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So Rita Benson LeBlanc essentially owned the Saints, assaults her stepmom in the owners suite of the Super Dome and is now written out of Tom Benson's will.
What a dumbass
What a dumbass
Rita Benson LeBlanc confrontation with Gayle Benson at Saints game preceded change in succession plan, sources say
An emotional confrontation between Tom Benson's granddaughter, Rita Benson LeBlanc, and wife, Gayle Benson, that briefly turned physical during a New Orleans Saints home game last season happened days before the 87-year-old billionaire decided to sever ties with his family members and cut them out of his estate plans.
Two sources who witnessed the incident said Rita Benson LeBlanc confronted Gayle Benson in Tom Benson's suite on the 400 level of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before the Saints' game against the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 21.
The two sources, who are employed by the Saints and Pelicans, asked not be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The pregame encounter occurred in front of dozens of friends and guests of the Bensons and quickly escalated after Rita Benson LeBlanc, whom sources described as the aggressor, approached Gayle Benson.
At one point, the two sources who witnessed the incident said, Rita Benson LeBlanc, then 37, grabbed Gayle Benson by both shoulders and shook the then-67-year-old repeatedly during a confrontation that lasted several minutes.
"She (Rita) was shaking her (Gayle) to emphasize her point and to be heard," said one of the sources who was in the suite and witnessed the incident. "It was pretty ugly.
"I remember the pyrotechnics going off in the stadium (during pregame player introductions) and thinking fireworks were also going off in the suite."
Tom Benson was in the suite at the time of the incident and was aware of what occurred, multiple sources said.
Not every guest in the crowded suite was aware of the incident, one source said, because it occurred off to the side of Benson's luxury box, which is perched above the 50-yard line overlooking the Saints' sideline.
Eventually, Saints president Dennis Lauscha was summoned from his nearby suite to act as an intermediary and restored order to the situation, another source familiar with the situation said. Rita Benson LeBlanc returned to her suite next door, and the rest of the game proceeded without incident or engagement between the two parties.
Multiple emails and calls to Rita Benson LeBlanc's attorney, Randy Smith, and other representatives were not answered.
Saints/Pelicans vice president of communications Greg Bensel referred all questions about the incident to Tom Benson's attorney, Phil Wittmann, who declined comment.
"She (Rita) was shaking her (Gayle) to emphasize her point and to be heard. It was pretty ugly."
The family is embroiled in a bitter legal battle over Tom Benson's decision last month to transfer ownership of the Saints and Pelicans franchises to Gayle Benson. Tom Benson's estranged family members, daughter Renee Benson and grandchildren Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc, contend he is not mentally competent to alter the succession plan and was unduly influenced by his wife to cut off his family.
It is unclear what prompted the incident at the Falcons game. In a lawsuit filed Jan. 22 in Civil District Court in New Orleans, Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc claim Gayle Benson shielded her husband from family members and often prevented him from spending time with them on special occasions such as holidays.
During questioning of Renee Benson at a hearing on a separate lawsuit in Bexar County, Texas, probate court last month, Tom Benson's legal team suggested that Rita Benson LeBlanc confronted Gayle Benson in the suite before the Saints-Falcons game and begged her to let Renee Benson see her father.
According to testimony, Tom Benson's lawyers asked Renee Benson if Rita Benson LeBlanc used profanity during the incident at the Falcons game. Renee Benson did not respond directly, saying she wasn't there.
The incident was a particularly dark moment in a rocky relationship between Gayle Benson and Renee Benson and her children, which has steadily deteriorated since Tom Benson married for the third time in 2004.
Tom Roddy, Tom Benson's longtime adviser and banking associate, testified in court last month that disagreements were not uncommon in the Benson family. In testimony, he said: "Their relationship has always been close. They fight, absolutely, and then they go to lunch."
But the Dec. 21 incident before the Falcons game was different, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.
After the Saints' 30-14 loss that afternoon, Tom Benson left his suite and huddled with Lauscha and longtime friend and adviser Stanley Rosenberg in his office at the Superdome. Two sources familiar with the situation said the meeting lasted for more than an hour and was unusual for Tom Benson, who normally returned to his home immediately after games last season while recovering from a series of surgeries on his right knee.
Six days later, Tom Benson emailed a letter to Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc telling them he never wanted to see them again and banning them from his business operations. The letter, which was attached as an exhibit in a lawsuit filed Jan. 22 by the estranged heirs seeking interdiction of Tom Benson, read:
"During the 80 years of my life, I have built a rather large estate, which was intended to mainly be for you all as my family. Suddenly after I remarried you all became offensive and did not act in an appropriate manner and even had arguments among yourselves, which created a very unpleasant family situation, which I will not stand for. It made me very unhappy and uncomfortable. This situation cannot continue at my age."
Rosenberg testified in Bexar County probate court that he wrote the letter over the Christmas weekend, using Tom Benson's words as best he could. The Saints and Pelicans' owner reviewed the letter before it was sent, Rosenberg said.
