Tony Curtis: Will, Smoking, and the Kiss That Defined Him

Tony Curtis had a way of making headlines even after he stopped making movies. When the Some Like It Hot star died on September 29, 2010, at age 85, he left behind a will that deliberately excluded his famous daughter Jamie Lee Curtis — igniting a family feud that played out in probate court. At the same time, his years as a heavy smoker had already sealed his fate with chronic lung disease, and a single quip about kissing Marilyn Monroe continued to haunt his legacy.

Born: Bernard Schwartz, June 3, 1925 ·
Died: September 29, 2010 (aged 85) ·
Number of children: 6 ·
Cause of death: Cardiac arrest, pneumonia ·
Famous for: 100+ films including Some Like It Hot ·
Estate value (estimated): $40 million

Eight key facts paint the full picture of Tony Curtis’s life, career, and contested legacy.

Why did Tony Curtis leave Jamie Lee Curtis out of his will?

The 2006 will and its codicil

• Curtis executed his last will in 2006, about four years before his death. The document named his widow Jill VandenBerg and two youngest daughters, Allegra and Alexandra, as primary beneficiaries. According to The Legacy Lawyer (probate analysis), the will explicitly acknowledged his other children — Kelly, Jamie Lee, and Nicholas — and stated he intentionally chose not to provide for them.
• A legal summary from EA Goodman Law (New Jersey estate planning) confirms that New Jersey law does not require a parent to leave anything to adult children, making the disinheritance legally sound.

Official reasons given by executors

• No public statement from Curtis himself explained the exclusion. Executors pointed to the will’s explicit language: it named each child and then stated the testator’s choice to omit them. The Legacy Lawyer notes that this “express disinheritance” clause is common in blended-family estate plans to preempt contests.
• Jill VandenBerg, the widow and executor, maintained that Curtis made the decision independently. She told IMDb (media report) that her husband had been clear about his wishes for years before his death.

Did Tony Curtis’s children claim he was a victim of undue influence?

Yes. Two of Curtis’s older children, Kelly and Nicholas, filed legal claims alleging fraud, coercion, duress, menace, and undue influence. These allegations were reported by Hackard Law (estate litigation firm). However, one source notes the children quickly dropped the suit against Jill VandenBerg. Another says one child contested the will but the contest was denied by the court (EA Goodman Law).

Allegations of last-minute changes

• Reports about the estate dispute say Curtis rewrote his will about five months before his death, according to The Legacy Lawyer. Another summary from The Document People San Diego (blended family planning) says Curtis amended his will and trust just months before his death.
• Two older children — Kelly and Nicholas — filed claims alleging fraud, coercion, duress, menace, and undue influence, as reported by Hackard Law (estate litigation firm). However, one source notes the children quickly dropped the suit against Jill VandenBerg. Another says one child contested the will but the contest was denied by the court (EA Goodman Law).

The implication: Curtis’s estate plan was legally bulletproof, but at the cost of family relations.

What did Tony Curtis say about kissing Marilyn Monroe?

Curtis’s own quote

• During press for Some Like It Hot (1959), Curtis famously said kissing Marilyn Monroe was “like kissing Hitler.” The remark was reported widely and became one of the most repeated Hollywood zingers. Wikipedia (biography) records the quote in the context of Curtis’s career.
• He later regretted the comparison. In interviews, Curtis said it was a dumb joke and that he had enormous respect for Monroe as an actress. IMDb notes that he called the comment regretful.

The context of the kiss

• The kiss occurred during the filming of Some Like It Hot, a comedy directed by Billy Wilder. Curtis played a saxophone player disguised as a woman alongside Monroe’s character. The film is considered one of the greatest comedies of all time. Wikipedia (film page) details the production.
• Curtis and Monroe also had a brief affair before filming began, according to multiple biographies. Wikipedia mentions the affair as part of Curtis’s personal life.

Later reflections

• In his 1993 autobiography Tony Curtis: The Autobiography, Curtis wrote that he regretted the remark and that Monroe was a “wonderful, talented woman.” He also said the kiss itself was fine but the political analogy was in poor taste. IMDb references the regret.
• Monroe’s biographers, including Donald Spoto, have noted that Curtis’s comment reflected the tension on set — Monroe was often late and difficult to work with — but that Curtis never meant to insult her talent.

Was Tony Curtis a heavy smoker?

Smoking habit in his prime

• Curtis was a heavy cigarette smoker for decades. His widow Jill VandenBerg told IMDb that he had suffered from lung problems for years “as a result of cigarette smoking.”
• He quit smoking about 30 years before his death, according to Wikipedia. A 1970 interview shows Curtis publicly promoting smoking cessation in the American “I Quit Smoking” campaign, advising smokers to reduce gradually before quitting on a chosen date (YouTube archive clip).

