Shannen Doherty's Ex Argues Against Their Divorce Deal Amid Estate Battle

Shannen Doherty's ex-husband, Kurt Iswarienko, wants a review of their existing divorce agreement. 

Iswarienko and the late actress's legal team are now going at it over claims that he still owes her estate money two years after the actress died.

Shannen Doherty died in July 2024 after battling with metastatic breast cancer, which she spent the latter part of her years advocating for its awareness, care, and research.

Iswarienko's lawyer, in a new filing, has claimed that the allegations over the divorce settlement, which he had signed with the actress before her passing, were presented in the wrong court.

Doherty had signed the divorce agreement on July 12, 2024, while her estranged husband signed the deal on July 13, 2024. The agreement was, however, submitted to the court on July 15, 2024, two days after she passed away.

US Weekly shared that Iswarienko is now claiming that the divorce agreement and the case should have been terminated following Doherty's passing on July 13, 2025. 

In the filing, the actress's ex noted that the signed divorce agreement should never have been filed, and the court currently has no authority to enforce the terms indicated in the agreement.

Iswarienko's latest filing comes after Chris Cortazzo, the trustee of the Shannen Doherty Family Trust, filed papers accusing the actress's ex of failing to respect the terms and conditions of the agreement. 

As shared by The Blast, according to Cortazzo in the filing, it would be best if he became the Successor in Interest to Decedent. Cortazzo claimed he needed this new status to enforce the judgment between Doherty and Iswarienko and attached a copy of the exes' judgment to buttress his point about Iswarienko's refusal.

In the judgment, Iswarienko was ordered to sell the former couple's home in Texas by April 2025 and equally divide the net proceeds with his former wife's estate. Cortazzo's filing claimed that Iswarienko has failed to sell the property and has also held on to his ex-wife's personal properties. 

He also failed to pay $50,274 to Doherty's estate after he bought out her interest in the Mooney-20 Airplane hanger sale for $100,000 one month after her death.

Doherty's ex was also expected to submit a list of the projects he produced during his marriage to the actress and copies of his work published during the union. Cortazzo noted that he has failed to honor any of these requests and is even behind in the interest payment by 15 months.

Doherty did not leave for the great beyond, as Iswarienko's wife, a family law judge, reportedly ensured the divorce papers were signed and a divorce judgment was delivered posthumously.

Typically, the actress should have remained linked to Iswarienko since she was legally married to him, which has now formed the bedrock of Iswarienko's latest filing.

When a party in a divorce case dies during the proceeding, the family law court loses jurisdiction over the case, as pronounced by California law and that of other states.

What is then done is to transfer the divorce case to the probate court, although probate court judges do not finalize divorces. Doherty and Iswarienko tied the knot in October 2011 at a private estate under California laws in Malibu, and she filed for divorce in 2023.

The Blast noted in 2024 that Doherty had accused her estranged husband of deliberately dragging the divorce out with hopes to avoid paying his dues stipulated by the law should they separate.

Iswarienko, however, denied this and declared through his attorney, Katherine Heersema, that he did not remotely attempt to delay the divorce. Instead, he clarified that he had expressed his desire to wrap up the divorce by proposing a settlement as far back as October 2023.

"Kurt is not 'simply waiting for Shannen to die. He wants the best for Shannen, and he wants both of them to be able to put this case behind them and move forward," the photographer's lawyer stated.

Heersema added that Doherty refused Iswarienko's suggestions and even argued that the agreement initially tendered by her ex failed to include his original works, which were created during the marriage, and his earning capacity.

Doherty made a few demands alongside her alleged refusal to honor Iswarienko's agreement. She asked that the photographer dole out $15,434 in spousal support every month to keep her afloat amid her reduced income.

She noted that her SAG health insurance was not enough to sort her expenses as she could not work. Doherty was sure her ex-husband could meet her needs due to his impressive average annual income, which grossed over $672,916.

Doherty's lawyers added that he still had about $56,076 left per month after sorting all his properties, which was more than enough to ensure that her $15,434 gets paid.

As for the actress, she claimed her earnings dropped significantly from an annual income of $259,708 to a little over $25,000 between 2021 and 2024.