Angel’s Envy family feud sees lawsuit

The wife of the late founder of Angel’s Envy Bourbon, which was recently sold to Bacardi, has filed a lawsuit against her son, claiming that he has “effectively stolen” her share of the money raised from the sale.

Wesley Henderson, left, and his late father Lincoln Henderson (Photo: Angel’s Envy)Cecilia Henderson alleges that their son Wesley kept her in the dark about her late husband’s shares in a company that owned roughly 10% of Angel’s Envy.

Set up in 2010 at the same time as the Bourbon brand hit the market, Wes and Lincoln Henderson each had a 50% stake in Spirited Holdings Ltd, a company used to hold their investment in Angel’s Envy. The suit estimates Lincoln and Wes effectively owned around 4-5% of Angel’s Envy each.

These shares would have given Lincoln a payout after Bacardi bought the Bourbon producer in March for an undisclosed sum – a payout Mrs Henderson argues should have been given to her. Lawyers for Mrs Henderson claim that her late husband intended to receive benefits from his share of the holding company after his death.

“Mrs Henderson has attempted to resolve this matter directly with Wesley, but she is now left with no choice but to seek relief from the court,” her lawyers said in court documents filed in Kentucky on 1 June.

“Mrs Henderson deeply regrets having to file a lawsuit against her own son, but she must protect Lincoln’s wishes and her own rights”, the lawsuit said.

Wesley Henderson, who featured in the May issue of db‘s sister publication The Spirits Business, “has stated to others his intent to purchase exotic luxury cars and vacation homes” with the money he received from the sale of the brand, the suit alleges. Angel’s Envy has been contacted for comment.

Speaking to The Spirits Business on the Bacardi takeover in May, he said, “[Bacardi’s] understanding and confidence in us to operate the company in the way we’ve been operating it is fantastic. It’s been a dream relationship and it’s been that way since the very beginning.”