Copyright dailymail
The granddaughter of legendary American actor Steve McQueen launched a lawsuit over a $68 million painting. Molly McQueen, 38, is pursuing legal action after claiming her grandfather was ripped off when he traded a Jackson Pollock painting for a rare motorcycle and a Los Angeles property he allegedly never received. The 38-year-old claimed Rudolph and Pamela Borchert made a deal with her grandfather to trade the Pollock piece for the bike and home on Latigo Canyon. She said her grandfather held up his end of the bargain but 'one of the Borcherts crashed the motorcycle and the property never changed title,' Artnet reported. The granddaughter is now suing their son, Brent Borchert, for possession of the painting that his been a staple in his family's home for decades. 'I talked to my mom once and asked, "What’s the deal with the Jackson Pollock painting?" And she said, "Your father made some sort of deal. I wasn’t there for it",' Borchert told the Mirror. 'It was a quick conversation, but I recall that she may have mentioned something about a motorcycle and the house. It’s all very hazy.' Borchert did remember his parents friendship with McQueen, a known motorcycle connoisseur. The legendary actor made a 'demand for the return of the Pollock painting within a reasonable time' when the deal fell through, according to the lawsuit. Borchert noted his father was also bike lover, and the motorcycle McQueen was supposed to receive was 'a cool motorcycle that was kind of hard to get your hands on.' But Rudolph Borchert crashed the bike in a horrific accident that put an end to his motorcycle lifestyle. Now the son said he is willing to hear out McQueen's granddaughter's claims. 'If they’re willing to be reasonable, and then they can show me something that makes me believe something went on that wasn’t right, I’ll come to an agreement,' he said. 'But if they can’t, then I won’t.' Pollock is 'one of art history’s best-known painters' according to Artnet. He is best known for his role in Abstract Expressionism and unique splatter technique. The highest price ever paid for his work at an art auction was $61.1 million, set at Sotheby’s New York in 2021, according to their price database.
