons to remove Vicki as the healthcare agent, temporarily appointing an expert trustee to oversee Annenberg’s care. However, Annenberg passed away just a week later.
In a statement following her death, the family remarked, “Wallis has peacefully and comfortably moved into her new adventure.” They emphasized that while cancer may have claimed her body, it could never conquer her spirit.
For decades, Annenberg supported causes related to arts, science, education, and animal welfare in Los Angeles. She served as CEO of the Annenberg Foundation for 16 years, a nonprofit that has contributed around $1.5 billion to numerous organizations throughout Southern California.
The foundation was established by her father after he sold his publishing business to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Walter Annenberg passed away in 2002.
