Mary Lea Johnson Richards
Encyclopedia
Mary Lea Johnson Richards (August 20, 1926 – May 3, 1990) was an American heiress, entrepreneur, and Broadway producer. She was a granddaughter of Robert Wood Johnson I
(co-founder of Johnson & Johnson
), and the first baby to appear on a J&J baby powder label.
. Her father was John Seward Johnson I
, and her mother was Ruth Dill, the sister of actress Diana Dill
, therefore made her a first cousin of actor
Michael Douglas
. Johnson grew up with five siblings: Elaine Johnson, John Seward Johnson II
, Diana Melville Johnson, Jennifer Underwood Johnson, and James Loring "Jimmy" Johnson. She was sexually abused by her father from age nine to fifteen. Her parents divorced around 1937, and her father remarried two years later, producing two half siblings, including Jimmy Johnson, which made her an aunt of film
director Jamie Johnson. Johnson graduated from the Masters School
in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
, and the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts.
, her father's wife and former chambermaid. She and her siblings sued on grounds that their father wasn't mentally competent at the time he signed the will. It was settled out of court, and the children were granted about 12% of the fortune. During the largest inheritance battle in history, it was revealed that Johnson was a victim of incest.
Johnson's first marriage was to William Ryan, a press agent turned farmer. Before they divorced, the pair had six children: Eric Ryan, Seward Ryan, Hillary Ryan, Quentin Ryan, Roderick Newbold Ryan, and Alice Ryan Marriot.
In 1972, she married Dr. Victor D'Arc, a psychiatrist, whom she met while seeking treatment for her son's drug addiction. In 1976, she publicly declared that her estranged husband and his homosexual lover had hired hitmen to have her murdered. Johnson, who was living with gay Broadway producer Marty Richards, hired a bodyguard, who was beaten almost to death during a break in that almost killed Johnson and Richards. Subsequently, the Bronx D.A's office made a case, and opened an investigation. No charges were brought, and the pair divorced in 1978.
Johnson's third marriage would be to Richards, and last until her death. Her family had a twelve year long court battle regarding her husband's eligibility for a share of the Johnson & Johnson fortune. The court ruled in favor of Richards.
In 1990, Johnson died of liver cancer at the age of 63. The NYU Mary Lea Johnson Richards Organ Transplantation Center is named after her. She has a granddaughter named Victoire-Eleanore Johnson, born in 1994.
Robert Wood Johnson I
Robert Wood Johnson I was an American industrialist. He was also one of the three brothers who founded Johnson & Johnson.-Early life:...
(co-founder of Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
), and the first baby to appear on a J&J baby powder label.
Early life
Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. Her father was John Seward Johnson I
John Seward Johnson I
John Seward Johnson I was one of the sons of Robert Wood Johnson I . He was also known as J. Seward Johnson, Sr. and Seward Johnson...
, and her mother was Ruth Dill, the sister of actress Diana Dill
Diana Dill
Diana Love Dill is a Bermudian actress, active in the U.S., who has also appeared professionally under the names Diana Douglas and Diana Douglas Darrid.-Personal life:...
, therefore made her a first cousin of actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
. Johnson grew up with five siblings: Elaine Johnson, John Seward Johnson II
John Seward Johnson II
John Seward Johnson II also known as J. Seward Johnson, Jr. and Seward Johnson is an American artist known for his trompe l'oeil painted bronze statues, and a grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I ....
, Diana Melville Johnson, Jennifer Underwood Johnson, and James Loring "Jimmy" Johnson. She was sexually abused by her father from age nine to fifteen. Her parents divorced around 1937, and her father remarried two years later, producing two half siblings, including Jimmy Johnson, which made her an aunt of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
director Jamie Johnson. Johnson graduated from the Masters School
The Masters School
The Masters School, known as "Masters", is a private, coeducational boarding school and day college preparatory school located in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Its campus is located near Manhattan in the Hudson Valley in Westchester County...
in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 at the 2010 census.The Village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a part of, the town of Greenburgh...
, and the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career
Johnson was a founder and partner of Producer Circle, a film and theater production company, which produced Broadway shows such as Sweeney Todd, and Broadway producer.Personal life
Johnson was excluded from her father's will, which left the bulk of his fortune to Barbara Piasecka JohnsonBarbara Piasecka Johnson
Barbara "Basia" Piasecka Johnson is a humanitarian, philanthropist, art connoisseur and collector.-Early life:...
, her father's wife and former chambermaid. She and her siblings sued on grounds that their father wasn't mentally competent at the time he signed the will. It was settled out of court, and the children were granted about 12% of the fortune. During the largest inheritance battle in history, it was revealed that Johnson was a victim of incest.
Johnson's first marriage was to William Ryan, a press agent turned farmer. Before they divorced, the pair had six children: Eric Ryan, Seward Ryan, Hillary Ryan, Quentin Ryan, Roderick Newbold Ryan, and Alice Ryan Marriot.
In 1972, she married Dr. Victor D'Arc, a psychiatrist, whom she met while seeking treatment for her son's drug addiction. In 1976, she publicly declared that her estranged husband and his homosexual lover had hired hitmen to have her murdered. Johnson, who was living with gay Broadway producer Marty Richards, hired a bodyguard, who was beaten almost to death during a break in that almost killed Johnson and Richards. Subsequently, the Bronx D.A's office made a case, and opened an investigation. No charges were brought, and the pair divorced in 1978.
Johnson's third marriage would be to Richards, and last until her death. Her family had a twelve year long court battle regarding her husband's eligibility for a share of the Johnson & Johnson fortune. The court ruled in favor of Richards.
In 1990, Johnson died of liver cancer at the age of 63. The NYU Mary Lea Johnson Richards Organ Transplantation Center is named after her. She has a granddaughter named Victoire-Eleanore Johnson, born in 1994.
See also
- Johnson v. Johnson (1988, ISBN 0440200415)
- Undue Influence: The Epic Battle for the Johnson & Johnson Fortune (1993, ISBN 0688064256)