LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A lawsuit filed against the late Wayne Rogers by a
onetime actress who says the former “M*A*S*H” star fathered her son and
shirked his support obligations will continue despite the actor’s death, an
attorney for the woman said today.
Melinda Naud filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in August 2013
against Rogers, who died Thursday at age 82 of complications from pneumonia.
Rogers played Trapper John McIntyre on the long-running CBS series.
Naud , 55, had roles on had roles on “Happy Days” and “Operation
Petticoat,” alleges breach of contract, fraud, concealment and false promise.
“The case brought by Melinda Naud on behalf of Wayne’s son, Luigi
Calabrese, will proceed against the estate,” said Naud’s attorney, Steven
Haney.
Haney said a judge is scheduled to hear a motion March 10 to determine
paternity. Rogers and Naud had a written agreement for support in which the
actor agreed to take a paternity test within 30 days of a demand by her
lawyers, according to Haney.
A demand was made on Rogers months ago, Haney said. The agreement states
that if Rogers refuses or fails to take the test, he is deemed to be
Calabrese’s father, according to Haney.
“We are confident that we will prevail,” Haney said.
Rogers’ attorney, Bryan Freedman, said he hopes Naud shows some discretion.
“Wayne was a fantastic actor and an incredibly smart and honorable
businessman,” Freedman said. “Let’s hope that this plaintiff understands
decency.”
According to the complaint, Naud and Rogers met at a celebrity tennis
tournament in 1978 and began a relationship that lasted until 1985, when she
became pregnant with their son.
The suit alleges Rogers, who was married since 1988 to Amy Hirsch, “hid
his relationship with Naud and his son’s existence from his wife … and
pretended as if his son did not exist.”
“Rogers also begged Naud to keep their son’s identity a secret as
Rogers explained that his wife Hirsch would go crazy if she knew he had a
child, as Hirsch desperately wanted a child, but could not as Rogers had a
vasectomy before his marriage with her,” the plaintiff claims.
Rogers said he would cooperate to work out a support agreement for
Luigi, but negotiations were difficult and a written agreement was not attained
until May 1993, according to the plaintiff.
Naud says Rogers agreed to pay $75,000 immediately and to make
subsequent payments for the boy’s general support as well as his college
education all the way through graduate school, along with a $1 million life
insurance policy.
Rogers insisted that the support checks be forwarded to Naud through an
intermediary, the cost of which was ultimately absorbed by her, according to
the suit.
Naud also married, but her husband died in February 1997, prompting her
to ask for additional child support from Rogers for Luigi, the suit says.
Rogers denied the request, but said he would set up a $1 million trust
in their son’s name, provide him a home upon the actor’s death and reimburse
Naud for eight years he did not pay her child support, according to the
complaint.
Luigi was stricken in October 2007 with endocarditis, an inflammation of
the heart lining, muscles and valves caused by bacteria, and later had to
have open-heart surgery, according to the complaint.
In July 2008, Rogers called and asked about their son’s condition, and
Naud told him that a second surgery was pending and that their son would need
medical care for life, her suit says.
“After this phone call, Rogers cut off all communication with Naud and
his son,” according to the suit. “In fact, Rogers failed to so much as pick
up the phone to speak with Luigi. Rogers viewed his son as damaged goods and a
financial liability.”
Despite his condition, Luigi graduated from UCLA in 2012 with a degree
in history, but Rogers refused to pay for his education or for the $1 million
life insurance policy, according to his mother.
Naud also alleges Rogers understated his income at the time of the
support agreement was entered when he said he was making $300,000 annually.
Haney said Rogers was scheduled to give a deposition in the case in Florida
two days before the actor’s death, but that it never took place.
Freedman said that despite Naud’s allegations, Rogers was a caring person.
“During his life he helped so many people, including those who
unfortunately only cared about themselves,” Freedman said. “One would think
that, out of respect here, enough is enough, but some people have greed beyond
any and all boundaries.”
“M*A*S*H” aired from September 1972 to February 1983. In recent years,
Rogers also ran an investment strategy firm and other business interests and
was a stock commentator and analyst on the Fox News Channel.
onetime actress who says the former “M*A*S*H” star fathered her son and
shirked his support obligations will continue despite the actor’s death, an
attorney for the woman said today.
Melinda Naud filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in August 2013
against Rogers, who died Thursday at age 82 of complications from pneumonia.
Rogers played Trapper John McIntyre on the long-running CBS series.
Naud , 55, had roles on had roles on “Happy Days” and “Operation
Petticoat,” alleges breach of contract, fraud, concealment and false promise.
“The case brought by Melinda Naud on behalf of Wayne’s son, Luigi
Calabrese, will proceed against the estate,” said Naud’s attorney, Steven
Haney.
Haney said a judge is scheduled to hear a motion March 10 to determine
paternity. Rogers and Naud had a written agreement for support in which the
actor agreed to take a paternity test within 30 days of a demand by her
lawyers, according to Haney.
A demand was made on Rogers months ago, Haney said. The agreement states
that if Rogers refuses or fails to take the test, he is deemed to be
Calabrese’s father, according to Haney.
“We are confident that we will prevail,” Haney said.
Rogers’ attorney, Bryan Freedman, said he hopes Naud shows some discretion.
