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Artist News Business News Legal
Tom Petty’s family go legal over auction of clothing that belonged to the musician
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 25 May 2023
The family of Tom Petty have announced that they are pursuing legal action against an auction house in Boston, called RR Auction, which is staging a sale of items – mainly clothing – that previously belonged to the late musician.
A statement issued by representatives of the Petty family yesterday reads: “The house has announced a current auction of personal property of Petty’s that the entire family firmly believes has been outright stolen from a secured archive based on prior knowledge, staff observations and documentation”.
The reps then add: “We believe RR Auction is offering stolen Tom Petty memorabilia with a completely false provenance inaccurate to fact and in complete denial of clear evidence they have been presented. They will not disclose the consigner who has provided these items or how they were acquired. But they are clearly stolen, there is no other word for it”.
Confirming that legal action is now underway to block the auction and secure the return of the allegedly stolen items, the statement also urges fans and collectors to “refrain from participating in this auction until the matter is settled to avoid getting further involved in this legal action”.
The statement concludes by stating that the items being auctioned off “have irreplaceable sentimental and educational value for the family and legacy of Tom Petty and we look forward to their safe return”.
RR Auction has not yet commented and currently the items are still listed for sale.
