Comedian Ralphie May‘s widow is fighting for control of a $200,000 tour bus that she claims the late comedian secretly transferred the title in order to hide the asset in their divorce.
Documents obtained by The Blast reveal that Ralphie May’s former manager, Andrew Dorfman, has filed for an injuction to prevent the late comedian’s ex-wife, Lahna Turner, from selling the 2003 Prevost bus model H3-45 that is estimated to be worth $200,000. Dorfman filed the injunction, claiming that May died owing him a substantial amount of money.
Videos by PopCulture.com
May and Turner purchased the bus in 2008 after they created the entertainment company Deez Nutz Entertainment. Turner claims that after filing for divorce, her ex-husband created a separate company and secretly transferred the title of the bus over to that in order to hide the asset in their divorce. She also claims that May violated a temporary injunction in the divorce prohibiting either side from transferring or selling marital property, therefore making the transfer fraudulent.
In December, Turner also filed filed subpoenas for Andrew and Brian Dorfman, the entertainer’s manager and producing partner, claiming that her late husband was working on secret projects and gifting sizable presents and payouts to his crew without her knowledge.
Turner reportedly wanted the Dorfmans to forfeit all documents related to May’s ongoing projects, intellectual rights or other work she may not have been aware of. She also requested all documents regarded communications or meetings they had with her late estranged husband related to his business and financial status.
She also wanted the men to return any of May’s personal or company property they possessed at the time of his death in October. Legal documents showed that she had also requested an itemized list of anything the comedian gifted or sold them since January 1, 2015, as she and May filed for divorce in May 2015, but it was not finalized before his death.
Prior to the comedian’s death, he and his ex-wife had reportedly been arguing over his financial status during divorce proceedings. On Sept. 22, Turner received permission from a judge to hire a forensic expert to examine May’s finances, estimating his worth and the amount he should be expected to pay in child and spousal support.
May was expected to pay the auditor’s $3,000 retainer. All the while, he was still paying all of Turner’s bills, including car insurance and home security, as well as his kids’ tutors and music lessons. He was also covering $9,000 per month in temporary child support, and the $2,200 monthly minimum on Turner’s credit card.
Before the issues were resolved, however, May died at age 45 after battling pneumonia. He was discovered on October 6 at a private residence in Las Vegas, a city in which he had an entertainment residency at Harrah’s.
May’s cause of death was confirmed as hypertensive cardiovascular disease, according to the Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg.
