The widow of Hollywood icon Gene Kelly at war with the son of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall!
Patricia Ward Kelly filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Friday claiming she was approached by Stephen Bogart, son of Hollywood legends Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, in 2008 about a deal to license Gene Kelly Singing in the Rain trading cards.
The younger Bogart, who is no longer involved with the company, is alleged to presented an agreement which gave Patricia approval on all images and text used on the Donruss line of collectibles.
According to the suit, Kelly discovered Donruss had allegedly been making cards and other merchandise without her permission — including a card that contained a "swatch of material… cut from an authentic item personally worn by Gene Kelly".
In the legal docs, Kelly charges the item was "highly offensive and never would have been approved by the Gene Kelly Trust."
Patricia goes on to allege that when she complained about the items, Donruss bosses told her they had signed a deal allowing them to make the cards without her approval, and she’s convinced the document is a fake.
Bosses at Moda where Bogart was employed and Donruss, which has since been sold and renamed Panini America, have been named as defendants in the lawsuit Kelly lawsuit accused of breach of contract, fraud and deceit.
