Sumner Redstone's granddaughter has broken ranks with her rift-ridden family and now supports the billionaire's ex-girlfriend in a bitter court battle over his mental competency.
Keryn Redstone, 34, filed a declaration in Los Angeles County Superior Court Tuesday saying her grandfather, who she affectionately calls "Grumpy," has become "a prisoner in his own home" since his former companion Manuela Herzer was kicked out in October.
The NYU graduate painted a disturbing picture of life inside the media mogul's gated Beverly Park estate after Herzer's departure, alleging that a sinister male nurse has gained dominion, allowed Redstone's healthcare to deteriorate and once delayed the suctioning of a feeding tube because he was ordering a pizza.
Keryn said Redstone dissolved in tears when she saw him for the first time after Herzer's ejection.
"As soon as I saw Grumpy, I hugged him and said, 'It won't be the same without Manuela.' Grumpy began crying uncontrollably and said, 'I miss her,' six times," Keryn claimed.
"He cried regularly during this period and constantly repeated the phrase, 'I miss her.' I could tell that he was heartbroken at the loss of his dear friend - the kind of woman who was 'the love of his life,' " the granddaughter said.
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She said that during another visit around Halloween, her grandfather was even worse.
"He would not interact with anyone or even look me in the eye. Nothing that I said registered with him. He just cried a lot," she said, suggesting maybe he was being drugged into submission.
"This was not my Grumpy anymore. I could barely recognize him. I was in the presence of a ghost," she said.
Keryn's declaration was filed in a flurry of documents asking Judge David Cowan to allow Herzer to amend her original complaint and add Keryn as a petitioner.
Herzer, 51, originally filed her lawsuit in November claiming she was unfairly removed as Redstone's healthcare agent and booted from his inner circle under an effort by his daughter Shari Redstone to freeze her out and save money on taxes when the 92-year-old dies.
She contends Redstone was mentally incompetent when he allegedly signed paperwork removing her from control over his medical care.
Shari and a group of Redstone's longstanding business partners and advisors, meanwhile, have united against Herzer and said it was Redstone himself who decided it was time for her to go.
Shari released a statement late Tuesday claiming this isn't the first time Keryn has sued an elderly relative over money.
"I am sad and disappointed that Keryn has chosen to align herself with Herzer against my father. I will not dignify the absurdity of Keryn's false claims with any further response," Shari said.
In the last two years, Keryn has been a frequent visitor and companion to her grandfather, she said in her declaration.
The two shared many common interests, she claimed, including piano, film, art, dogs and tennis.
"Even as he aged, Grumpy would regularly beat me at tennis," she wrote.
But her childhood memories weren't all positive, she said, highlighting her grandfather's allegedly contentious relationship with Shari.
"When I was young, I was at a birthday party and Shari and (her ex-husband) got into a screaming match with Grumpy. Shari's loss of emotional control was frightening, and my sister and I hid during the fight," she said.
Keryn admitted Redstone's relationship with her own father, Brent Redstone, was similarly troubled.
"Beginning around mid-2005, they were involved in litigation which destroyed their relationship," she said.
She claimed Shari once threatened to kill her when she refused to budge from Redstone's side at a dinner.
The judge did not immediately issue a ruling Tuesday on the legal maneuver to add Keryn as a petitioner.
An email seeking comment from Redstone's lawyer was not immediately successful Tuesday.
If Keryn is allowed to join with Herzer, the move likely would put more pressure on the other side to reach a settlement agreement.
The sides were involved in high-level settlement negotiations earlier this month that ultimately broke down, a source previously told The News.
If no pact is reached, the parties are set to go to trial next month.
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