Gary Coleman's Real Will: Truth and Fiction

The stories on the Gary Coleman Will are changing every time you open your web browser. RadarOnline.com claims that it has learned "exclusively" that there is a 2007 Will that will be filed in the Utah Probate court this week that will invalidate the 1999 Will naming Gary Coleman's friend, Dion Mial as executor.

Unlike the news report from Salt Lake City attorney, Kent Alderman, last week, RadarOnline does not reveal its source nor any information as to who the executor of the 2007 Will is. When Kent Alderman spoke to the press last week, he confirmed that Gary Coleman's friend and ex-manager, Dion Mial, is named as executor of the 1999 Will.

RadarOnline spoke with Mial's lawyer, Kent Alderman, and the attorney still believes that the document he plans to file is the real McCoy. He told RadarOnline: "As far as we know this is the last will and testament. But someone can come up with something more tomorrow and this one will be moot. They have three years after the death to bring another will."

Fishy Story

There is something pretty fishy going on with all these claims of Wills that "someone" has but won't show anyone. It's just not normal for whoever has a Will not to show it to Dion Mial's attorney, when he has come forward stating he has a 1999 Will. I work in a law firm (which is why I keep capitalizing the word Will, in case you noticed) and the normal thing would be to fax over a copy of the 2007 Will to Mr. Alderman so he wouldn't waste his or the court's time filing a Will that is really invalid.

Dion Mial Wants Shannon Price Shut Down

Dion Mial, in the meantime, is acting like he already has been issued letters testamentary appointing him executor, and saying that he plans to cremate Gary Coleman's remains. He is also slamming Gary's ex-wife but live-in girlfriend, Shannon Price, saying she is trying to profit from public interest in the Diff'rent Strokes star's death:

"In light of Shannon Price's ongoing desperate attempts to profit from the mysterious death of her 'beloved husband' by way of the sale and/or distribution of pre or post mortem 'death photos,' moment-to-moment television interviews for pay, video tours of her former home, Gary Coleman's personal effects, photographs, or any items that have been removed from the home, without the written consent of a special administrator for or the executor of the Coleman estate, I emphatically request that all solicitations from Shannon, or from any individual holding themselves out as her representative, be categorically denied and refused." Dion Mial says he knew Gary Coleman better than anyone else and the former child star would have nothing but "disdain" for Shannon's current behavior.

What To Expect

The mystery of which Will is valid will depend upon how it was drawn up and whether the witnesses to the Will can appear in court, if necessary. This is often not necessary when the witnesses have signed a Self-Proving Affidavit in front of a Notary Public. If the person who has a 2007 Will files it without showing it to Dion Mial's attorney, it would become public record at that time and Mr. Alderman would be able to assess its validity and proceed accordingly.

As Dion Mial points out, whoever is named executor will have the authority to decide what to do with Gary Coleman's personal belongings and the executor can stop anyone from selling anything that falls into that category. The executor can't stop anyone who knew Gary or lived with him from granting interviews or writing a book and selling the film rights to the book. It's done all the time.

For an even stranger tale on how a woman who never even met Marilyn Monroe ending up owning the rights to her estate, see Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia.

Sources: Embedded
Gary Coleman Named Dion Mial as His Executor