George Harrison's Estate Sues Doctor


NEW YORK (AP) - A doctor forced a weakened George Harrison to autograph a guitar for the physician's teenage son two weeks before the ex-Beatle died of cancer, a lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges.

Filed by Harrison's estate, the suit alleges that the musician tried to resist the request by saying, "I do not even know if I know how to spell my name anymore."

The suit alleges that Dr. Gilbert Lederman responded by saying, "Come on, you can do this," and held Harrison's hand as the musician wrote his name on the guitar "with great effort and much obvious discomfort."

The estate seeks possession of the guitar and two cards it says Harrison signed as he was treated by Lederman, a Staten Island-based expert in treating large tumors with high doses of radiation. Harrison died in November 2001 after battling lung cancer and a brain tumor.


"This lawsuit is strictly allegations. Frankly, I think it's absurd," Lederman's attorney, Wayne Roth, said Tuesday. "He didn't coerce Mr. Harrison."

Harrison's wife and son believe a National Enquirer story about Harrison's death that featured Lederman's son holding the instrument was orchestrated by Lederman to raise the item's value, a lawyer for the Harrison estate said Tuesday.

"George was literally lying there dying and the doctor forced George to sign a guitar," Paul LiCalsi, an attorney for Harrison's estate, said Tuesday. "The doctor should not be permitted to profit from this behavior."

Roth said Lederman's son still plays the guitar and the family has no intention of selling it. The instrument, appraised in connection with a state investigation of Lederman's treatment of Harrison, is worth less than $10,000, Roth said.

The estate also accuses Lederman of violating Harrison's privacy by orchestrating invasive media coverage in the interest of promoting his medical practice.

Lederman conducted interviews about Harrison with several news outlets, many within hours of the ex-Beatle's death, the suit charges.

The state Health Department reprimanded Lederman for talking to the press about Harrison without his consent. Lederman accepted his censure, reprimand and a $5,000 fine, documents show.

Harrison's Doctor Offers to Donate Guitar


NEW YORK (AP) - A doctor accused of coercing ailing ex-Beatle George Harrison into signing a guitar offered on Wednesday to donate the instrument to charity.

A lawyer for Harrison's relatives rejected Dr. Gilbert Lederman's offer as "spin" and said they would not drop a lawsuit against the Staten Island cancer specialist, who treated Harrison.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Lederman of holding Harrison's hand and forcing him to sign the physician's son's guitar over the weakened musician's protestations.

The ex-Beatle died in November 2001, about two weeks after the signing. He was 58.

Lederman's attorney, Wayne Roth, responded in an e-mailed statement Wednesday that: "Dr. Lederman developed a close personal relationship with Mr. Harrison, who freely autographed his son's guitar."

Lederman would like to donate the guitar, which has been valued at less than $10,000, to a charity agreed upon by the doctor and Harrison's estate, Roth wrote.

An attorney for the musician's estate said it was "a ludicrous attempt to put a positive spin on what Dr. Lederman did."

"The Harrison family does not want this object that was obtained in such a cruel and abusive manner to be traded, sold and displayed in the future," Harrison attorney Paul LiCalsi said.

Id sue the bastard too.

What a lousy doctor! How dare he do that to poor George. I wish I were in the jury so I could say HANG HIM!!! He was nothing but GREEDY......... I'm glad the family is suing that guy. He had no respect for a man who was in his deathbed..... :( :crying: And to think that he tried to get over like a FAT RAT!

That's horrible. :( But why is this just coming up now?

George Harrison Autograph Case Settled


NEW YORK (AP) - The estate of George Harrison has settled its lawsuit against a doctor it accused of coercing the dying ex-Beatle into signing a guitar belonging to the doctor's son.

The guitar "will be disposed of privately" and Harrison's estate will give a new guitar to Ariel Lederman, the 14-year-old son of the doctor who treated Harrison for cancer two weeks before his death, according to a joint statement read aloud Friday in federal court. No further details were available.

The settlement came 10 days after the lawsuit was filed against Dr. Gilbert Lederman, his three children and his employer, Staten Island University Hospital.

"George Harrison's music spoke to the heart and soul of my generation," said Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, who presided over the settlement. He said the agreement "preserves the dignity and protects the privacy of all concerned."

Harrison, 58, died in November 2001 after battling lung cancer and a brain tumor.

Two weeks before his death, the lawsuit alleged, Harrison was coerced by Lederman into signing autographs at a house near the Staten Island hospital. Lederman directs the hospital's radiation oncology department, which is known for treating large tumors with high doses of radiation.

Lederman entered uninvited with his three children and had Harrison listen to his son play the guitar before asking the musician to sign the instrument and two cards, the suit charged.

It alleged that the musician tried to resist, saying, "I do not even know if I know how to spell my name anymore."

Lederman held Harrison's hand as the musician wrote his name on the guitar "with great effort and much obvious discomfort," according to the suit. The estate sought possession of the guitar and the two cards.

The agreement prevents all parties from commenting on the dispute or its settlement. It stipulated that it does not indicate wrongdoing by Lederman, his children or the hospital.