“Dukes of Hazzard” star John Schneider is suing his late wife Alicia Allain’s business, which she ran in partnership with his movie studio and her daughter, to stop the sale of memorabilia from his career, KTLA sister station WVLA reports.
On social media, Schneider recently asked fans to call two companies hired to sell the contents of the property that he ran with Allain.
Both companies — hired by Allain’s daughter, Jessica Dollard — have since received targeted harassment and threats of violence after the posts, according to a statement from legal counsel.
Schneider has argued his assets were transferred to Allain’s business, Maven Entertainment Group LLC, under false pretenses or simulated transactions as part of a 2017 contract, according to an arbitration proposal dated June 6. He has acknowledged he does not own the property but expressed hope that he would by the end of the year.
Schneider also said the business was in breach of contract because it took his property, and he still held an interest in items that Maven Entertainment retained.
What did Maven Entertainment do?
The contract started while Schneider’s divorce from Elvira “Elly” Castle was pending in the late 2010s. (A copy of the document in a court filing is unreadable.) At the time, Allain worked with him as a production partner and manager.
In 2018, Schneider chose jail time rather than paying $150,000 in owed alimony to Castle, per a report from People magazine. At one point, handing over “half his owed earnings from Maven” was a requirement in his alimony hearings.
In 2019, Schneider and Allain wed in July before his divorce was finalized and made the union legally binding in September of that year.
Allain died in February 2023 without a will. According to court records, Dollard, Schneider’s stepdaughter and Allain’s daughter, asked the court to make Dollard executor of the estate in December.
Earlier this year, two investors sued Allain’s estate, arguing that Maven Entertainment took $675,000 for projects Allain and Schneider developed together in 2019 and 2020 — a music concept and four films: “One Month Out,” “Tres Leches,” “Christmas Cars,” and “Stand On It.”
The investors say Allain didn’t pay back the contracted amount before her 2023 death, leaving her estate owing more than $500,000. A stay was issued in the case, and arbitration was suggested in court filings but no resolution or agreement has been filed in Livingston Parish court records.
Who owns the Livingston Parish property?
Schneider said in social media comments that he doesn’t own the property on which the studio buildings are located but plans to by the end of the year.
In 2019, Schnieder lost the property, and it was seized. Capitol City Produce owner Paul Ferachi bought it from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office for $385,000. At the time, the businessman said he’d work to ensure the actor could maintain access to the studio.
Schneider later said he had an arrangement with the new owner and the studio would not move, “ever.”
According to a listing on the Livingston Parish Tax Assessor’s officer searchable map, the nearly 53-acre property is now owned by FEFEA Industries. Dollard is listed as a member of the organization on its Secretary of State business filing.
Recently, two websites were listed by M&E Partners and Integra Asset Solutions. The companies were working together on the sale of the contents at the property.
Counsel for M&E Partners issued a statement saying the company and Integra Asset Solutions were legally hired by the current property owner to sell certain items on the acreage. They said they have cataloged what’s there but have not moved anything.
The listing description, which had several photos, said available items included a replica of the iconic General Lee car, items from the set of “Dukes of Hazzard,” and a “collection of authentic movie props, costumes, original scripts, autographed memorabilia, and rare collectibles.” Other available items were set to include “studio equipment, vintage cars, guitars, framed vinyl records, and pinball machines.”
Lawsuit against wife’s estate is ongoing
Schneider sued Dollard and Maven Entertainment on Thursday, July 11, alleging that his requests to arbitrate the breached contract between himself and Maven Entertainment went unanswered.
The proposal for arbitration attached to the suit was sent on June 6. It proposed finding an attorney in Livingston Parish or East Baton Rouge to oversee the negotiations and asked that the property being contested not be sold until the arbitration was finalized. The suit claims that Maven Entertainment’s legal counsel did not adequately answer, other than to demand how much he wanted.
Maven Entertainment and Dollard had not yet filed a response, or one was not yet filed online as of the publication of this article.
Fans threaten people to stop memorabilia sale
Schneider took to Facebook on Friday, July 12, urging his 1.1 million followers to help him stop the sale.
Initially, the event date was listed as 10 a.m. July 30. Later on that Friday, the main lot listing page said the sale date was postponed with a date to be determined, and the whole listing was eventually removed Friday night. The other page was taken down as of Monday morning.
