JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A federal judge in Mississippi has dismissed most of a lawsuit in which rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis alleged a daughter had stolen money from him.
U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers ruled April 25 that most claims were barred by a three-year statute of limitations. He left alive only claims by Lewis’ son and current wife that they were defamed by online comments from the daughter’s husband.
The lawsuit is another fracture in the often difficult personal life of the 83-year-old pianist and singer known as “The Killer.” The Louisiana native and survivor from the dawn of rock now lives in Nesbit, Mississippi. Lewis suffered a stroke in February and canceled upcoming performances.
Phoebe Lewis-Loftin hired a woman then named Judith Brown to be Jerry Lee Lewis’ caretaker in 2010. Lewis-Loftin had been managing her father’s career since 2002, depositing all of his earnings into her bank accounts.
Lewis-Loftin is the daughter of Jerry Lee Lewis and a woman now named Myra Williams. Lewis married her in 1957 when she was Myra Gale Brown, his 13-year-old cousin. The marriage created a worldwide uproar that seriously damaged Lewis’ career. Judith Brown was formerly married to Myra’s brother.