EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: Gary Coleman Forced To Pick Between Two Women Now Fighting For His Estate
June 24 2010, Published 1:45 p.m. ET
Diff’rent Strokes star Gary Coleman was forced to choose between his ex-girlfriend and Shannon Price, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Randy Kester, the star’s long-time attorney, told RadarOnline.com the actor faced the dilemma after the two women collided.
“Anna’s a lady who worked with Gary for about eight years from about ’97 or 98 to about 2005 or 2006,” he said.
“She actually worked with him as his manager. I think, quite frankly, she became a confidante of Gary’s. He would tell her things that he didn’t share with a lot of other people.
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The couple became more than just friends, but when Coleman met Price things changed drastically.
Said Kester, “My understanding from my discussion with Anna is that she and Gary had a romantic relationship -- that they were very close to one another, close enough that they lived together for those 2 or 3 months until it fell apart.”
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“Shannon came on the picture and that just didn’t mix well and Anna didn’t want any part of it,” he added.
“She indicated to me she felt uncomfortable making Gary uncomfortable because Shannon was making Gary make a choice, make a decision and Anna just respectfully said "I don’t want to do this to you, Gary. I’ll always be your friend, but I’m going to move on.’"
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Gray was named executor of a will signed in 2005 ‹ a will that Kester thinks will be determined as Coleman’s valid will.
Price has a handwritten codicil from 2007.
Coleman had told Gray that he put her in his will, but she had never seen it until he died.
“Anna was surprised when she found out that Gary had named her as the executor and as a partial beneficiary in that will,” Kester said.
“When she first found out about it she was emotionally overwhelmed. I think it struck her right in her heart and she had a hard time reacting to it.
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“I really truly believe that the 2005 will that Gary signed appointing Anna as the executor and a partial beneficiary giving his railroads to other people, I think that will is going to prevail.
“I think Shannon is going to have a really hard time of proving her case of common law marriage.”
Although the couple divorced in 2008, Coleman and Price were living together and they were planning to re-marry.