It doesn’t seem spiteful, but we’re sure she’s disappointed!
After the passing of Walter Cronkite last month, his estate was divvied up between his three children and former aides at CBS, leaving out gal pal Joanna Simon.
For the past four years, the former opera singer and sister of Carly Simon was Cronkite’s constant companion as they bonded over the death of their spouses.
The will was written before he met Simon in 2005 and never changed.
Nancy, Cronkite’s daughter, claims that her father was extremely generous to his companion when he was alive.
“It was about my mother [Betsy],” said Nancy. “Dad said to us, ‘I don’t want to marry Joanna out of respect for your mother, and I don’t want to share my estate with her.’ ”
She added that the death of her mother constantly affected the legendary TV anchor.
“I don’t think Dad ever really recovered. His health was certainly exacerbated by this terrible, terrible blow.”
Nancy, along with her sibings, Chip and Kathy, will inherit most of his estate, yet his chief of staff at CBS, Marlene Adler, and executive assistant, Julie Sukmann, will receive a large sum of money.
“We were both surprised and not so surprised, and delighted, of course,” Adler said. “He was a generous, thoughtful man.”
Leaving $$$$ to employees?!
He was a very special person who will be greatly missed!
[Image via WENN.]