Full Coverage: Sumner Redstone’s declining health

Billionaire Sumner Redstone is suing two former companions for what he says was elder abuse, alleging in court documents that the two women schemed to isolate him from his family as they drained his financial accounts.

A Delaware judge on Thursday granted a request by attorneys for Sumner Redstone to halt evidence gathering, including a possible deposition of the ailing media mogul, in a Viacom shareholder lawsuit until he rules on a defense motion to dismiss the complaint.

Sumner Redstone and his daughter, Shari, have officially taken a key step toward putting Viacom and CBS back together again.

The oft-foretold reunification of CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. may be moving closer to reality.

Viacom Inc.’s leadership was thrown into question Wednesday as the company announced that interim Chief Executive Thomas Dooley would step down and that its financial performance was worse than previously thought.

Former Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman’s controversial plan to bolster Viacom’s finances by selling a 49% interest in Paramount Pictures appears doomed.

A settlement ending the bitter battle over media mogul Sumner Redstone’s mental competency and the future of Viacom Inc. received the blessing of a Massachusetts judge on Friday — but only after an intervention to mend a rift within the famously fractious Redstone family.

Paramount Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive Brad Grey has been widely criticized for his stewardship of the storied but struggling movie studio.

The boardroom war for control of Viacom Inc. ended in victory for Sumner Redstone and his family with the resignation of Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and the installation of new members to the company’s board.

Shari Redstone would tell her tough-as-nails father, Sumner Redstone, that she possessed 80% of his brains, 90% of his passion and 100% of his obsessive personality.

The drama surrounding Sumner Redstone and the corporate governance of Viacom Inc. hasn’t been an endorsement for publicly held companies controlled by a single family.

Talks have accelerated to end the bitter boardroom dispute between Sumner and Shari Redstone and Viacom’s top officers, with Chief Executive Philippe Dauman expected to leave with a generous exit package, according to three people close to the situation.

Embattled Viacom Inc.

Viacom Inc.’s plan to sell a stake in its historic Hollywood movie studio, Paramount Pictures, suffered another setback Friday when the Redstone family publicly reaffirmed its opposition.

Philippe Dauman, the chief executive of Viacom Inc., is laying the groundwork to leave the company if Sumner Redstone’s attempt to oust him from the board is successful.

Lawyers for Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman on Monday pressed a Massachusetts court to fast-track a trial over his removal from the trust that will control the company.

Leonardo DiCaprio came to the Sunset Tower Hotel with a birthday gift for Paramount Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive Brad Grey.

Sumner Redstone’s former companion, Manuela Herzer, lost her bid for a new trial in her continued legal effort to have the 93-year-old media mogul declared mentally incompetent.

One question looms large as pressure mounts on Viacom Inc.

A Massachusetts judge on Thursday put off a decision on whether to toss out a lawsuit that challenges the mental competency of mogul Sumner Redstone, keeping alive a contentious fight over the future of media company Viacom Inc.

Sumner Redstone’s investment vehicle stepped up its campaign against Viacom board members who contend that the ailing 93-year-old mogul lacks the capacity to make decisions about his family’s media empire.

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and a fellow director on Thursday demanded an “immediate” mental examination of Sumner Redstone, in the latest move in the war over the 93-year-old media mogul’s empire.

Sumner Redstone’s mental capacity will play a key role in the dispute over the media mogul’s move to oust five Viacom board members, a Delaware judge said Wednesday.

Sumner Redstone’s lawyers are asking a probate judge to dismiss a high-stakes lawsuit that challenges the mogul’s decision to oust two longtime advisors from their influential roles helping oversee the Redstone family’s media empire.

The ongoing Sumner Redstone corporate soap opera continued Thursday with the move by mogul and his daughter Shari to unseat five members of Viacom Inc.’s governing board.

Viacom Inc. is urging a judge to expedite legal proceedings in Delaware because of the fragile health of media mogul Sumner Redstone and because any delay could hamper the company’s efforts to raise money by selling a stake in Paramount Pictures.

In a bold stroke, Sumner Redstone and his daughter said they were replacing five members of Viacom Inc.’s governing board, including Viacom Chairman and Chief Executive Philippe Dauman -- a move aimed at putting them in uncontested control of the beleaguered media company.

The boardroom battle raging at media company Viacom Inc. has roiled one oft-forgotten contingent: Viacom’s workforce.

In a dramatic move that suggests a major shake-up at media company Viacom Inc. may be imminent, Sumner Redstone said Wednesday that he has lost confidence in his hand-picked board members who oversee the media company.

Sumner Redstone briefly visited his treasured movie studio Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles last week, but Viacom board members say their efforts in recent weeks to meet with the 93-year-old media mogul have been thwarted.

