Burt Reynolds Cut His ‘Greatest Achievement’ Son Quinton Out of Will – Reason behind Decision

Late Hollywood icon Burt Reynold adored his only child Quinton. Even though he excluded him from his will before he passed, Burt ensured he would be financially well-off.

In September 2018, actor Burt Reynolds’ last will revealed that his son Quinton Anderson Reynolds was intentionally omitted.

However, the documents further stated Burt created a trust years before for Quinton’s benefit and that the money from the trust would continue to go to him.

QUINTON’S EXCLUSION

Burt handled his finances this way to avoid estate taxes, and by the looks of it, all of his assets are in the trust. With that said, the will is instead a hollow document, providing that all assets not accounted for in the trust will funnel into it.

In addition, Burt chose his niece Nancy Lee Brown Hess as his trustee. Interestingly, he did not select Quinton to handle the trust, which would have been a conflict of interest as he is the beneficiary.

According to Daily Mail reports, Burt signed the will in October 2011, making Hess the representative of his estate. Consequently, Hess will, in turn, control his possessions.

RELATIONSHIP WITH QUINTON

As it clearly states, Burt did not disinherit Quinton from the will. The “Gunsmoke” star adopted his 33-year-old son with his second ex-wife Loni Anderson in 1988.

He once shared Quinton was his pride and joy while praising him for the type of man he is today. The actor even revealed his son’s career in Hollywood as a result of his solo efforts. Burt told Closer Weekly:

“He is my greatest achievement. He’s a wonderful young man and is now working as a camera assistant in Hollywood. He never asked for any help with his career. He did it all himself."

Burt said he was proud of his son Quinton and that he loved him very much during an interview for the issue of the magazine at the time.

The bonded father and son were relatively estranged after Burt filed for divorce from Loni, 76. But the two grew closer in recent years.

In his memoir titled “But Enough About Me,” Burt revealed that one of the hardest things he ever had to do was tell Quinton that he and Loni were separating.

TELLING HIM ABOUT DIVORCE

He recalled when he and Quinton went for a walk at the beach, and he could not bring himself to say it aloud. Burt shared his son looked up at him and asked whether the dance was over.

He told him that was exactly it. He told him that he and his mom started the dance together but that the dance was now over and Loni was going to her side while he went to his.

“It’ll be alright, daddy. You’re a man,” said young Quinton. Burt further shared that the worst experience during their divorce was losing custody of his child.

CUSTODY BATTLE

He revealed that Quinton was only six years old at the time and that a judge decided he would be better off with his mother. Burt shared that he and Loni adopted Quinton when he was only three days old.

The couple named their son after Burt’s character Quint Asper in “Gunsmoke” and after Quentin Reynolds, a radio journalist Burt idolized since he was young. The star said:

“I fell in love the second I laid eyes on Quinton. I took him everywhere with me, carrying him like a football. I didn’t want to let go of him.”

CRACKS IN THE MARRIAGE

Meanwhile, when it came to his marriage, he did not feel strongly about it. Three years before his passing, the director expressed his regret for marrying Loni.

Burt told People during a revealing interview back in 2015 that marrying the “Munchie” actress back then “was a dumb move” on his part.

The Michigan native continued to reveal: “I should have known that you don’t marry an actress. It wasn’t lollipops and roses.”

In his memoir, Burt shared what broke up his marriage by revealing Loni bought everything triplicate from everyday dresses to jewelry to china and linens.

He then shared that the “Stroker Ace” alum told him she never wears a dress after being photographed because she should dress like a star.

Burt further explained that he gave her a platinum American Express card with a $45,000 credit limit which she maxed out in half an hour.

THEIR ROMANCE

Aside from their disputes, the pair were once in love. They met in 1981 and began dating a year later. Burt and Loni became a Hollywood power couple as they graced magazine covers and attended red carpets together.

They tied the knot in 1988 during a top-secret ceremony at Burt’s ranch in Jupiter, Florida, documented by People. During his speech, he said he had married his best friend.

The feeling was mutual for Loni, who said she felt like Cinderella as she married Prince Charming. However, years within their union, things took a twisted turn for the duo.

MESSY DIVORCE

In 1993, Burt announced their shocking split, and his rep declared their marriage irretrievably broken. He added the producer had the highest respect and regard for Loni, but their priorities changed.

Lack of sex was also a contributing factor to Burt filing for divorce. In an interview with “Good Morning America: Evening Edition,” he said that he and Loni had not had intercourse for nearly three years.

Amid their divorce proceedings, he admitted to being involved with another woman but said it was after he learned Loni had been unfaithful first. He shared he caught her cheating on him.

Burt made insults about Loni’s career, saying she was an underemployed actress and suffered from low self-esteem, adding she was not a good mother.

Loni did not respond to the allegations. Instead, she chose to avoid going head-to-head with her then-estranged husband through the media, saying it was in the best interest of her son.

The Minnesota native only opened up about the divorce in 1995 when she accused Burt of physically abusing her multiple times while allegedly under the influence of drugs.

BURT’S PASSING

She also accused him of not always paying his $15,000 in child support on time. It was not until 2015 that Burt signed a $154,520 check that finally ended his divorce from Loni.

The father of one died on September 6, 2018, at age 82, from a heart attack. He passed away at a hospital in Florida after going into cardiac arrest. Thankfully, his family was by his side.

Burt had heart issues for years as he underwent major heart surgery in February 2010. He lived his final years at his longtime Florida estate.

HIS CAREER

The star kicked off his career in TV Westerns in the 1960s and cemented his name into the 1970s/1980s popular culture as a sex symbol posing nearly naked for Cosmopolitan magazine.

On-screen, he was known as a rugged action figure. Burt’s famous movies include the 1972 movie “Deliverance, 1974 film “The Longest Yard,” and “Smokey and the Bandit” (1977).