Brando’s son sued by ex-wife

Christian Brando, the eldest son of the late Oscar-winning actor Marlon Brando, has been sued by his former wife and her young daughter for assault and battery and other allegations stemming from the couple’s tempestuous, short-lived marriage.

The suit paints a dark portrait of a troubled man who, during fits of rage, beat his wife, threatened to kill her then-11-year-old daughter by a previous marriage and terrorized them by, among other things, repeatedly taking their dog into the back yard and threatening to set it on fire with a cigarette lighter.

Brando also threatened to kill two of his siblings, the suit alleges, as well as the three executors of his father’s estate, including Hollywood producer Mike Medavoy.

The allegations are contained in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Deborah Brando and her daughter, Katherine Sue Willard, that seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against Christian Brando.

The incidents allegedly occurred in 2004, after the death of Marlon Brando.

Christian Brando has since pleaded guilty in connection to spousal abuse allegations and was sentenced this year to two months of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, a spousal abuse program and three years probation, according to the suit. His attorney, Bruce Margolin, said he cannot comment on this suit until he has had a chance to evaluate it.

Christian Brando spent five years in prison for manslaughter after fatally shooting Dag Drollet, the lover of his half-sister Cheyenne.

According to Deborah Brando’s attorney, Brian Oxman of Beverly Hills, who filed the lawsuit, the couple had been platonic friends for years after first meeting in 1990. But when Marlon Brando died in July 2004, Christian telephoned Deborah and a love affair ensued. The couple moved into Marlon Brando’s Mulholland Drive estate, residing there with other members of the famed actor’s family. They were married Oct. 16, 2004, in Las Vegas.

But soon, Oxman said, a pattern of domestic violence, sexual abuse and physical assaults began.

During one incident in November 2004, the suit alleges, Christian Brando placed a pillow over his wife’s face and said he would suffocate her if she didn’t consent to sexual intercourse. Katherine Sue Willard, now 13, allegedly was so frightened of the tirades that she once ran from the home and hid in a car parked outside until her mother arrived to retrieve her.

In December 2004, while the family was driving down Ventura Boulevard, Christian Brando began screaming, jumped from the car, pounded on the rear windows with his fists and threatened to kill Deborah and Katherine, according to the suit.

In a different incident, the suit alleges, he tried to direct the vehicle into oncoming traffic as his wife tugged on the steering wheel.

The suit claims that Brando threatened to kill two of his siblings, Rebecca and Miko Brando, taking a piece of paper with the name of Rebecca Brando and burning it in front of Katherine in the back yard of their home.

Christian Brando repeatedly threatened to kill producer Medavoy and rape Medavoy’s wife before killing them both, according to the suit. Medavoy could not be reached for comment.

“I know he was very upset at the executors of his father’s estate,” Oxman said. “He thought they had gotten in there through some kind of fraudulent deal.... He was furious at them.”

Oxman said Katherine Willard is named as a plaintiff to dramatize the rights of children who are victimized by domestic violence. They are often, he said, the “forgotten victims.”