The letter was the first in a series of events Tom Benson's estranged heirs allege to be a "coup" orchestrated over the ensuing three weeks by Gayle Benson and others.
On Dec. 29, the U.S. Postal Service was contacted to forward all trust information to an office in Metairie rather than the San Antonio address where Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc were receiving their trust mailings, the estranged heirs alleged. Tom Benson previously established the trusts, including those involving the Saints and Pelicans, for his daughter and grandchildren.
A day later, the suit claims Rita Benson LeBlanc received a letter from Pat McKinney, the Saints' executive director of human resources, terminating her employment effective Dec. 26, 2014.
On Jan. 5, Rita Benson LeBlanc received a letter from a representative of Tom Benson terminating her company's lease at Benson Tower in downtown New Orleans for failing to pay rent.
On Jan. 7, Tom Benson signed documents granting Gayle Benson power to make medical decisions for him if he is incapacitated and giving her and Lauscha control of his business affairs, if he is unable to make decisions himself. He also instructed officials at his automobile dealerships to bar Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc from the premises.
And on Jan. 12, representatives of Tom Benson attempted to exchange hundreds of millions of dollars in assets in the irrevocable trusts established for Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc for unsecured promissory notes. The trustee rejected the transaction.
In a court filing on Jan. 27, Tom Benson's representatives said his decision to change the succession plan for the Saints and Pelicans "was not a decision made out of spite" and was made only after "years of concerns and misgivings about (Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc's) abilities" to run the teams.
"I think that Mr. Benson was very upset over the reaction of Rita, and Renee and Ryan, over their interpersonal relationships, that they attempted to interfere in his life, and interfere in his relationship with his wife, and to do things that he thought were totally inappropriate," Wittman said in an interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune in late January. "He's finally said, 'Enough's enough. I'm through.'
"My distinct impression and knowledge is that this was not an overnight decision by any stretch of the imagination. It was a long time coming. It was my observation that he fought long and hard to keep a relationship with them, but he couldn't."
On Jan. 29, Dawn Jones, Tom Benson's granddaughter and the daughter of the late Robert Benson, issued a statement acknowledging "an ugly conflict" within the family.
"I have remained silent over the past week in hopes that the conflict would be resolved quickly and quietly once other family members saw the irreparable damage that was being done by their actions," Jones said in the statement. "It has become apparent over the last few days that they have no intention of stopping their relentless attacks, so at this time I would like to publicly state my support for my grandfather, Tom Benson."
As part of the lawsuit, a team of three of doctors has been assembled to evaluate Tom Benson's mental capacity. They are to conduct their evaluation by March 13 and submit a report to Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Kern Reese.
An emotional confrontation between Tom Benson's granddaughter, Rita Benson LeBlanc, and wife, Gayle Benson, that briefly turned physical during a New Orleans Saints home game last season happened days before the 87-year-old billionaire decided to sever ties with his family members and cut them out of his estate plans.
Two sources who witnessed the incident said Rita Benson LeBlanc confronted Gayle Benson in Tom Benson's suite on the 400 level of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before the Saints' game against the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 21.
The two sources, who are employed by the Saints and Pelicans, asked not be named because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The pregame encounter occurred in front of dozens of friends and guests of the Bensons and quickly escalated after Rita Benson LeBlanc, whom sources described as the aggressor, approached Gayle Benson.
At one point, the two sources who witnessed the incident said, Rita Benson LeBlanc, then 37, grabbed Gayle Benson by both shoulders and shook the then-67-year-old repeatedly during a confrontation that lasted several minutes.
"She (Rita) was shaking her (Gayle) to emphasize her point and to be heard," said one of the sources who was in the suite and witnessed the incident. "It was pretty ugly.
"I remember the pyrotechnics going off in the stadium (during pregame player introductions) and thinking fireworks were also going off in the suite."
Tom Benson was in the suite at the time of the incident and was aware of what occurred, multiple sources said.
Not every guest in the crowded suite was aware of the incident, one source said, because it occurred off to the side of Benson's luxury box, which is perched above the 50-yard line overlooking the Saints' sideline.
Eventually, Saints president Dennis Lauscha was summoned from his nearby suite to act as an intermediary and restored order to the situation, another source familiar with the situation said. Rita Benson LeBlanc returned to her suite next door, and the rest of the game proceeded without incident or engagement between the two parties.
Multiple emails and calls to Rita Benson LeBlanc's attorney, Randy Smith, and other representatives were not answered.
Saints/Pelicans vice president of communications Greg Bensel referred all questions about the incident to Tom Benson's attorney, Phil Wittmann, who declined comment.
"She (Rita) was shaking her (Gayle) to emphasize her point and to be heard. It was pretty ugly."
The family is embroiled in a bitter legal battle over Tom Benson's decision last month to transfer ownership of the Saints and Pelicans franchises to Gayle Benson. Tom Benson's estranged family members, daughter Renee Benson and grandchildren Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc, contend he is not mentally competent to alter the succession plan and was unduly influenced by his wife to cut off his family.
