Café owner claiming to be the long-lost son of Reg Grundy strikes a major hurdle in his bid to claim a slice of the late TV mogul's $900M empire
- DNA testing to prove Simon Russell is the media mogul's son is 'inconclusive'
- Mr Grundy, who died in 2016, has left behind assets up to almost $900million
- Simon Thomas Russell gave DNA to the determine if Mr Grundy is his father
- Mr Russell served on council in Bayside area, Melbourne, and owns a cafe
A cafe owner claiming to be Reg Grundy's 'love child' faces an uphill battle to prove he's the late media mogul's son after DNA tests came back 'inconclusive'.
Simon Russell appeared in a Sydney court on Wednesday, looking to claim his piece of Dr Grundy's $900 million fortune after he died in 2016.
Mr Russell's barrister Nicolas Kirby told Justice Geoff Lindsay that the results of a biological test had come back 'inconclusive,' the Daily Telegraph reported.
Kirby said that they happened to have a DNA sample at a pathology company, but once testing was completed it had insufficient DNA to construct a profile, which came back inconclusive.
The former Mayor claiming to be Reg Grundy's (right) 'love child' in the fight for a slice of his $900million fortune has been pictured for the first time (left)
Also in the court was Dr Grundy’s estranged daughter Viola La Valette and widow Carolyn Joy Chambers-Grundy - who have already started battling over his estate.
Mr Kirby said his client was now seeking a court order to get Ms Chambers-Grundy to list all the 'medical entities' that could hold biological matter that belongs to Dr Grundy.
Justice Lindsay then asked why they hadn't tested a biological sample from Dr Grundy's daughter Viola La Valette: 'If they are half brother and sister won't that not show?' he asked.
Reg Grundy is pictured above with his second wife Joy Chambers in 2005
But Kirby said that it isn't a worthy substitute and it's not conclusive.
He even said that running biological tests on Ms La Valette could uncover that she may not be Dr Grundy's.
But Justice Lindsay disagreed with this argument, and said the idea that La Valette isn't his daughter is too unlikely to not have the siblings tested.
Outside the court Russell was coy when asked why he believes Dr Grundy is his father.
'I'm not going to go into it unless the DNA comes back and then we can go from there. There's no story until the DNA turns up.'
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Ms La Valette, who didn't speak to her father for more than 20 years, is also seeking millions of dollars from Dr Grundy's will, on top of the $250,000 she already gets each year.
Mr Russell's chances of claiming any of the $900million estate depends entirely on the paternity test results.
Mr Grundy - who died aged 92 in 2016 - left behind assets worth $800million overseas and $71million in Australia.
Mr Russell is the owner of Roc Cafe in Black Rock, a Bayside suburb of Melbourne, which has been reportedly closed for weeks, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Mr Russell (right), was born before Mr Grundy (left) married his first wife Lola Powell in 1954, refused to comment pending DNA testing
The cafe appears to be floundering as it has been shut for the past month and is currently on the market.
Mr Russell is a well-known businessman in the area and served the community as a councillor for over a decade.
He was first elected as Mayor for Sandringham Council in 1994 and was elected as Mayor a second time in 2001 and 2002 for Bayside Council, when the cities amalgamated.
In the most recent 2016 vote, Mr Russell missed out as a candidate for the Southern Ward seat at Bayside.
Simon Thomas Russell 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
The businessman and former Mayor, who also served in the army reserve, is a husband and father-of-three who is believed to have moved into the area age 6.
Despite the striking resemblance Mr Russell's legal representation, solicitor Anthea McIntyre, said the information that led her client to believe he could be Mr Grundy's child was private.
Mr 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.
Grundy died at the age of 92 in 2016, leaving behind overseas assets worth $800million, and $71million locally
She launched a legal battle for her share of his fortune last year, challenging his decision to leave the bulk of his estate to his second wife Carolyn Joy Chambers-Grundy.
Ms La Valette claimed her father was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease when he made that will.
Mr Russell's barrister Nicolas Kirby told the court that DNA samples from both Mr Grundy and Mr Russell were being held at a lab.
Ms La Valette, Mr Grundy's daughter with first wife Patricia Lola Powell, challenged Ms Chambers for her piece of her father's estate.
Mr Grundy and wife Joy Chambers pictured in 1994. The couple moved to Bermuda in the early 1980s and they were there together the day he passed away
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.
Mr 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.
Grundy was the man behind shows such as Neighbours (pictured) and Prisoner
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, Mr 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.
She went to star in several of her husband's soaps including The Restless Years, The Doctors and Neighbours.
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
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.
