A valuable Jackson Pollock painting worth $68 million has become the center of a heated legal battle between a Los Angeles attorney and the family of legendary Hollywood actor Steve McQueen. Molly McQueen, the granddaughter of the iconic film star who died in 1980, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against lawyer Brent Borchert, claiming ownership of the highly valuable artwork.
According to the lawsuit, the painting was originally given to Brent Borchert's parents, Rudolph and Pamela Borchert, as part of an anticipated exchange deal involving a motorcycle and property located in Latigo Canyon. However, Molly McQueen alleges that the Borcherts failed to fulfill their end of the agreement when one of them crashed the motorcycle and the property title was never officially transferred. The legal filing seeks to establish Molly McQueen as the painting's rightful owner and demands immediate possession of the artwork.
The lawsuit further claims that Steve McQueen himself had demanded the return of the Pollock painting within a reasonable timeframe after the property exchange fell through, but the Borcherts refused to return the valuable piece. This decades-old dispute has now resurfaced through his granddaughter's legal action, highlighting the complexities of informal agreements involving high-value artworks.
In a recent interview with The Mirror, Brent Borchert acknowledged that the exchange agreement "rang a vague bell," but emphasized his uncertainty about the details since he wasn't sure if he was even born when the deal was made. "I talked to my mom once and asked, 'What's the deal with the Jackson Pollock painting?' And she said, 'Your father made some sort of deal. I wasn't there for it,'" Borchert explained to the publication. He added that during their brief conversation, his mother "may have mentioned something about a motorcycle and the house," though he described the entire situation as "all very hazy."
Borchert, who inherited the painting along with his sister Bettina after his parents' deaths, expressed openness to negotiation but maintained his position. "If they're willing to be reasonable, and then they can show me something that makes me believe something went on that wasn't right, I'll come to an agreement. But if they can't, then I won't," he stated. Despite the legal dispute, Borchert confirmed that his father had maintained a friendship with Steve McQueen, recalling that "they were definitely friends and would go for dinner, and while not buddies they were out socially multiple times."
Steve McQueen, known as the "King of Cool" by the press, was one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors during the 1960s and 1970s, starring in iconic films such as "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape." At the height of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood and was also an avid motorcycle racer who often incorporated his riding skills into his movie roles. He even raced under the alias "Harvey Mushman" to participate in competitions outside of his film career.
The legendary actor died at the age of 50 in 1980 from mesothelioma, a form of cancer that experts speculate was caused by asbestos exposure during his service in the U.S. Marines. Jackson Pollock, the artist behind the disputed painting and one of the pioneers of Abstract Expressionism, died much earlier in 1956 at the age of 44. The value of Pollock's work has skyrocketed over the decades, with his 1948 painting "Number 17A" reportedly selling for $200 million in a private sale in 2016, demonstrating the immense financial stakes involved in this legal battle.
