Patrick Swayze could do it all. He could sing, dance, and act. In 1987 his breakout role as the bad boy dancer Johnny Castle in the iconic movie Dirty Dancing made him a household name. He went on to do mega-hits such as Ghost with actress Demi Moore. He was a go-to staple of movies in the 80s and 90s. And in 1991 People named him the "Sexiest Man Alive". His picture on the cover sent circulation figures into the stratosphere.
But in 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He had been a heavy smoker (up to 60 a day) for years and Swayze suffered alcohol abuse issues on and off. And his bad habits had probably just caught up with him. He died in 2009, leaving his $40 million fortune to his long-time wife Lisa Niemi. Some questioned that his new will was signed just months before he died.
For years, the family bickered with his widow Lisa. Her every move was brought into question by Patrick's family. Basically, they wanted a cut of the action and they weren't getting it. But they kept trying.
But all heck broke loose when Lisa gave an interview in which she claimed Patrick had been abused as a child by his mother, dancing teacher Patsy. Lisa and Patrick had no children, but his siblings, including his actor brother Don Swayze, were up in arms, reportedly threatening legal action against Lisa.
It was a real mess that apparently ultimately just went quietly away. But it was pretty tense going for a while.
Here's what happened when Patrick Swayze's family went to war with his widow.
The Blow By Blow
After Patrick Swayze died, there were initial skirmishes over his estate. The family, including brothers Sean and Don and mom Patsy, had expected Lisa to be more "generous". In other words, they expected Patrick's childhood sweetheart and wife to hand over a chunk of change. She didn't do that.
Before his death, Patrick had provided his mother with a house and sent her a monthly allowance, which Lisa continued to do.
But the family still wasn't happy. They complained Lisa had more or less cut them off personally. Patsy, into her 80s, was particularly upset about not being visited by Lisa. The tabloids were all over it. In one story a"pal" was quoted as saying: "It seems her relationship with the Swayze family died with Patrick."
For the most part, Patrick's former co-stars like Demi Moore and Jennifer sided with Lisa.
By 2010, Lisa was making noise about moving former dancing teacher Patsy to an assisted living facility. Patrick's brother Sean, who had been living with his mother threw a wobbly because he knew that would probably mean Lisa would sell the house and he would lose his free ride and be out on the streets.
After that, more bickering followed when Lisa decided to sell Patrick's California ranch, Rancho Bizarro. No, no, the family said. We want to turn it into a museum in honor of Patrick. Forget it, said Lisa. She sold the place to philanthropist Aileen Getty.
Then they got even more p****d off when Lisa sold Patrick's movie memorabilia on eBay and held a public auction of items including his leather jacket from Dirty Dancing and some of his cars. Amomama.com reported that Patrick's niece Danielle claimed Lisa was selling the family's precious memories". Please. They probably just wanted a cut.
But the most outrageous claim came when in 2014, some outlets reported the family believed that Patrick's will had been forged and they were going to take action. Nothing came of it.
The Abuse Claims
The proverbial really hit the fan when in 2019 the documentary I Am Patrick Swayze came out. It was mostly full of fond remembrances by co-stars such as Jennifer Gray and Demi Moore. But in her interview, Lisa set the cat among the pigeons when she actually claimed that Patrick had been abused as a child by his mother Patsy. She used the words"very violent" and "abusive" on camera.
Some outlets reported that the family was planning to challenge the will, which some ten years after his death is either tabloid fabrication or a lot of familial hot air. Maybe it was a bit of both.
Patsy Swayze died in 2013, but brothers Sean and Don occasionally still threaten to do battle with Lisa. It probably all comes down to the fact they are overentitled and insulted because they did think she hadn't given them enough of Patrick's money.
Does Lisa care? Not a bit. Five years after Patrick died, she married multi-millionaire jeweler Albert De Prisco. And she is sitting pretty, thank you very much.