Oh man, this is just sad if it’s true. Insiders are saying that Don Cornelius committed suicide so that he could try to prevent his ex-wife from cashing in on his two life insurance policies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Don and his ex-wife Viktoria Chapman Cornelius had a very tumultuous relationship, which ended in divorce in 2009. Don reported that he was peppered sprayed by his wife on multiple occasions and she accused him of domestic violence, which he was eventually convicted of.
In official legal docs obtained by TMZ, Don said, “I am 72 years old. I have significant health issues. I want to finalize this divorce before I die.” Unfortunately, there was a provision in his divorce settlement that says that Don must make Viktoria the beneficiary of both of his life insurance policies – totaling around $300,000 in benefits.
Under California law, if a policyholder commits suicide within two years of the time the policy is issued, the company can deny payment. But Don had the policy for more than two years, so Viktoria, the woman he despised, will get the cash. So sad.
Source: TMZ.com