Molly McQueen, the granddaughter of actor Steve McQueen, is suing South Carolina lawyer Brent Borchert for a Jackson Pollock painting valued at $68 million. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County superior court, alleges that Steve McQueen transferred the Pollock drip painting to Borchert's parents, Rudolph and Pamela, in exchange for a motorcycle and a property in Latigo Canyon. According to the suit, the motorcycle was crashed and the property title never changed hands, so McQueen demanded the painting back, but the Borcherts never returned it. Brent Borchert inherited the painting after his parents' deaths and now lives with it in South Carolina; he told the Mirror the deal is "hazy" and he is open to a reasonable agreement if evidence is provided.
This case matters because it involves a high-value artwork—a Jackson Pollock drip painting worth $68 million—and a disputed oral agreement from decades ago, highlighting the complexities of provenance and inheritance in the art world. The outcome could set a precedent for how courts handle claims of oral contracts involving valuable art, especially when the original parties are deceased. It also draws attention to the intersection of celebrity culture and the art market, as Steve McQueen's legacy and Pollock's status as a top-tier artist add significant public and financial stakes to the dispute.