Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.

NEW ORLEANS - Personal testimony filled the day at the interdiction trial of New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson Tuesday.

His daughter, Renee Benson spent five hours on the witness stand. It's the second time Renee has had to testify in the high-stakes family feud.

In a San Antonio hearing about moves to swap assets in her trust, Renee described a relationship with her father that had been falling apart over the past several years, with little contact leading up to Tom Benson's decision to fire her from his businesses, sending her and her children an email saying he wanted them out of his life.

Monday was the first time the heirs had been in the same room as Tom Benson since that highly-publicized email went out just days after Christmas, according to their attorney Randy Smith.

"The whole thing is hard," Smith said Tuesday.

Tom Benson entered the Civil District Courthouse Tuesday asking reporters, "How y'all doing?" Seeming in good spirits during the first two days of the trial, he remarked at one point Monday that he wanted to give the cameras a smile.

After Renee Benson wrapped up her testimony mid-afternoon Tuesday, Rita Benson LeBlanc took the stand. In recent years, she had been publicly groomed as Benson's heir-apparent to take over the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans. In fact, her attorney said she had even been fully vetted by the National Football League to run the football team.

That all changed in December when Benson decided he wanted his heirs out of the family businesses, instead wanting to hand the reins of his empire over to his wife Gayle.

Rita Benson LeBlanc is expected to re-take the witness stand on Wednesday morning for cross-examination.

Benson heirs take stand in day 2 of competency trial

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

This just wreaks golddigger...

How does an old man dismiss his family by email?!?

Don't trust Renee Benson to do what's in the best interest of New Orleans Saints fans, but I like our chances with Gayle less...

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

:popcorn:

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Smash, don't care which opinion any have formed, even those still on the fence, but that emoticon sums it up dead-on...

And if Saints fans don't consider it important, I've got beach-front in Kansas I'd like to broker them...

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

You know what - screw Renee and Rita and their spoiled a$$es. TB bought and built this business while they were still crapping in their diapers. If my grandfather had a business, then he hired me, then he fired me - for whatever reason - no way could I be such a slimeball to sue him and take him to court. It's his company - he can do whatever he wants with it. It's also his money, so if he wants to take away my trust fund, then oh well. This is just another example of spoiled rich kids trying to ride the coattails of someone else's blood, sweat, tears and money

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Money just brings out the worst in most people.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Amen, Rugs, Amen...

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Right up and until he created those trusts. And HE created them, and he did so for financial reasons. Purely.

Hey I get where you're coming from, but it's just not as cut and dry as you represent. It may very well be another example of spoiled rich kids - I don't think many would argue that - however they do make a compelling case. Accurate or not I have no idea, but plausible to be sure.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

:popcorn:

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

screw them all and sell stock to saints fans. we should own this team

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Better enjoy this season, who knows if there will be another?

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

It's not "if there will be another season", it's "Where will the team be located". If Renee and Rita win; San Antonio is in the very near future.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

The NFL will never let that happen. The GB situation works great but it will never happen again.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

The businesses and money he made are his to do with as he pleases. Hes the one who built his empire up from nothing. If Rita and the family were smart they would have had all the paperwork in place to protect themselves well before Benson got to an age where illness or dementia set in.
Rita is not an idiot. Obviously Benson knew something like this may happen or he himself would have named them power of attorney in the event of illness or dementia well before now.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

While simply the idea that Benson should be able to do with his stuff what he desires rings true, for tax and financial reasons he created the trust and there are restrictions there.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Against NFL rules. No can do.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Tom is the one who wanted to move to San Antonio, not Rita.

Re: Benson's daughter and granddaughter testified in court Tuesday, for hours.
 

Sapper, need to google and do some research...

Let me get you started...

Tagliabue's hand in saving Saints aided New Orleans' Katrina rally - NFL - CBSSports.com

Rita Benson LeBlanc timeline: Rise and fall of the heir to the New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com

Rita Benson LeBlanc timeline: Rise and fall of the heir to the New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com

Rita Benson LeBlanc timeline: Rise and fall of the heir to the New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com

Rita Benson LeBlanc timeline: Rise and fall of the heir to the New Orleans Saints | NOLA.com

Be informed, know your history for those who ignore it are doomed to repeat it...