Wading into a celebrity’s personal life in any way is kind of like trying to push through a nest of blackberry vines in order to get to that one delectable piece of fruit that can be found without trying to get torn up in the process. Some people would tell you that he was an unappreciated genius, while others would say that Jerry Lewis was a miserable human being offstage that didn’t get along with a lot of people, including his family. But not leaving his considerable wealth to his kids and grandkids makes it sound as though there were some serious problems afoot in the Lewis clan at that time and that there was no reconciling at the end no matter what anyone tried. Or maybe they didn’t try and that was the problem. But hearing the many different opinions of those that have something to say about the former comedian is bound to make some folks do a double-take since someone this talented, and he was don’t kid yourself, would hopefully be a decent individual. But the consensus among many people happens to be that he was a miserable human being that treated people like garbage and didn’t even bother to treat his own family right. The problem here is an opinion, unfortunately, as it’s all we really have to go off unless Lewis’ kids want to keep telling their story to anyone that will listen but don’t want to pay them for it. Money is another problem of course since no matter how much a person has of it, there are always issues to uncover and problems to deal with. True, dealing with your problems is easier when you have a few extra zeroes in your bank account, but obviously those added zeroes can cause a bit of grief as well as pleasure.
Why Jerry didn’t leave his money to his kids and grandkids is likely a personal issue, which is obvious, but one that’s a bit touchy when trying to get into it. this really goes back to what he was like as an individual, the idea that he admitted to punishing and beating his kids even though he loved them, and the fact that while he was funny during his time, he was also the kind of guy that didn’t have a lot of respect from those around him for various reasons. Dean Martin was one of those that commented on his time with Jerry and went on to say that he simply had to be the center of attention a lot of times, that he would go so far as to interrupt Dean while he was singing and would then try to upstage him now and again. Within the dynamic of their partnership though it does feel as though a battle of the egos was bound to happen since both Jerry and Dean became huge stars that people loved watching and bound to clash at one point or another. You simply can’t put those with humongous egos in the same room and not expect a bit of backlash, as it’s only natural. But the lengths to which Jerry took things at times makes it sound as though he was a bit more egocentric than people gave him credit for. Ironically a lot of folks thought he was the nice guy that didn’t get enough credit, while in real life it sounds like he was the egotist that didn’t believe he received enough. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Personally, it sounds like Lewis and his family just didn’t get along, which isn’t hard to fathom since it’s not the first time that a star and their family couldn’t see eye to eye for one reason or another. But the idea that Jerry wanted his kids to learn how to fend for themselves isn’t as outdated a concept as people might think, especially since back in his time it was still a very strong desire of many parents. Teaching kids how to do things for themselves and how to earn their own money is highly preferable to simply giving them money and paying for everything when they have a problem or need something. Unfortunately for Lewis’ kids, this is a lesson that they might have needed, and while Jerry might have sought to give it to them the lesson obviously didn’t take, or the money would never have been an issue. Upon the passing of a relative one of the first and last things that tend to be on the minds of those left behind is what the deceased left for their family. It’s an honest question in many regards really since one should want to leave their family with something upon passing on. But if that’s all a person cares about when their parent or relative passes away then it’s evidence of a life that wasn’t quite as full as it could have been.
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