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Back to Hollywood Breakdown

Hollywood Breakdown

Sumner Redstone's Mental Competency & the Fate of Viacom

Just before Thanksgiving, Sumner Redstone's ex-girlfriend filed court papers asking to be put in charge of his healthcare, saying that the 92-year-old mogul is mentally incompetent.

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By Kim Masters • Dec 4, 2015 • 3m Listen

The question of 92-year-old Sumner Redstone's ability to run his company was called into question recently when his ex and longtime friend Manuela Herzer filed papers in court declaring him mentally incompetent and requesting to be put in charge of his healthcare. There are those who claim Redstone cannot move on his own and can barely speak, while others say Herzer's move was financially motivated and a way to get herself re-instated in the Redstone household. She says she was "inexplicallby thrown out" of Redstone's house in October. Redstone is the executive chairman of both CBS and Viacom, and between his ailing health and the differing desires of stakeholders, the issue of the fate of those media companies remains up in the air.

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    Kim Masters

    partner/writer at Puck News, host of KCRW's “The Business.”

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    Matthew Belloni

    founding partner of Puck News

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    Kaitlin Parker

    Producer, 'The Business' and 'Hollywood Breakdown'

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