The offspring of renowned actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis boasts a Hollywood lineage.

With her own successful acting career in movies like Halloween, Trading Places, and True Lies, as well as her title as a baroness following her marriage to actor Christopher Guest, Jamie Lee was independent financially, especially given the strained relationship with her father.

Tony Curtis passed away at 85 in 2010, leaving behind no financial provisions for his children in his will.

Jamie Lee, along with her sister Kelly and three half-siblings, found themselves disinherited as their father bequeathed his entire estate, estimated at $60 million, to his sixth wife, Jill Vandenberg.

The sudden alteration to Tony’s will shortly before his death led to legal challenges from his children, who suspected manipulation in favor of his widow.

Originally named Bernard Schwartz, Tony Curtis transitioned from serving in the US Navy during World War II to becoming a prominent figure in showbiz after adopting his stage name.

From humble beginnings as a contract player at Universal, Curtis rose to fame in the 1950s with iconic roles in films like Spartacus and Some Like it Hot.

Simultaneously, Janet Leigh, known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, was also making waves in the industry.

Despite initial objections from their studios fearing a career backlash, Curtis and Leigh tied the knot in 1951, becoming a celebrated couple in Hollywood.

Their union produced two daughters, Kelly Curtis (born 1956) and Jamie Lee Curtis (born 1958).

Jamie Lee later disclosed her perspective on her parents’ tumultuous relationship, labeling herself a failed attempt to salvage their marriage amidst a household filled with animosity.

After a contentious marriage ending in divorce in 1962, Leigh remarried businessman Robert Brandt, while Curtis went on to marry actress Christine Kaufman, then Leslie Allen, followed by Andrea Savio, Lisa Deutch, and finally settling with Jill Vandenberg, his sixth and last spouse.

Curtis’ declining health in his later years overshadowed by heart and lung ailments culminated in his reliance on a wheelchair.

His first wife Janet Leigh’s demise in 2004 did not prompt any reconciliations with his children, as Jamie Lee revealed the distant nature of their relationship, marred further by shared addiction struggles that partially influenced their reunion.

The revelation of Tony Curtis’ will posthumously excluding his children stirred public intrigue, with the document explicitly stating his deliberate choice not to provide for them.

While Jamie Lee maintained a cordial relationship with her father’s widow, Kelly Curtis and Allegra Curtis voiced their dismay over the inheritance debacle, disputing its alignment with Tony’s true desires.

A subsequent auction selling off Tony’s possessions, including valuable artworks and personal items, exacerbated the family rift, with Allegra expressing discontent over the disposal of what she believed should be preserved as historical artifacts.

However, the auctioneer defended the proceedings, asserting they aligned with Tony’s wishes as communicated during his lifetime.

Despite the legal battle waged by Kelly Curtis against her father’s widow contesting the will’s validity, the court upheld the exclusion of the children, emphasizing the absence of coercion or fraud in Tony’s decision-making process.

Jamie Lee Curtis, acknowledging her financial stability alongside her husband Christopher Guest, empathized with those in her family less fortunate, highlighting the emotional impact of being explicitly disregarded in a parent’s will.

Jill Vandenberg, now known as Jill Curtis-Weber following her remarriage, has moved on with her life, residing in South Dakota with her husband Todd Weber, where they manage a horse rescue center.