A billionaire family is at war with the late matriarch’s girlfriend, claiming she overmedicated the heiress before trying to send her body for composting immediately after her death.
Wallis Annenberg’s three children accused her girlfriend Kris Levine, 63, of keeping the heiress locked away in a drug-induced vegetative state during her final days.
Gregory, Lauren and Charles claimed Levine and her sister Vikki wrongfully confined Annenberg to her bed, isolated her from her family and ‘overmedicated to the point of stupor,’ as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Annenberg, the daughter of publishing magnate Walter Annenberg, died on Monday in her Los Angeles home at the age of 86 from lung cancer.
Before her death, her children claimed in court that, as Annenberg’s personal assistant, Vikki expedited her decline by giving her too many narcotics.
They also said the sisters had plans to remove Annenberg’s body from her home within hours of her death and send it for composting before her family got to say their goodbyes.
The Levines denied the claims in court, stating that the siblings’ ‘vicious and false accusations’ were due to the fact that Annenberg did not inform them that her cancer had returned and they weren’t in charge of her care.
‘Wallis determined not to seek treatment, but to enjoy as much as possible, the time she had left,’ the Levines’ court filing stated.
The children of publishing heiress Wallis Annenberg, who died on Monday at the age of 86, claimed in court that her girlfriend Kris Levine, right, had been rushing her death with drugs
The heiress’ children claimed Kris Levine’s sister Vikki, pictured left in April, was abusing their mother in her last days. Vikki Levine was designated as the heiress decision-maker when it came to her health
Annenberg, one of the nation’s most prominent philanthropists, is pictured with actresses Rita Wilson, Demi Moore and fellow heiress Jamie Tisch in April, 2024
‘The Children have misdirected their pain, grief and anger at the wrong person, which is so much easier than confronting reality,’ Vikki Levine said, adding the siblings created a ‘toxic environment’ when they visited their mother.
The Levine sisters added of the children: ‘They crowd around Wallis’ bed while the nurses are caring for her, tell Wallis that she doesn’t need the medication, refuse to get out of their way, ask numerous questions about the medication and procedures being employed, and generally make the situation untenable for a care-provider to work.’
Annenberg went into hospice in early May and began taking medications to ease her pain and anxiety, per court documents.
Her children claim that by June, Vikki Levine had replaced Annenberg’s staff and instructed the new team to ‘administer excessive amounts of powerful narcotics and opioids, such as Fentanyl, Morphine, Ativan and other similar drugs.’
‘When Wallis is able to emerge from this near-comatose state, she is adamant that this is not what she wants and that she believes, in her own words, that Vikki is ‘kidnapping her,”‘ the siblings said in court.
Annenberg’s housekeeper supported the siblings’ claims, saying, ‘I witnessed Vikki forcing pills in Ms. Annenberg’s mouth when she clearly did not want to take them. I told Vikki that Ms. Annenberg seemed calm and did not need more medication.
Charles Annenberg is pictured second from the left, with his heiress mother and her partner Kris Levine in 2015. Charles and two of his siblings filed the lawsuit against the Levine sisters
Gregory Annenberg also accused the Levine sisters of abusing his heiress mother. He is pictured in 2022
Annenberg (C) stands next to California Governor Gavin Newsom (2nd L), wildlife advocate Beth Pratt (L), and others for the groundbreaking ceremony of an $87 million wildlife crossing over the 101 freeway to mark Earth Day in Agoura Hills, California on April 22, 2022
‘Vikki told me the pills were for her upset stomach, but I told her that I knew they were Ativan because I saw the bottle.’
Annenberg’s children said that before going to court, they asked a doctor to visit their mother, and that he ‘determined that she was, indeed, being overmedicated.’
However the Levine sisters claimed, on their part, that the doctor actually ‘confirmed to Vikki that there has been “no mismanagement of symptoms.”‘
Kris Levine started dating Annenberg in 2009 and they lived together since 2012.
She claimed in court Annenberg’s children were engaged in a campaign of lies that included telling her that her girlfriend was trying to kill her.
Kris added in court documents that Annenberg had wanted to go into hospice care for the last weeks of her life.
Annenberg allegedly signed a document in July, 2023, declaring Vikki Levine as the primary authority over her medical care. Annenberg’s son Gregory was designated as an alternate.
But Annenberg’s three children claim the document is fraudulent.
Kris Levine started dating Annenberg in 2009 and they lived together since 2012. They are pictured in 2014
Annenberg, who died on Monday from lung cancer, donated more than a billion dollars throughout her lifetime
It’s unclear why Annenberg would designate Vikki Levine as her primary care taker, but the two had worked together for over 20 years.
On July 22, a judge ruled there was ‘good cause’ to suspend Vikki Levine from serving as the heiress’ healthcare agent and appointed a professional fiduciary.
The heiress died days later.
She donated more than a billion dollars throughout her lifetime through her foundation, establishing herself as one of the country’s main philanthropists.
