SmashMouth

Former New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson's last will and testament indicates he wanted his wife, Gayle Benson, as sole beneficiary and that he left no inheritance to his daughter, Renee Benson, or grandchildren, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc.

The will, filed in New Orleans civil court Friday (March 16) and posted in its entirety by WVUE Fox 8 News on Saturday, leaves all of Benson's property to a trust the billionaire established the same day he signed the will in July 2015.

The rules for that 2015 trust were not listed in the will filed in court. But the will says if that original trust is no longer in existence at Benson's death, his entire fortune goes to a separate trust run by Gayle Benson and Dennis Lauscha, president of the pro sports franchises, who is also named as executor of Benson's estate.

"I specifically provide that Renee Benson, Rita LeBlanc, Ryan LeBlanc and all of their descendants shall have no interest in my succession whatsoever, and no legacy or other inheritance or benefit of any kind shall be paid to any of them under this will or otherwise," says the will, signed by Tom Benson and witnessed by Archbishop Gregory Aymond and two attorneys.



Benson signed his will July 27, 2015, a little more than one month after Orleans Civil District Judge Kern Reese ruled him competent in a legal battle with his daughter and grandchildren, who had argued he was experiencing mental decline and was being unduly influenced by his wife and an inner circle of Saints and Pelicans executives.




The legal fight began after Tom Benson announced he was severing ties with his daughter and two grandchildren. It remains unclear whether they now intent to challenge his will.

Benson, who died at 90 on Thursday after a weeks-long battle with the flu, made arrangements before his death to ensure Gayle Benson, his third wife, would take ownership of the Saints and Pelicans. The NFL and NBA both approved the ownership transfer.

The will also included contingency plans that would have given significant power to Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis and Senior Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel, though those plans were not necessary at the time of Benson's death.

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