Sumner Redstone’s former companion, Manuela Herzer, is renewing her legal effort to have Redstone declared mentally incompetent, comparing the ailing 93-year-old billionaire media mogul to the bumbling “King Lear” in the William Shakespeare tragedy.

When it comes to executive compensation, few corporate chieftains have soared to the sky-high levels enjoyed by Sumner Redstone and his top lieutenants, Leslie Moonves and Philippe Dauman.

Battle for control of Viacom flared up with the Sumner Redstone family working to line up prospective new board members, and Viacom executives countering that the clan’s recent actions – including efforts to scuttle a sale of nearly half of Paramount Pictures – could harm other investors.

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said the planned sale of a 49% stake in Paramount Pictures has hit a speed bump because of the battle with the company’s controlling shareholder, Sumner Redstone, but that Viacom is pushing forward with its pursuit of a strategic investor for the Melrose Avenue movie studio.

The battle between ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone and his longtime protege Philippe Dauman intensified Monday when the family’s holding company moved to block the potential sale of a stake in Paramount Pictures.

Lawyers for Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman assert in new court papers that ailing Sumner Redstone should submit to an “immediate medical evaluation” by a neutral doctor to determine the media mogul’s mental capacity.

Media mogul Sumner Redstone may have dealt a potential death blow to Viacom Inc.’s plan to sell a stake in movie studio Paramount Pictures.

More volleys were exchanged Tuesday in the battle for control of media company Viacom Inc. as a representative of Shari Redstone denounced statements made this week by Viacom’s lead independent board member.

Sumner Redstone is asking a court to derail Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman’s efforts to quickly reclaim a seat on a trust that eventually will oversee the mogul’s $40-billion media empire.

Sumner Redstone is mentally competent, according to a UCLA geriatric psychiatrist who has examined the ailing media mogul twice during the last two weeks.

Sumner Redstone’s granddaughter Keryn Redstone said she was joining the high-level fight for control of media companies CBS and Viacom – on the opposite side of her famous family members.

Gearing up for a battle for control of media company Viacom, board members on Monday took the unusual step of vowing to fight an expected campaign by Sumner Redstone and his family to shake up the board.

Sumner Redstone had his reasons when he split his media empire into two separate corporations a decade ago: He had two strong top executives whom he wanted to keep happy, and more than enough successful businesses to go around.

Shari Redstone has long been on the sidelines of her father’s $40-billion media empire.

Sumner M.

Media mogul Sumner Redstone for years has lavished praise on his protégé, Philippe Dauman, calling him “the wisest man I have ever known,” and trusting him with the keys to his corporate kingdom.

Ownership of movie studio Paramount Pictures has become a key issue in the high-stakes battle over the future of Sumner Redstone’s media empire.

The struggle for control of Sumner Redstone’s media empire — Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. — culminated in a dramatic showdown Friday night.

Viacom’s board on Wednesday decided to eliminate one of the last corporate perks for its ailing founder, Sumner Redstone.

In a victory for media mogul Sumner Redstone, a Los Angeles judge dismissed a lawsuit that challenged his mental competence, removing one of the clouds that have been hanging over his family’s corporate empire.

Tout ça pour ça as they say in French — all this for this?

Hoping to salvage their high-stakes legal case, lawyers representing Sumner Redstone’s former companion argued Sunday that a judge should look beyond the media mogul’s fiery testimony to determine whether he has been unduly influenced by the people who surround him -- including his daughter.

Media mogul Sumner Redstone will have to provide testimony in an upcoming trial to determine whether he is mentally competent, a dramatic turn in the high-profile case that his lawyers had been fighting to prevent for months.

New court documents reveal that Sumner Redstone’s former girlfriends received $150 million from him over a five-year period.

Sumner Redstone became his own star witness Friday, appearing in Los Angeles Superior Court via a videotaped deposition to blast his former companion Manuela Herzer and her attempt to gain authority over his health care.

It’s a Hollywood tale for the ages, colored by power struggles, family rifts, sex and a vast fortune.

A Los Angeles County judge on Wednesday denied a request by Sumner Redstone’s attorneys to bar the public from viewing certain portions of his healthcare trial.

Newly released court documents depict a remorseful Sumner Redstone late last year as he sought to make amends with his daughter.

A Los Angeles County judge on Wednesday denied a request by the granddaughter of Sumner Redstone to join the contentious court battle over whether the media mogul is mentally competent.

Fissures within the famously fractured Sumner Redstone family widened Tuesday when his granddaughter asked to join the contentious court battle over whether the media mogul is mentally competent.

Sumner Redstone will not be called to testify next month at a trial to determine whether the ailing media mogul is mentally competent.

The contentious dispute over whether Sumner Redstone is mentally competent could hinge on testimony from doctors, nurses, Viacom Inc. corporate officers -- and perhaps the mogul himself.