“Wayne was a fantastic actor and an incredibly smart and honorable
businessman,” Freedman said. “Let’s hope that this plaintiff understands
decency.”
According to the complaint, Naud and Rogers met at a celebrity tennis
tournament in 1978 and began a relationship that lasted until 1985, when she
became pregnant with their son.
The suit alleges Rogers, who was married since 1988 to Amy Hirsch, “hid
his relationship with Naud and his son’s existence from his wife … and
pretended as if his son did not exist.”
“Rogers also begged Naud to keep their son’s identity a secret as
Rogers explained that his wife Hirsch would go crazy if she knew he had a
child, as Hirsch desperately wanted a child, but could not as Rogers had a
vasectomy before his marriage with her,” the plaintiff claims.
Rogers said he would cooperate to work out a support agreement for
Luigi, but negotiations were difficult and a written agreement was not attained
until May 1993, according to the plaintiff.
Naud says Rogers agreed to pay $75,000 immediately and to make
subsequent payments for the boy’s general support as well as his college
education all the way through graduate school, along with a $1 million life
insurance policy.
Rogers insisted that the support checks be forwarded to Naud through an
intermediary, the cost of which was ultimately absorbed by her, according to
the suit.
Naud also married, but her husband died in February 1997, prompting her
to ask for additional child support from Rogers for Luigi, the suit says.
Rogers denied the request, but said he would set up a $1 million trust
in their son’s name, provide him a home upon the actor’s death and reimburse
Naud for eight years he did not pay her child support, according to the
complaint.
Luigi was stricken in October 2007 with endocarditis, an inflammation of
the heart lining, muscles and valves caused by bacteria, and later had to
have open-heart surgery, according to the complaint.
In July 2008, Rogers called and asked about their son’s condition, and
Naud told him that a second surgery was pending and that their son would need
medical care for life, her suit says.
“After this phone call, Rogers cut off all communication with Naud and
his son,” according to the suit. “In fact, Rogers failed to so much as pick
up the phone to speak with Luigi. Rogers viewed his son as damaged goods and a
financial liability.”
Despite his condition, Luigi graduated from UCLA in 2012 with a degree
in history, but Rogers refused to pay for his education or for the $1 million
life insurance policy, according to his mother.
Naud also alleges Rogers understated his income at the time of the
support agreement was entered when he said he was making $300,000 annually.
Haney said Rogers was scheduled to give a deposition in the case in Florida
two days before the actor’s death, but that it never took place.
Freedman said that despite Naud’s allegations, Rogers was a caring person.
“During his life he helped so many people, including those who
unfortunately only cared about themselves,” Freedman said. “One would think
that, out of respect here, enough is enough, but some people have greed beyond
any and all boundaries.”
“M*A*S*H” aired from September 1972 to February 1983. In recent years,
Rogers also ran an investment strategy firm and other business interests and
was a stock commentator and analyst on the Fox News Channel.
Wayne Rogers, who played ‘Trapper John’ on ‘M*A*S*H,’ dies
By Jason Hanna
CNN
Wayne Rogers, who portrayed wisecracking Army surgeon “Trapper John” McIntyre in the first three seasons of TV’s “M*A*S*H,” died Thursday, his publicist Rona Menashe told Reuters.
He was 82.
Rogers died of complications from pneumonia in Los Angeles, Menashe said.
Rogers’ Trapper John was one half of “M*A*S*H’s” lead tandem of joke-cracking physicians in the first three seasons of CBS’ Korean War comedy-drama, paired with Alan Alda’s Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce. The character had been played by Elliott Gould in the 1970 movie.
But Rogers left the series in a contract dispute in 1975, his character written off as having been discharged, replaced by Mike Farrell’s B.J. Hunnicutt. In addition, as former “M*A*S*H” writer Ken Levine notes, Rogers was “frustrated,” as Trapper John and Hawkeye were supposed to be equals, but Hawkeye proved more popular with the public.
But Rogers never had a problem with his castmates, and he and Alda stayed friends long after he left the show.
Rogers had other TV and movie roles, including a turn as San Francisco surgeon Charley Michaels in the TV comedy “House Calls” from 1979 to 1982.
Rogers was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1933. He graduated from Princeton University with a degree in history, and though he did some acting with a group out of college, he didn’t devote himself to it full time until after military service in the 1950s.
Even then, he didn’t limit himself. A shrewd businessman — he later became a notable real estate developer and investor, with producing credits on several Neil Simon stage hits — he worked on Wall Street as well. In recent years, he appeared as a panelist on the Fox News show “Cashin’ In.”
He told CareerBuilder.com that his creative side helped him achieve success in business.
“It was an advantage that I had no rules to follow, no premade decisions, no ‘books’ to tell me how to find success. This allowed me to take a creative approach rather than an administrative approach,” he said. “It is my belief that the best results in business come from a creative process, from the ability to see things differently from everyone else, and from finding answers to problems that are not bound by the phrase ‘we have always done it this way.’ “
Before “M*A*S*H” came along, Rogers’ roles included spots on several Westerns, “The Fugitive,” “Combat!” and “Cannon.”
Besides “House Calls,” his post-“M*A*S*H” credits included playing himself in “The Larry Sanders Show,” a recurring character on “Murder, She Wrote” and Southern Poverty Law Center co-founder Morris Dees in “Ghosts of Mississippi.” He continued acting until the early 2000s.
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