Family disputes have caused actor Mickey Rooney's body to be left unclaimed days after his death.
The Los Angeles Times reports Rooney is estranged from most of his children, but the family is split in the middle regarding what to do with their father's remains. A judge ruled Rooney's body could not be claimed until the issues were resolved.
Problems began in the Rooney family when his wife, Jan Chamberlin, and her son, Christopher Aber, attempted to claim the Mickey's body against his written wishes. According to the LA Times, Charlene Rooney claimed she and Mickey's stepson and caretaker Mark Rooney received call about Chamberlin's attempt to take Mickey's body.
"Mickey was not even gone for a few hours, he had just left here on a gurney, and this ugliness started," she said. "Mickey hasn't even seen or spoken to Jan in two years, Chris in almost three years."
According to Radar Online, Rooney purposely omitted eight of his children in his will expect for stepson Mark, whom he left Mark his $18,000 estate.
"The fight over Rooney's burial is the latest chapter in a long-running feud in the courts that began in 2011 with Rooney filing an elder abuse lawsuit against Aber and his wife," the LA Times reports. "Rooney had allowed Aber to begin handling his affairs in 2001, but the arrangement soon became exploitative, Rooney alleged in court papers. Rooney personally testified about the treatment at a Senate hearing on elder abuse in 2011."
However, Yevgeny Belous, one of Chamberlin's attorneys, claims Jan just wants to give Rooney a proper burial.
"It's Mickey Rooney, after all," he said. "Everyone involved wants to make sure Mickey is honored, and we don't want to spend unnecessary time and effort in a court fight."
Rooney died on Sunday. The "Breakfast At Tiffany's" actor was 93-years-old.