Settlement talks between Sumner Redstone and ex-girlfriend Manuela Herzer have hit a roadblock, and attorneys now are busy gearing up for what could be a contentious trial.

Sumner Redstone might not approve of the proposed sale of a piece of his treasured Paramount Pictures movie studio.

Lawyers have crafted the outlines of a potential settlement in the high-stakes legal drama over whether media mogul Sumner Redstone is mentally competent to handle his affairs.

Beleaguered Viacom Inc.

A New York judge has ordered Viacom Chairman and Chief Executive Philippe Dauman to give a deposition in the ongoing dispute over whether media mogul Sumner Redstone is mentally competent.

The new king of the Viacom Inc. media empire was named to replace ailing founder Sumner Redstone, but the move exposed a boardroom rift that could play out in the ultimate struggle for control of prized assets that include Nickelodeon, MTV and the legendary Paramount Pictures.

Sumner Redstone, in new court documents, stated he had planned to leave his former girlfriend, Manuela Herzer, $50 million and his Beverly Park mansion when he died — but that four months ago he decided to cut her out of his will.

Last year was bruising for Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman.

Sumner Redstone’s personal affairs have been pulled into public view once again as part of a contentious legal effort to determine whether the 92-year-old billionaire is mentally competent.

If a top executive of a publicly held company suffers a serious medical problem, what should the company tell the world — and how soon?

A Los Angeles County judge on Friday denied a request by three media outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, to unseal documents in the contentious dispute over whether media mogul Sumner Redstone is mentally competent.

The high-stakes legal dispute over whether Sumner Redstone is mentally competent to handle his affairs could soon be resolved.

A high-profile lawsuit over the mental competency of media mogul Sumner Redstone is now headed for trial.

Ailing Sumner Redstone, the 92-year-old mogul who helped shape modern Hollywood, is relinquishing his oversight of the two entertainment companies he controls: CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc.

Media mogul Sumner Redstone must undergo an hour-long medical examination by a psychiatrist to generate evidence in an ongoing legal dispute.

Viacom Inc.

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman does not have to provide sworn testimony in the legal wrangling over media mogul Sumner Redstone’s mental fitness -- at least for now.

Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. board members are being sued by an investor who contends the boards of the two media companies are protecting the interests of mogul Sumner Redstone at the expense of corporate shareholders.

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman on Monday sought to calm investors worried about the ailing health of Executive Chairman Sumner Redstone — and the future of the media empire he controls.

Sumner Redstone’s lawyers are asking a judge to dismiss a petition that seeks to have the media mogul declared mentally incompetent, claiming the case is an unwarranted intrusion into Redstone’s privacy.

Beyond the gates of an exclusive Beverly Hills enclave, a round-the-clock crew of more than a dozen staff members — nurses, housekeepers, security guards and a loyal limousine driver — tend to the every need of Sumner Redstone.

Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman and two of Sumner Redstone’s doctors might have to submit to questioning about the health and cognitive abilities of the 92-year-old media mogul, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled.

Sumner Redstone and his legal team are encountering more turbulence in the contentious dispute brought by Redstone’s former girlfriend, including allegations that his signature was forged and that the ailing mogul is being manipulated by Viacom’s chief executive.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman on Monday sought to tamp down speculation that the ailing Sumner Redstone, executive chairman of both Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp., has become incapacitated -- or that there will be a leadership vacuum at the top of the media companies.

The second-largest voting shareholder of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corp. has called on the media companies to disclose Sumner Redstone’s health condition to give investors a better glimpse into whether Redstone is too ill to continue as executive chairman of the two separate companies.

Media mogul Sumner Redstone won’t have to submit to a battery of medical tests to determine his mental competence – at least for now.

The lawsuit filed this week challenging the mental competence of media mogul Sumner Redstone has raised questions among legal and business experts over the future of the 92-year-old billionaire’s empire and how his companies should respond.

A bitter battle to control the fortune of ailing billionaire Sumner Redstone escalated Wednesday when the media mogul’s ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit alleging that he is mentally impaired and unable to make decisions.

As CBS Corp. investors gather at New York’s Museum of Modern Art for the company’s annual meeting Thursday, its largest shareholder is expected to remain cloistered in his mansion in a gated enclave north of Beverly Hills.

CBS Chairman Sumner Redstone will not attend the company’s annual shareholders meeting next week in New York because of his declining health.

Succession at two huge media companies -- Viacom and CBS -- has long been a topic of curiosity, particularly as the health of the companies’ chairman, Sumner Redstone, has declined in recent years.

Billionaire Sumner Redstone, in declining health, did not participate in Viacom Inc.’

Viacom investors have reelected all of the company’s board members, including billionaire executive chairman Sumner Redstone, who is scheduled to turn 91 this spring.