Vanessa Amorosi’s Legal Battle: Pop Star Sues Mother for Property Ownership
Emotional Testimony: Vanessa Amorosi’s Struggle for Control of Her Finances and Properties
Vanessa Amorosi, the Australian performer known for her pop star status, found herself in an emotional battle at the Victorian Supreme Court as she pursued a lawsuit against her mother, Joyleen Robinson. The heart of the legal feud revolves around the ownership of two significant properties that were acquired as a result of Vanessa’s music career success.
One of these properties is an expansive eight-hectare estate nestled in Narre Warren, a suburb in Melbourne’s southeastern region. The other is Vanessa’s current residence in California. It’s a contentious dispute that has left many in shock, as family ties are tested in the court of law.
In a compelling and tearful testimony given in court, Vanessa Amorosi painted a picture of financial mismanagement and ultimate control exerted by her mother, Joyleen Robinson. Vanessa, who is now 42 years old, claims that from the very start of her career, her mother advised her not to trust anyone but her when it came to managing her finances. According to Amorosi, her mother acted out of fear, believing that others might try to take her hard-earned money.
Robinson had set up a trust back in 1999, into which all of Vanessa’s income from music sales, royalties, and touring was directed. It was from this trust that around $650,000 was used to purchase the Narre Warren property in 2001. Vanessa alleged that her mother had bought the property without her input and had included her name as a joint-owner on the title.
In a poignant moment during the trial, Vanessa expressed her disappointment when she first saw the Narre Warren house, admitting that she had not wanted such a massive property. The situation became even more complex in 2005 when Amorosi purchased another home in the outer Melbourne suburb of Officer, using yet another trust established by her mother to manage her assets. Surprisingly, despite her significant earnings, Vanessa had to take out a loan to secure the Officer property.
What’s particularly distressing is that Vanessa revealed she had never sought any professional advice before signing mortgages or guarantees with the bank; she simply signed documents at her mother’s insistence. This financial arrangement and the lack of independence were clearly affecting Vanessa’s life and career.
The story takes an even more dramatic turn when we learn that Amorosi later moved to California, both for career opportunities and to be with her boyfriend, and she purchased a property there. To secure the loan for the U.S. house, Vanessa had to use her Narre Warren and Officer properties, along with two residential units.
Amorosi had initially believed that the Officer property and the units would be sold to pay down the mortgage, but this did not materialize. In 2014, she was compelled to sell her Californian home because she could no longer afford the property.
The breaking point in this family saga occurred when Vanessa confronted her mother about her finances, and Robinson shockingly accused her of having spent all the money. Understandably, this confrontation led to a significant falling out between the two and prompted Vanessa to seek legal recourse.
As the courtroom drama unfolds before Justice Steven Moore, the battle between Vanessa Amorosi and her mother continues, with lawyers on both sides making their cases. The allegations, accusations, and emotions run high in this legal war over property ownership and control, and the final outcome remains uncertain.
By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed
