The Hong Kong High Court has ruled against actress Ella Koon’s mother in a legal battle over the HK$38 million (US$4.9 million) inheritance of Koon’s late grandmother, Lo Siu-fung.
The court declared Lo’s will invalid, citing undue influence and her cognitive decline at the time of its creation, according to Dimsum Daily.
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Hong Kong actress Ella Koon. Photo from Koon’s Facebook |
Lo, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 85, left behind assets, including cash deposits and real estate worth HK$38 million. Before her death, large sums were transferred to Koon’s brother, while the disputed will named Fung Ming-ip, an associate of Koon’s mother, as the sole beneficiary.
Three of Lo’s daughters contested the will, arguing that Koon’s mother and Fung exerted undue influence over the elderly woman. The court found that Koon’s mother deliberately withheld news of Lo’s passing from her sisters to prevent them from challenging the inheritance.
Expert testimony revealed that Lo lacked the mental capacity to draft a valid will, with medical records indicating she suffered from depression and mild cognitive impairment. The judge labeled Fung a “loyal accomplice” to Koon’s mother and concluded that the will had been created under coercion.
Koon, 45, is a former actress, singer, and model who gained fame in the early 2000s through roles in “Revolving Doors of Vengeance” and “Survivor’s Law II” before stepping away from entertainment to focus on her family.