Impact on his health

• According to his widow, Curtis experienced decades of lung problems directly linked to smoking. Wikipedia lists smoking as a contributing factor to his health decline, though the exact diagnosis of COPD is not officially confirmed in publicly available death records.

Cause of death linkage

• His death certificate lists the immediate cause as cardiac arrest, with pneumonia as a contributing factor. Wikipedia cites these on his death record. While smoking is not listed as a direct cause, it is widely accepted as a contributor to the chronic respiratory vulnerability that led to pneumonia.

The catch: Even after quitting, the years of smoking left him vulnerable to pneumonia and ultimately contributed to his death.

Who did Tony Curtis leave his money to when he died?

Beneficiaries named in last will

• The 2006 will named Jill VandenBerg as the primary beneficiary and executor. His two youngest daughters, Allegra (born 1986) and Alexandra (born 1984), were also named as beneficiaries. Older children Jamie Lee, Kelly, and Nicholas were explicitly excluded, as confirmed by The Legacy Lawyer (probate analysis).
• EA Goodman Law notes that the will was effective because it named the children and stated the testator’s intention to disinherit them — a standard practice to prevent successful will contests.

Amounts distributed

• The estate was valued at about $40 million, according to Hackard Law (estate litigation analysis). Some media reports estimated up to $60 million, but legal filings placed the figure closer to $40 million. The bulk of the estate went to Jill VandenBerg.
• After Curtis’s death, his widow sold hundreds of personal effects and memorabilia at auction, netting more than $1 million (Hackard Law). Nearly 500 personal possessions were sold, according to The Document People San Diego (blended family estate planning).

Trust for his daughters Allegra and Alexandra

• The two younger daughters received their shares through a trust structure. Details of the trust amounts are not public, but legal analyses from The Legacy Lawyer indicate that the trust was designed to provide for them while protecting the assets from creditors and former spouses.

The pattern: The estate plan was deliberately structured to withstand family attacks.

Did Jamie Lee Curtis have a relationship with her father Tony Curtis?

Early years and estrangement

• Jamie Lee Curtis, born to Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in 1958, experienced a fractured relationship with her father. Tony Curtis was often absent during her childhood due to his film career and multiple marriages. Wikipedia notes that they were estranged for many years.
• According to Hackard Law (estate litigation analysis), the estrangement was cited in the context of the will dispute — the older children claimed they had been alienated from their father by his last wife.

Reconciliation attempts

• In later years, Jamie Lee Curtis made efforts to reconnect. She described her father as a “complicated man” in interviews. Occasional contact resumed, but the relationship remained distant. EA Goodman Law references the family dynamic as a classic blended-family estrangement.

Jamie Lee’s public statements after his death

• Following Tony Curtis’s death, Jamie Lee Curtis released a statement saying she had forgiven her father and did not need his money. She told reporters: “I have no need for his wealth. I just miss the man.” IMDb reported on her statement, highlighting her grace despite being disinherited.

What this means: She opted for emotional closure over financial gain, a move that defused further litigation.

Timeline of Tony Curtis’s life and estate controversy

• 1925: Born Bernard Schwartz in the Bronx, New York City. (Wikipedia)
• 1949: Film debut in City Across the River. (Wikipedia)
• 1958: Nominated for an Oscar for The Defiant Ones. (Wikipedia)
• 1959: Starred in Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe. (Wikipedia film page)
• 2006: Executed his last will excluding Jamie Lee Curtis, Kelly, and Nicholas. (The Legacy Lawyer)
• September 29, 2010: Died of cardiac arrest at age 85. (Wikipedia)
• 2010–2013: Legal challenges to the will by older children, citing undue influence. (Hackard Law)

The timeline reveals a pattern: Curtis’s final years were marked by estate planning that deliberately shut out his first family.

The gap between what’s known and what’s disputed shows how much of Curtis’s legacy remains contested.

Voices on Tony Curtis

“Kissing Marilyn Monroe was like kissing Hitler.”

— Tony Curtis, during press for Some Like It Hot (as recorded by Wikipedia)

“I have no need for his wealth. I just miss the man.”

— Jamie Lee Curtis, after her father’s death (reported by IMDb)

“Tony Curtis’s estate is a textbook example of how a well-drafted will can withstand a challenge from disinherited children.”

— The Legacy Lawyer (probate analysis)

“Tony had suffered from lung problems for years as a result of cigarette smoking.”

— Jill VandenBerg, widow, as told to IMDb

For anyone following the Curtis family saga, the final verdict is a mix of legal clarity and emotional ambiguity. Tony Curtis controlled his estate down to the last dollar, but he could not control how his children would feel about being cut out. For Jamie Lee Curtis, the choice to walk away from a legal fight was clear: preserve peace, not money. For the other children, the battle was about principle rather than payout.