Gary Coleman's Funeral Canceled Due to Family Feud

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 4th 2010 03:00PM

Gary Coleman will not be buried this weekend as originally planned, as his ex-wife Shannon Price is fighting with his estranged parents about the location of his burial, TMZ reports. Coleman died Friday at age 42 in a Utah hospital following a fall that resulted in a brain hemorrhage, and the TV star's parents are seeking custody of his body and want it returned to the star's boyhood home in Illinois, his former manager, Victor Perillo, told the Associate Press on Thursday.

Perillo said Coleman's parents, Sue and Willie Coleman, are the legal custodians of his body because Coleman and Price divorced in 2008. But a rep for Gary's ex-wife claims Price is the executor of the actor's will and has the power to make all decisions regarding the funeral and his estate.

"The Colemans don't want to fight with anyone," their lawyer said in a statement. "They just want to bring their son home."

According to TMZ, a mortuary is holding Coleman's remains and his funeral has been canceled for now.

Coleman died after suffering an intracranial hemorrhage that left him in a coma and on life support. The 'Diff'rent Strokes' actor was taken to the hospital on May 26, and his condition deteriorated as the days went on. After being on life support for at least a day, the decision was made to remove the actor from the machinery that was keeping him alive.

Price has been under scrutiny since Coleman's death after speculation ignited over whether she, as his ex-wife, had the authority to make medical decisions for the unresponsive actor. Though they have been divorced since August 2008, they continued to be together.

Previously, Janet Frank, spokeswoman for the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, in Provo, Utah, told PEOPLE, "Shannon certainly portrayed herself as his wife to our staff and doctors. We assumed she was telling the truth. We can't comment on specific details in Mr. Coleman's case, but in general, any patient on life support is thoroughly evaluated medically before life support is ended."

The hospital later clarified the matter, noting in a statement that Coleman had signed an Advanced Health Care Directive, which gave Price permission to make medical decisions on his behalf.

Regardless of the medical legalities, Coleman's former lawyer, Randy Kester, predicts further controversies over Price's authority. "I don't think anyone is looking at criminal wrongdoing here, but this raises the issue of the appropriateness of her making the decision to take him off life support," Kester told the New York Daily News. "She might have subjectively felt she was still his wife."

The Coleman 911 tape was released to the press. On the tape, Price seems reluctant to help the actor, stating she didn't "want to be traumatized right now" since she had a fever.

Tags: Gary Coleman

Comments

(143)

Friday 04 June

By James of Baltimore

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Im just disgusted by all this the man has died let him rest in peace finally and away from his so called " loving parents " !

By Ginger Root

Shannon's not much. But what did these "parents" ever do for Gary except rob him blind when he was a child? They were "estranged" for a reason. If Gary had wanted it differently, he would have done something about it while he lived.

By mickey

This is the strangest damn dysfunctional mess. Why is it even being splashed in our face. Its like AOL is the new internet National Enquirer. Funny, stupid, ridiculous sensationalism.

By Rachel

after different strokes didn't gary coleman divorce or sue his parents after he found out all the money they stole from him as a child actor? I mean he told them where the door was, and now we are getting a replay of an anna nicole scene to where the parents want the body so they can still make money by saying pay to see my childs grave....sad..sad...sad..and this is what is happening..hoping this woman coleman loved until his death gets the custody of his body and estate..you parents were let go many years ago by gary coleman in court..or have you forgotten?..still wanna make a buck off him don't ya? you pathetic parasites....

Saturday 05 June

By Rob

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I AGREE 100%. HIS SO CALLED PARENTS HAVE BEEN ESTRANGED FROM HIM ALL THAT TIME. LET THEM STAY GONE! HE LEFT HIS EX-WIFE IN CHARGE.
SO BE IT.

By Jewell

Loving pareents or bytchful wife? Which one is worse, taking all your money or pulling you off life support? You decide?

By Sandy

I too am disgusted by this whole mess. The man is gone. His parents robbed him blind when he was alive. He "divorced" himself from them because all they obviously cared about was the fact that their son, that they adopted, is now a star. Let the man rest in peace. Shannon might not be the best answer but she is better than his "parents".

By kevin

Gosh, Gary is safe now. Getting away from those people is the best thing he ever done.

By leon

reminds me of the Michael Jackson saga.

By King David

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What's the problem??? Just put him in a garbage bag and leave him by the curb for morning pick-up. That's all the little WOMAN BEATING CREEP deserves.

By kryjef

so many people on here posting about how his parents did this or that well maybe they did or maybe they didnt same as his ex-wife maybe she did or maybe she didnt i dont know any more than any others out there cause just like you i wasnt there either nor have i read any transcripts from the courts sp quit bashing when you dont have all the facts other than what you read in the papers RIP GARY

Wednesday 09 June

By guest

This for King David,
Thanks for letting your family what to do with you when you die.

By oscar

YOU ARE SO RIGHT. THIS LITTLE GUY HAD NUMEROUS MEDICAL PROBLEMS
ALONG WITH BEING EXPLOITED BY ANYONE THAT HE TRUSTED. GOD BLESS HIM. PEOPLE LEAVE HIM RIP.

Tuesday 08 June

By j.r.

you are right keep him away from his parents, after all that they did to him spending all his money, tht he had to sue the nice parents ?????

By Judy

Please go back and listen more carefully to the 911 call! She is NOT saying she had a fever, she said she could have a seizure. There are really people out there that when over excited or stimulated, they can have what is similar to an epileptic seizure. I have heard of it, and know of someone who has that. Over excitement is all it takes sometime. She thought that if she had a seizure, then no one could help Gary.

By Kimmie

Someone that truly loves their spouse would put that crap aside and help. All of us would help our kids and parents in the same situation. I love my husband and as much as I hate the site of blood, I know my brain would be on auto pilot.

Sunday 06 June

By XB

You are an idiot Judy. Everybody hit the nail on the head except you.

By Julie

I heard the tape, and it's certainly understandable that someone might think she said "fever", when she did say "seizure". That said, is it irony or something else that Gary Coleman had a few unexplained seizures in the past months, and they've said the possibility exists that his fall was caused by a seizure. Seizures can be caused by seizure medication if it's taken by someone who doesn't need it. Just sayin'...

If anything had happened to her by helping him, he would NOT have been alone, since the 911 call recorded another person's voice speaking, and it was at the same time that Gary was supposedly "breathing" and "gurgling", not while he was standing and groaning.

AND she has said that her Father was there with her at the time. So the Father could have helped either one, or both of them and there is NO excuse for at least one of them not to have helped Gary.

If you listen to that 911 call, she sounds anything BUT the loving ex-wife. Having been in a profession where I heard far too many 911 calls and spoke with far too many grieving or scared loved ones, that has to be one of the coldest, uncaring callers ever. She didn't want to look at him, check him, put a towel under his head, and in fact she coldly yelled at him with more concern for herself than him.

By Nan Hahn (thinkingperson)

You're absolutely correct, Judy! People just don't pay attention!

By Sunday

I agree with Judy too.
Also, IMO, I think Coleman's ex-wife did the right thing by taking Gary off of life support. His injury was so bad that if he would have lived, he would have lived an even worse life medically than he was currently living. Also, he would not have ever been the same (brain activity) again. Who wants to live the rest of their life that way? Evidentally, Gary made it known exactly what his last wishes were in advance and his ex was just following through with it.

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