Journalist Cid Moreira, icon of Brazilian television, died at age 97 in Rio de Janeiro, leaving a will that excludes his two children from his fortune. The decision, taken amid a series of lawsuits filed by the heirs, promises to generate a long legal battle.
In recent years, Cid Moreira’s life has been marked by an intense legal dispute with his two sons, Roger and Rodrigo. Rodrigo is the result of the announcer’s relationship with Olga Verônica Radenzev, with whom he was married between 1970 and 1972. Roger is the nephew of Cid’s ex-wife, Maria Ulhiana Naumtchyk, and was adopted as an adult by the journalist. He was also the father of Jaciara Moreira, his firstborn who died in 2020.
The heirs filed several lawsuits against the father and his wife, Fátima Sampaio, alleging emotional abandonment, dilapidation of assets and questioning the presenter’s mental health.
THE CNN spoke with experts in family law and succession to understand the case of Cid Moreira and others like it.
Cid Moreira’s will excludes children from inheritance
In his will, Cid Moreira decided to exclude his children from the inheritance, citing the legal proceedings filed against him as justification for the decision. The lawyer specializing in Family and Inheritance Law, Vanessa Paiva, explains that disinheritance is not a simple act and needs to be validated in court, based on robust evidence.
“This is an act of last will, based on the issue of civil and criminal proceedings between children and father. It is important to clarify that disinheritance is not an automatic or simple measure. It needs to be judicially validated, based on robust evidence that the heir committed one of the acts provided for in article 1,814 of the Civil Code”, ponders the expert.
Cid Moreira’s children have the right to challenge the validity of the will in court, presenting their allegations and evidence. The lawyer highlights that Brazilian legislation imposes strict criteria for disinheritance, aiming to avoid arbitrary decisions.
“If Cid Moreira’s children consider that they have been wronged, they have the right to challenge the disinheritance in court, presenting their allegations and any evidence that the accusations made do not correspond to reality”, explains Paiva.
Dispute between children and ex-partner
Rodrigo, son by blood, sued his father for emotional abandonment in 2006, but lost the case. According to him, the journalist paid his pension until he was 18 years old, but he has not fulfilled his role as a father since he broke off his relationship with Olga Radenzev, when Rodrigo was just over 1 year old.
“Subjective offenses, such as lack of affection, do not have sufficient legal relevance to justify the exclusion of an heir. There needs to be much more serious conduct, such as that expressly provided for in the Civil Code, and this must be proven with robust evidence”, says lawyer Aline Avelar.
In 2021, Rodrigo was responsible for initiating another legal process, asking for Cid’s interdiction and the arrest of Fátima Sampaio, his father’s companion. The couple had a 36-year age difference.
Roger Moreira also claimed in 2021 that he was disinherited by the communicator and that he began to have difficulties visiting him. He filed a lawsuit to reunite with his adoptive father and participated with his brother in the accusation process against Fátima.
“Disinherited children can challenge the will in court, especially if they can demonstrate that the reasons given for disinheritance have no legal basis. The courts are very careful when analyzing these issues, and it is common for the decision to exclude heirs to be the subject of legal disputes”, concludes Avelar.
This content was originally published in Herança: understand the case of Cid Moreira and others similar on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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