Gary Coleman, Shannon Price Were Divorced In 2008
Gary Coleman secretly divorced his short-tempered young wife Shannon Price in 2008 and yet it was Price who directed the doctors to pull the plug on the former child actor, his lawyers disclosed yesterday.
"I don't think anyone is looking at criminal wrongdoing here, but this raises the issue of the appropriateness of her making the decision to take him off life support," said Randy Kester, who handled the secret divorce from Shannon Price, 24.
"They've been divorced since August 2008 but continued to be together. She might have subjectively felt she was still his wife," the lawyer said.
Colemen died at the age of 42 last week. The actor reportedly fell to the floor of his kitchen.
He was rushed to the nearby hospital. It was reported that the actor had suffered a brain hemorrhage and lost consciousness the next day.
Price, who was granted permission to make medical decisions on Coleman's behalf, next day, directed doctors to remove the actor from the life-support.
"An Advanced Health Care Directive remains in effect regardless of a patient's marital status, unless modified by the patient," Utah Valley Regional Medical Center said in a statement.
Kester revealed that Colemand had on-again, off-again with Price.
The news of secret divorce has triggered all kinds of speculation on who will be the successor Coleman's estate.
News of the divorce could complicate who gets hold of Coleman's estate - as meager as his assets may be.
Meanwhile, Price is planning Coleman's funeral later this week in Salt Lake City.
"I heard this big bang. I went downstairs, (and there was) blood everywhere. I don't know if he's okay. I'm not down there right now because I have seizures if I get stressed out," she is heard telling the 911 operator.
Price stuck to her view that she didn't see the accident.
"His head is bloody. There's blood all over the floor," Price said on the tape. "Send someone quick because I don't even know if he's going to be alive. There's a lot of blood on the floor. He's was like bubbling at the mouth."
