Jerry Lewis died in 2017 at 91. He left behind a fortune worth an estimated $50 million. His widow, SanDee Pitnick, got the bulk. Their adopted daughter, Danielle, got the rest. The sons from his first marriage? Zilch.
That’s right—Gary, Ronnie, Scott, Christopher, Anthony, and Joseph got a big fat zero. Not even a vintage slapstick prop.
Now, you might think, “Surely there was a last-minute prank will?” Nope. It was ironclad. Legal. And cold.
It Started with a Broken Marriage
The first cracks showed back in the early '80s. Jerry divorced his first wife, Patti Palmer, after nearly 40 years. They had six sons together. Patti got the house; Jerry got bitter.
But here’s where it gets juicy. Jerry reportedly hated how his sons took their mother’s side. He felt betrayed. To him, choosing mom was like choosing enemy territory.
He once said, “If you’re not with me, you’re against me.” For Jerry, that wasn’t a quote—it was a life policy.
