John Wayne Ensured One Specific Person Didn't Recieve A Cent Of Inheritance After His Death

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Iconic actor, director, and producer John Wayne made almost as much news after his 1979 death as he did when he was alive. But amid celebrations of "The Searchers" star, and fans coming to terms with his passing, something else made news — Wayne's will. Celebrity wills are always a topic of conversation, and in Wayne's case there was plenty to chew on, given that he made sure one person in particular didn't receive a cent of his inheritance. John Wayne's kids all got their fair share, but his eldest daughter, Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne's husband, Donald LaCava, was explicitly excluded from Wayne's will, with the actor making it abundantly clear that he should not receive anything at all — and couldn't even inherit anything from Toni should she pass away before him. 

It was a brutal snub. The family never revealed why LaCava was excluded, but looking at his relationship with Wayne provides some details. See, the "True Grit" star appointed LaCava as his financial manager, and he didn't exactly do a great job of increasing his father-in-law's riches. In fact, LaCava was the reason Wayne lost millions. In his book, "John Wayne: American," author James S. Olson chronicled the beginning of the fallout between the two men, when Wayne went on a $30,000 shopping spree and LaCava chastised him for his exorbitant spending. The "Rio Bravo" star reasoned that he should have plenty of money left, given how much Wayne had entrusted LaCava with. 

"There better well be money in the bank to pay these bills," the western icon warned. Alas, LaCava had made a series of bad investments. As such, Wayne wasn't about to entrust his remaining riches to a man who couldn't manage them properly while he was alive.

Donald LaCava wasn't the only one left out of John Wayne's will. While many celebs don't want their kids to inherit millions, the "Stagecoach" star made sure his children were well taken care of. But they weren't the only ones who received funds from the beloved actor when he died — Wayne even left his longtime secretary, Mary St. John, $10,000. Pat Stacy, who was the western icon's final secretary (and mistress!) before he died, also inherited a whopping $30,000. And yet, Wayne's third wife, Pilar Pallete (who is almost a centenarian), wasn't granted a cent, despite him leaving behind a $6.85 million estate. The couple formally separated in 1973, and according to reporting by The New York Times, Pallete received financial compensation that was included in the separation agreement. This could be the reason why she was not included in her husband's will. 

Wayne was reportedly unfaithful to Pallete throughout their marriage. It wasn't confirmed whether he was actually seeing Stacy before the "Red River" star and his wife officially split. In his book, "John Wayne: The Life and Legend," however, Scott Eyman alleged that the iconic actor did have an affair with his friend and "Quiet Man" co-star, Maureen O'Hara, during Wayne's marriage to Pallete. O'Hara decried the allegations when the rumors initially swirled. But in his book, Eyman claimed that a friend of Wayne's confirmed it to him, noting that the iconic actor started the relationship before he married Pallete, but continued it after the fact. Nonetheless, Wayne's death hit O'Hara hard. She referred to him as her "good friend," per Far Out magazine, and reportedly suffered from depression in the aftermath. Notably O'Hara, like Pallete, didn't make it into Wayne's will.