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 in August, 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. When the motorcycle was crashed and the property title never changed hands, McQueen demanded the painting back, but the Borcherts failed to return it. Brent Borchert, who inherited the painting along with his sister Bettina after his parents' deaths, told the Mirror that the deal was 'hazy' and that he is open to a reasonable agreement if evidence supports the claim.
This case matters because it involves a high-value artwork—a Jackson Pollock painting worth $68 million—and a dispute over a decades-old oral agreement between a Hollywood icon and a private family. The outcome could set a precedent for how courts handle informal exchanges of art for property or goods, especially when the original parties are deceased. It also highlights the complexities of provenance and ownership in the art world, where verbal promises and family lore often clash with legal claims decades later.