A longtime producer for the late Larry King says in new court papers that he witnessed the radio and TV icon’s widow, Shawn King — who is suing the producer and others, alleging millions of dollars from her husband’s estate were wrongfully kept from her — mistreating and abusing King as well as isolating him from visitors.
In her lawsuit brought Oct. 6 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the 63-year-old Shawn King alleges Blouin & Co. colluded with Larry King Jr. to divest her from the estate in addition to illegally transferring millions of dollars to numerous people and entities without her permission. She seeks over $100 million for claims that include professional negligence and fraud.
The suit alleges that Blouin managed secret bank accounts to facilitate transfer of funds directed by King Jr., who allegedly gifted money to several others. Those named in the complaint include Greg Christensen, a producer on the “Larry King Live” television show from 1998 until its conclusion in 2010, and Becky Radant, King’s former assistant, who allegedly helped Blouin keep financial information away from Shawn King. Radant was allegedly paid $50,000 and Christensen $40,000. They allegedly used the money to buy designer clothes, jewelry, furniture and other items.
On Friday, Christensen’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss him as a defendant in the case under the state’s anti-SLAPP — Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation — law, which is intended to prevent people from using courts, and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate those who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
“The payments by Larry King to Christensen, which serve as the entire basis for the suit by (Shawn King) against Christensen, were made by Larry King or Larry King’s accountants in order to reimburse Christensen’s expenses, which were incurred in providing essential litigation support to Larry King,” Christensen’s attorneys state in their anti-SLAPP motion papers.
Assisting a litigant both in the preparation prior to litigation and during litigation are protected activities, Christensen’s attorneys further state in their court papers.
Christensen, at Larry King’s request, helped King move out of his house to escape Shawn King’s control in order for Larry King to prepare to file for divorce, Christensen’s lawyers state in their court papers.
“At Larry King’s direction, Christensen paid for a hotel room for Larry King to escape Shawn King and then Christensen located an apartment and purchased furnishings for the apartment with Christensen’s own money,” the producer’s lawyers state in their court papers. “This allowed Larry King to escape Shawn King’s abuse and was essential to Larry King being able to file for divorce.”
In a sworn declaration in support of the anti-SLAPP motion, Christensen says that he saw Shawn King mistreat and abuse Larry King after her husband returned home from a hospital, where he was treated for a stroke.
“Shawn King prohibited Larry King from living or sleeping in the main home and forced him to live and sleep only in the backhouse, which was located behind their home which Larry King had purchased,” Christensen says. “Shawn King also deprived Larry King of his wallet and sometimes his phone for extended periods of time, keeping him trapped in the back house.”
Shawn King further abused her spouse by limiting the resources the his caregivers had in order to take care of him, so if something was not in the back house, the caregivers had to provide their care without it or wait until it could be brought next time, according to Christensen.
Shawn King also tried to limit or prevent people from seeing her husband after his stroke, Christensen says.
“Shawn King made false statements to me, like telling me that for medical reasons Larry King was not allowed to have visitors, (but) that same day I spoke to the caregivers in the back house who informed me that Larry King was feeling fine and that visitors would actually help his recovery,” Christensen says. “I also observed Larry King on that same day and saw with my own eyes that Larry King was fine and was able to have visitors.”
Larry King told Christensen that he had been asking for the producer to visit him, Christensen says.
“I know that others had this same experience as well and that (Shawn King) made the same types of incorrect statements to others,” Christensen says.
Shawn King also used the home’s surveillance and intercom system to monitor and listen to people who visited Larry, including Christensen, he says.
A hearing on Christensen’s anti-SLAPP motion is scheduled May 30 before Judge Michael L. Stern.
Larry King died of sepsis at age 87 in January 2021. He and Shawn King, his seventh wife, were estranged and going through divorce proceedings at the time of his death.