Anthony Shaffer's mistress denied fortune

LONDON, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- A British judge has denied any part of the deceased playwright Anthony Shaffer's estate be given to his mistress, ending scrutiny of Shaffer's double life.

The estate of Shaffer, who authored the popular plays "Sleuth" and "The Wicker Man," has been in dispute since the playwright's mistress, Marie-Josette Capece Minutolo, 63, claimed Shaffer died in her arms at their West London home, the Times of London reported Tuesday.

The claim was countered by Shaffer's wife, actress Diane Cilento, 70, who said at the time of his death, Shaffer was living with her on their 200-acre estate in north Queensland, Australia.

Minutolo maintained she was entitled to a portion of Shaffer's estate as a dependent in the playwright's primary residence.

The judge ruled in favor of Cilento, leaving intact Shaffer's will, which left all of his estate divided equally among Cilento; his first wife, model Carolyn Soley; their two daughters, Claudia, now 40, and Cressida, 37; and his brothers, including Shaffer's twin brother, Sir Peter Shaffer, himself an Oscar-winning writer.