REVEALED: Man claiming to be Reg Grundy's 'love child' and is fighting for a slice of his $900M fortune is a cafe owner whose business has been closed for a month and is up for sale
- Simon Thomas Russell owns Roc Cafe in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne
- The cafe has been closed for a month and is now for sale
- Russell launched legal action to claim a piece of Grundy's $900million fortune
- A court heard Russell is already in the process of paternity testing
A business owned by the man claiming to be Reg Grundy's love child has been closed for weeks and is now up for sale, it has been revealed.
Simon Thomas Russell, who is seeking a piece of the late television mogul's $880million estate, owns Roc Cafe in Black Rock, a bayside suburb of Melbourne.
The cafe appears to be floundering as it has been shut for the past month and is currently on the market, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The shop owner, who is reportedly in his 60s, launched legal action this week to prove he is the son of the man behind popular shows such as Neighbours and Prisoner.
Grundy - who died aged 92 in 2016 - left behind overseas assets worth $800million and $71million locally.
Russell refused to comment pending DNA testing.
'There's no story until the DNA comes in,' he told the publication.
A man claiming to be TV legend Reg Grundy's love child has joined in on the battle for his $900million estate. Grundy is known to have fathered only one child with ex-wife Patricia Lola Powell. He is pictured above with his second wife Joy Chambers in 2005
Grundy died at the age of 92 in 2016, leaving behind overseas assets worth $800million, and $71million locally
Simon Thomas Russell, who is seeking a piece of the late television mogul's $900million estate, owns Roc Cafe in Black Rock, a bayside suburb of Melbourne (pictured). The cafe has been closed for the past month and is now for sale
Grundy, who also produced the Australian versions of popular game shows Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right, was thought to have fathered only one child, Kim Robin Grundy, now known as Viola La Valette, who launched a legal battle for her share of his fortune last year.
She was challenging his decision to leave the bulk of his estate to his second wife Carolyn Joy Chambers-Grundy, and said he was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease when he made that will.
Russell's barrister Nicolas Kirby told the court that DNA samples from both Mr Grundy and Mr Russell were being held at a lab.
However the lab cannot perform the testing until it obtains an affidavit from Ms. Chambers-Grundy, who lives in Bermuda.
According to Kirby, a copy of the affidavit is en route to the lab and they expect to have results next week.
Ms La Valette, Grundy's daughter with first wife Patricia Lola Powell, challenged Chambers for her piece of her father's estate.
La Valette is chasing access to documents about her father's mental state and health leading up to his death.
Following her lawsuit, friends of the Grundy family came forward to say they had never heard of the TV legend's daughter before, A Current Affair reported in 2017.
She had not spoken to her father for 22 years up to his death.
The value of a 1.6-hectare property in Bermuda, believed to be the palatial Idolwood Lagoon Estate, is expected to be called into question during proceedings.
Following his death in 2016, Grundy's daughter Kim Grundy also known as Viola La Valette launched a legal battle seeking part of his estate
Grundy was the man behind shows such as Neighbours (pictured) and Prisoner
Grundy was behind several long-celebrated soap operas and game shows like Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors, The Restless Years, Sale of The Century and Neighbours.
Share this article
He also produced ABBA: The Movie alongside Stig Anderson, and was known to keep his private life out of the public eye.
After marrying his first wife in his 20s and divorcing her years later, Grundy lived with his daughter Kim, and his mother in the 1960s while he built his television empire.
Mr Grundy met Joy, an author and actress, when she was a panellist on the game show I've Got a Secret, and married her four years later in 1971.
The value of the 1.6-hectare property in Bermuda, believed to be the palatial Idolwood Lagoon Estate (pictured), is expected to be called into question during La Valette's proceedings
She went to star in several of her husband's soaps including The Restless Years, The Doctors and Neighbours.
Ms Grundy continues to live in the couple's sprawling Bermuda mansion. However, she did briefly return to Sydney for the court appearance.
The couple moved to Bermuda in the early 1980s and they were there together the day he passed away.
In 1983, Mr Grundy was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and was made an Companion of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2008.
He was also awarded a PhD by the University of Queensland in 2004.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
