Shannen Doherty's Estate Accuses Ex-Husband of Withholding Funds and Refusing to Sell £1.2m Home

Shannen Doherty's estate has filed a fresh legal petition accusing her ex-husband, photographer Kurt Iswarienko, of failing to comply with multiple financial and property-related obligations outlined in the couple's divorce settlement.

The latest filing, submitted on 24 November, comes more than a year after the Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210 star died in July 2024 following a long battle with cancer.

According to court documents, Doherty signed the final divorce settlement on 12 July, just one day before her death, while Iswarienko signed on 13 July, the day she passed away.

The petition, filed by Doherty's attorneys alongside Christopher Cortazzo, trustee of the Shannen Doherty Family Trust, claims that Iswarienko has failed to fulfil several 'monetary obligations' agreed during the settlement process.

Dispute Over £1.2m Texas Home

At the centre of the dispute is a £1.2 million ($1.5 million) property in Dripping Springs, Texas. The settlement requires Iswarienko to sell the home and split the proceeds equally with Doherty's estate.

However, he has allegedly 'refused to list' the property for sale. Court papers further suggest that the photographer is still residing at the home, based on a September filing in which his former attorney listed the address as his last known residence.

The estate argues that Iswarienko's continued occupation of the property violates the terms of the agreement and deprives Doherty's beneficiaries of significant funds due to them.

The petition also accuses him of withholding the actress's personal belongings, despite the settlement requiring him to return her possessions in full.

Missing Photographs and Delinquent Obligations

Another dispute concerns a substantial archive of photographs taken of Doherty during the marriage. Under the terms of the divorce, Iswarienko was required to provide an inventory of the collection and deliver copies of all images to Doherty's estate by 1 September 2024.

The new petition states he is now '14 months delinquent', with no inventory provided and no images handed over.

The filing also alleges financial misconduct relating to the sale of a Mooney M-20 aircraft jointly owned by the former couple. Iswarienko was required to buy out Doherty's share for £79,000 ($100,000) and remit the full amount to her estate within five business days of the sale.

While the aircraft was sold in August 2024, he allegedly 'unilaterally withheld' £39,700 ($50,274) from the estate and has yet to pay the outstanding balance, now described as '15 months delinquent'.

A Painful End to an 11-Year Marriage

Doherty, who married Iswarienko in 2011, filed for divorce in April 2023 after 11 years of marriage. Her representative, Leslie Sloane, told People at the time that 'divorce was the last thing Shannen wanted', and that she felt she had 'no other option'.

Months later, the actress disclosed on her podcast that she had discovered Iswarienko had been carrying on an affair for two years : news she received just before undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour.

'I went in after I found out that my marriage was essentially over,' she said in the 2023 episode. 'At the end of the day, I just felt so incredibly unloved by someone I was with for 14 years, by someone I loved with all my heart.'

Unusual Legal Outcome After Doherty's Passing

Although Doherty died a day after signing the divorce papers, the legal effect of her passing was unexpectedly complex.

In most US states, including California, family courts lose jurisdiction over divorce cases once a spouse dies. Typically, this would mean the deceased individual remains legally married, as probate courts do not finalise divorces.

However, in Doherty's case, the family law judge had already approved the settlement before her death, and the divorce judgment was posthumously entered, resulting in her being declared legally single.

The estate's latest petition seeks enforcement of the settlement terms and recovery of the unpaid funds and undistributed assets. The court has yet to schedule a hearing, and Iswarienko has not issued a public response to the new claims.