Tom Petty's daughters sue his widow over alleged mismanagement of his estate

May 16 (UPI) -- Tom Petty's daughters filed a lawsuit against his widow, stating she has mismanaged their father's estate.

Adria Petty and Annakim Violette filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wedensday, alleging that their father's widow Dana Petty has been uncooperative in running Petty Unlimited and cost the company millions of dollars.

"Tom Petty wanted his music and his legacy to be controlled equally by his daughters, Adria and Annakim and his wife, Dana," Petty Unlimited attorney Alex Weingarten told People. "Dana has refused Tom's express wishes and insisted instead upon misappropriating Tim's life's work for her own selfish interest."

Petty's daughters are seeking $5 million in damages they state they lost due to Dana Petty "usurping" their business opportunities "for her own personal gain or advantage."

The lawsuit alleges that Dana Petty has been withholding Petty Unlimited assets and diverting them to a competing company known as Tom Petty Legacy LLC.

Dana Petty's attorney Adam Streisand dismissed the lawsuit as "destructive nonsense," saying his client wouldn't allow it to distract her from protecting her late husband's legacy.

"This misguided and meritless lawsuit sadly demonstrates exactly why Tom Petty designated his wife to be the sole trustee with authority to manage his estate," he said.

Petty's daughters and his widow have been engaged in a legal battle since his death in 2017.

In April, Dana Petty filed a petition in probate court seeking to have a manager oversee day-to-day manners regarding Petty's estate alongside herself and his daughters.

That filing alleged Adria Petty had been erratic and abusive and made it difficult to conduct business.