Richard Dreyfuss sues his own father and his uncle

It’s not every day that a child sues his father. Especially when the child is 60. And a famous actor. Suing over a 24-year-old loan. But that’s exactly what Richard Dreyfuss is doing. In 2984 Dreyfuss loaned his father and uncle $870,000. A hefty sum today, and certainly a heftier one back then. Apparently the elder Dreyfusses assumed Richard would forget about it or something, because they never felt the need to pay any of it back. And after 24 years, Richard Dreyfuss is damn pissed.

Richard Dreyfuss is suing his father and uncle over an $870,000 loan he claims was never repaid. The lawsuit centers around a loan Dreyfuss claims he made to his relatives in 1984, who owned an interest in a downtown Los Angeles office building.

Roughly 24 years later, Dreyfuss says that loan - and interest - remains unpaid. In his lawsuit filed Friday, Dreyfuss says his uncle, Gilbert Dreyfuss, has repeatedly refused to turn over records that would show its financial status.

Phone and e-mail messages left for Gilbert Dreyfuss were not immediately returned. A woman who answered the phone at an address registered to Dreyfuss' father, Norman, said he could not be reached there.

Dreyfuss alleges his uncle and father, Norman Dreyfuss, have acted with "fraud" and "malice." He is seeking a repayment of the loan, plus interest and punitive damages.

[From the Huffington Post]

I couldn’t find any birth date for Dreyfuss’ father Norman, but considering Richard is 60, it’s safe to assume his father is probably somewhere in his eighties. I’m guessing this would be quite the financial burden to him, but who knows. I’d think that if his own son is suing him, he must actually think there’s some money that he can collect. I wouldn’t imagine Richard would go this far to be punitive, but who knows.

I wonder how long this has been an issue of contention for the family. I doubt they were fine for twenty three years and then all of a sudden Dreyfuss couldn’t take it anymore. Something tells me this won’t exactly heal any wounds.

Here’s Richard Dreyfuss at the Big Apple Comic Book, Toy and Sci-Fi Expo in New York on June 8th. Images thanks to WENN. Header image from the "Night of 100 Stars" Oscar Gala in Beverly Hills in February 2007. Images thanks to PR Photos.