It is unclear what prompted the incident at the Falcons game. In a lawsuit filed Jan. 22 in Civil District Court in New Orleans, Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc claim Gayle Benson shielded her husband from family members and often prevented him from spending time with them on special occasions such as holidays.
During questioning of Renee Benson at a hearing on a separate lawsuit in Bexar County, Texas, probate court last month, Tom Benson's legal team suggested that Rita Benson LeBlanc confronted Gayle Benson in the suite before the Saints-Falcons game and begged her to let Renee Benson see her father.
According to testimony, Tom Benson's lawyers asked Renee Benson if Rita Benson LeBlanc used profanity during the incident at the Falcons game. Renee Benson did not respond directly, saying she wasn't there.
The incident was a particularly dark moment in a rocky relationship between Gayle Benson and Renee Benson and her children, which has steadily deteriorated since Tom Benson married for the third time in 2004.
Tom Roddy, Tom Benson's longtime adviser and banking associate, testified in court last month that disagreements were not uncommon in the Benson family. In testimony, he said: "Their relationship has always been close. They fight, absolutely, and then they go to lunch."
But the Dec. 21 incident before the Falcons game was different, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.
After the Saints' 30-14 loss that afternoon, Tom Benson left his suite and huddled with Lauscha and longtime friend and adviser Stanley Rosenberg in his office at the Superdome. Two sources familiar with the situation said the meeting lasted for more than an hour and was unusual for Tom Benson, who normally returned to his home immediately after games last season while recovering from a series of surgeries on his right knee.
Six days later, Tom Benson emailed a letter to Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc telling them he never wanted to see them again and banning them from his business operations. The letter, which was attached as an exhibit in a lawsuit filed Jan. 22 by the estranged heirs seeking interdiction of Tom Benson, read:
"During the 80 years of my life, I have built a rather large estate, which was intended to mainly be for you all as my family. Suddenly after I remarried you all became offensive and did not act in an appropriate manner and even had arguments among yourselves, which created a very unpleasant family situation, which I will not stand for. It made me very unhappy and uncomfortable. This situation cannot continue at my age."
Rosenberg testified in Bexar County probate court that he wrote the letter over the Christmas weekend, using Tom Benson's words as best he could. The Saints and Pelicans' owner reviewed the letter before it was sent, Rosenberg said.
The letter was the first in a series of events Tom Benson's estranged heirs allege to be a "coup" orchestrated over the ensuing three weeks by Gayle Benson and others.
On Dec. 29, the U.S. Postal Service was contacted to forward all trust information to an office in Metairie rather than the San Antonio address where Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc were receiving their trust mailings, the estranged heirs alleged. Tom Benson previously established the trusts, including those involving the Saints and Pelicans, for his daughter and grandchildren.
A day later, the suit claims Rita Benson LeBlanc received a letter from Pat McKinney, the Saints' executive director of human resources, terminating her employment effective Dec. 26, 2014.
On Jan. 5, Rita Benson LeBlanc received a letter from a representative of Tom Benson terminating her company's lease at Benson Tower in downtown New Orleans for failing to pay rent.
On Jan. 7, Tom Benson signed documents granting Gayle Benson power to make medical decisions for him if he is incapacitated and giving her and Lauscha control of his business affairs, if he is unable to make decisions himself. He also instructed officials at his automobile dealerships to bar Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc from the premises.
And on Jan. 12, representatives of Tom Benson attempted to exchange hundreds of millions of dollars in assets in the irrevocable trusts established for Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc for unsecured promissory notes. The trustee rejected the transaction.
In a court filing on Jan. 27, Tom Benson's representatives said his decision to change the succession plan for the Saints and Pelicans "was not a decision made out of spite" and was made only after "years of concerns and misgivings about (Renee Benson, Rita Benson LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc's) abilities" to run the teams.
"I think that Mr. Benson was very upset over the reaction of Rita, and Renee and Ryan, over their interpersonal relationships, that they attempted to interfere in his life, and interfere in his relationship with his wife, and to do things that he thought were totally inappropriate," Wittman said in an interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune in late January. "He's finally said, 'Enough's enough. I'm through.'
"My distinct impression and knowledge is that this was not an overnight decision by any stretch of the imagination. It was a long time coming. It was my observation that he fought long and hard to keep a relationship with them, but he couldn't."
On Jan. 29, Dawn Jones, Tom Benson's granddaughter and the daughter of the late Robert Benson, issued a statement acknowledging "an ugly conflict" within the family.
"I have remained silent over the past week in hopes that the conflict would be resolved quickly and quietly once other family members saw the irreparable damage that was being done by their actions," Jones said in the statement. "It has become apparent over the last few days that they have no intention of stopping their relentless attacks, so at this time I would like to publicly state my support for my grandfather, Tom Benson."
As part of the lawsuit, a team of three of doctors has been assembled to evaluate Tom Benson's mental capacity. They are to conduct their evaluation by March 13 and submit a report to Orleans Parish Civil District Judge Kern Reese.