He made more posts and comments throughout the weekend asking fans to keep applying pressure, though the primary site with photos of the studio interiors had been pulled down. On Sunday, he encouraged fans to call phone numbers listed on the sale sites and pretend to be FBI agents.
“Here’s a great idea. Call Jody and Walter and tell them you are from the FBI! I’m kind of thinking the FBI is a little busy right now anyway. Not really concerned about a bottom feeder auction company who’s trying to steal a celebrities belongings!” a Sunday comment read.
Impersonating a federal agent is a federal crime.
Nexstar’s WVLA asked the FBI New Orleans office to confirm whether the action led to an investigation, and a media contact said that per the Department of Justice’s guidelines, “the FBI does not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation.”
Schneider repeatedly referred to the sale and moving of his items as theft, and has said police are helping him with this issue. A Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office representative said there is no record of this being treated as a criminal matter.
Fans reportedly flooded the sales companies with calls and messages, some of which were overtly threatening.
The statement from M&E’s counsel reads, “Since the announcement of this sale process, they have been inundated with threatening phone calls, text messages, and emails. Social media posts on Mr. Schneider’s site and others have resulted in an alarming number of threats of violence, harassment, and intimidation against their families and livelihoods.”
M&E reportedly asked Schneider’s attorney to issue a statement and help de-escalate the situation. They said that has not yet happened.
On Sunday, Schneider alleged that the ashes of his late wife had been taken from his home, along with a cross necklace and his wedding band. He later said the urn and other items were removed from his house earlier this year.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure that those who took this item from my house will be punished to the fullest extent of the law for doing so regardless of who they may be,” he wrote.
The statement from M&E’s counsel reads, “A cropped photo of the client’s mother’s ashes was recently posted on Mr. Schneider’s social media account. This posting resulted in numerous inquiries with the erroneous assumption that the ashes would be listed for sale. At no point did the companies have possession or control of the ashes.”
On Monday, July 22, Schneider celebrated the sites being pulled down, calling it a victory.
“I want to personally thank everyone who took part in this campaign to stop these people from selling off my belongings,” the actor said in a Facebook post. “Pretty sure the war isn’t completely over yet… but we damn sure won this battle! Proof that people United can do anything.”
His attorney also issued a statement on Monday.
“John Schneider is saddened by the reckless actions of those who continue to cause unnecessary strife after the untimely death of his wife,” Stephen M. Gelé, of Griffin & Bivalacqua LLC, counsel for Schneider, said. “John has for months attempted to find a way to resolve issues regarding multiple items in an orderly fashion, but his efforts have been repeatedly rebuffed. Attempts are now being made to usurp his personal belongings. He will continue to defend what he has worked hard for. He appreciates all the well wishes from his fans as he fights for justice.”
Read the full statement from counsel for M&E Partners’ counsel
Counsel for M&E Partners LLC released the below statement:
“FEFEA Industries and associated entities (“FEFEA”) engaged M&E Partners, LLC (“M&E”), a closely owned and operated asset monetization business headquartered in the South, to market and sell assets owned by FEFEA. M&E invited Integra Asset Solutions, LLC (“Integra”), an experienced liquidator, to facilitate the sale. The assets in the agreement have remained on the property since FEFEA employed M&E and Integra and will stay there for the duration of the marketing and sales process.
“They understand that emotions can run high in these situations and John Schneider’s fans want to support him, but the public needs to know that they are simply providing a service to their client.
“M&E and Integra are owned and operated by real people with families and communities. Integra Asset Solutions and M&E Partners are reputable companies with decades of experience as asset liquidators. Since the announcement of this sale process, they have been inundated with threatening phone calls, text messages, and emails. Social media posts on Mr. Schneider’s site and others have resulted in an alarming number of threats of violence, harassment, and intimidation against their families and livelihoods. A cropped photo of the client’s mother’s ashes was recently posted on Mr. Schneider’s social media account. This posting resulted in numerous inquiries with the erroneous assumption that the ashes would be listed for sale. At no point did the companies have possession or control of the ashes. Out of concern for the families of M&E and Integra and in the hope that calmer heads would prevail, Mr. Schneider’s attorney received a respectful request for Mr. Schneider to issue a statement that would deescalate the omnipresent threats. To our knowledge, no such statement has yet been issued.”