LOS ANGELES -- Two friends of the former model suing the estate of Alfred Bloomingdale for $11 million claimed in sworn court documents Friday that the millionaire businessman repeatedly promised to support his mistress for life.
In the first outside testimony in the sensational palimony suit, the women also claimed the millionaire heir to the department store chain 'lived his life' through Vicki Morgan and became 'frantic and devastated' when he could not locate her.
Miss Morgan, 29, filed the palimony suit in July, six weeks before Bloomingdale, 66, died of cancer in a Santa Monica hospital. His will, signed shortly before his death, does not mention Miss Morgan.
Bloomingdale, a co-founder of the Diner's Club, was a member of President Reagan's elite 'kitchen cabinet.' He and his wife of 35 years, Betsy Bloomingdale, a close friend of Nancy Reagan, were frequent guests at the White House.
In her suit, Miss Morgan claimed Bloomingdale promised to supprt her for life in exchange for being his 'traveling companion and confidante.'
Attorneys for Bloomingdale's estate have not denied the affair took place, but argued in court it was a 'contract for prostitution' not covered under the law.
Superior Court Judge Christian Markey, who is expected to rule next week on a motion by Bloomingdale's estate to dismiss the suit, Friday denied a continuance sought by Miss Morgan's attorney, Michael Dave.
Dave, who requested more time to prepare his case, began representing Miss Morgan last week after she abruptly fired famed palimony attorney Marvin Mitchelson.
In affadavits filed Friday, Sally Talbert and Mary Garcia, who identify themselves as friends of Miss Morgan, claim the millionaire promised the woman a house and support for the rest of her life.
Miss Talbert, who said she has known Miss Morgan since 1970, said the two women spent four days in March 1981 taking 'diet and exercise therapy' at the plush Rancho La Costa resort in San Diego County and said Bloomingdale joined them every day for both lunch and dinner.
'Mr. Bloomingdale said he would pay the down payment of $150,000 toward the purchase of a house costing between $500,000 and $600,000' for Miss Morgan, Miss Talbert said, adding he promised to give her an additional $12,000 to $18,000 to pay the mortgage and support herself.
'It seemed to me that Mr. Bloomingdale lived his life through Miss Morgan,' Miss Talbert said.
'Every time that the three of us would have lunch together he would want to know the smallest details of her life and what she had been doing since they last saw or talked to one another -- even if their previous encounter was only hours earlier.'
Miss Talbert said Bloomingdale 'seemed to have this compelling need to know everything' about Miss Morgan.
'He seemed to take a fatherly joy in her,' she added, 'and their relationship many times appeared to me that of a father and daughter.'
Miss Talbert said if Bloomingdale was unable to locate Miss Morgan, he would call her friends in a very alarmed state.
'He would seem frantic, unhappy and devastated by his inability to communicate with her,' she said.
Miss Garcia, who claimed she knew Bloomingdale and Miss Morgan since 1979, said she took the woman to visit the ailing businessman six times when he was hospitalized in 1981.
'In my presence he was always seeking to reassure Miss Morgan that she would always be provided for,' Miss Garcia said in her sworn statement.'
She said on several occasions Bloomingdale wanted her to witness documents promising Miss Morgan support, but declined, instead getting nurses to sign the papers.
It was learned last week that Miss Morgan and Bloomingdale were partners in Bloomingdale-McComas Investment Co., which bought pizza franchises in the Washington, D.C. area.
In an additional affadavit filed Friday, Miss Morgan testified Bloomingdale promised her $10,000 for two years, after which the franchises in ShowBiz Pizza Place restaurants would begin paying her at least $10,000 in monthly sums.
