After Nick Saban declined the University of Texas football job, the bad week for UT continued when a jury determined that a painting of Farrah Fawcett by Andy Warhol belonged to Ryan O'Neal and was not part of her art collection that she left to the university. She left none of her estate to long time lover O'Neal which forced him to fight for the ownership of the painting which is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $12 million.
Several points:
1. Marriage can provide legal protection. If Ryan and Farrah had married, he would have been entitled to one-third of her estate as a matter of law and could have skipped the drama over the painting.
2. When one's former girlfriend/lover/companion leaves $100K to a college boyfriend and nothing to you, perhaps your relationship is not comparable to the idyllic "Love Story." Love means never having to fight over a portrait of the deceased.
3. A photograph with painted eyes and lipstick is worth seven figures?
