Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — A federal jury in Los Angeles has awarded John Steinbeck’s stepdaughter more than $13 million in a lawsuit claiming the author’s son and daughter-in-law impeded film adaptations of his classic works.
The jury on Tuesday found in favor of Waverly Scott Kaffaga, who had alleged that long-running litigation over the Steinbeck’s estate prevented her from making the most of his copyrights. She claimed remakes of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “East of Eden” fell apart.
Kaffaga said in a statement that the verdict upholds the Steinbeck estate’s mission of sharing his legacy with the world.
Messages seeking comment from defense attorneys were not immediately returned.
Kaffaga, daughter of the late author’s third wife, sued the estate of stepbrother Thomas Steinbeck, who died last year, his widow and their company.
