Newspaper heir Paul Pope 'stalked' mum for her millions

A BITTER stoush between the mother and son heirs of the $200m National Enquirer fortune has become a sordid tale fit for the tabloid that made them rich.

Newspaper heirs? feud gets nastier

AN HEIR to the $200m National Enquirer fortune, Paul Pope, has been banned from contacting his wealthy, socialite mother in the latest instalment of their long-running feud.

Pope, 45, spent a short stint in jail earlier this month for allegedly stalking 79-year-old Lois Pope while demanding millions of dollars from her.

Mrs Pope sought a restraining order, claiming his "cruel behaviour" was causing her to "suffer substantial emotional distress and to genuinely fear for her safety."

Pope has filed a lawsuit against his mother, alleging fraud and excessive spending.

He has accused Mrs Pope of squandering $22m on private jets for her 18 dogs, a $100,000 Mercedes for her gardener and other perks.

Other alleged excesses include international holidays worth $2m and gifts to her nieces and nephews amounting to $250,000.

Pope also claims his mother is planning to kidnap his three children to use as leverage against him.

Mrs Pope is a well-known Palm Beach, Florida, socialite and philanthropist who has donated tens of millions to the University of Miami, veterans groups and humanitarian charities.

"This is devastating to me," she told the New York Post.

"I am positively distraught. I have tried to help him so many times. He is doing this because he runs out of money and he needs my help again. It's so abusive. None of this is true.

"I run a foundation and I try to help people, and he is trying to destroy my name. I feel sorry for him for saying such things about his mother. He wants to blacken my name. I have never stolen from anyone - I give, I never take."

Pope is the author of a yet-to be-published book called Confessions of a Rich Kid from Hell.

On June 17, Palm Beach County Court issued an injunction banning him from going within 500 feet (152 metres) of his mother.

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