Globe Magazine Publishes Gary Coleman Deathbed Photo

Gary Coleman and ex-wife Shannon Price on Globe Magazine cover. (Twitpic/Globe)

NEW YORK (CBS) A shocking deathbed photo of late former child star Gary Coleman taken just hours before his death was released Wednesday on the cover of Globe Magazine, with the actor's ex-wife, Shannon Price, posing by his side.

PICTURES: Gary Coleman: 1968-2010

Dion Mial, the executor of Coleman's will, accused Price, 24, of selling the morbid image to Globe, who put it on their cover with the headline: "IT WAS MURDER."

Globe's parent company American Media confirmed it purchased the picture, however, spokesperson Samantha Trenk would not disclose the price paid or who sold the photo, according to CNN.com.

A Utah judge appointed Dion Mial, Coleman's longtime friend and former manager, as special administrator of the late actor's estate while the will goes through the probate process, CNN also reports. A will signed in 1999 named Mial as executor.

Mial was not able to stop Globe Magazine from publishing the deathbed image, which he accused Price of peddling to tabloids in an "ongoing desperate attempt" to profit from his death, the website states.

A statement issued by Price's press rep Monday did not deny Mial's accusation, but did say she needed money because she had helped Mial pay for a lawyer.

Although Coleman and Price were legally divorced at the time of his death, it was confirmed by Utah Valley Regional Medical Center that Price was granted legal rights by the actor to make medical decisions on his behalf.

MORE ON GARY COLEMAN DEATH:
Gary Coleman Death: Ex-Wife Allegedly Selling Hospital Photos
Gary Coleman's Parents Seek Custody of His Remains
Gary Coleman 911 Call: Ex-Wife Frantic, Parents "Not Pointing Fingers"

18 Photos

Gary Coleman: 1968-2010

[ensummer]

this is ******** .

[BLACBLADY19]

this girl murdered gary and i want to know why did globe print those pictures of gary on his death bed i miss him very much love joan morgan

[JCfromGa]

to: cstu0200, your post June 11, 9:51pm. I agree with you 100%!! And that is interesting about the scratches on her neck, I wonder if there's a tipline to the police on this case.

[JCfromGa]

I guess it's possible brain hemorrhages spontaneously happen, however I don't believe this was spontaneous. I think it had everything to do with blunt force trauma to the head. I want to know what "officially" caused the hemorrhage that killed him, & I want to know what caused the blunt force trauma to the head. I guess it's possible to fall & cause that kind of injury, however I don't believe it was an accidental fall. I'm not even sure it was a "fall". Even though police are saying "at this moment" they don't suspect foul play, I do believe they are investigating it further. Sometimes police won't release investigative information to the public, so as not to compromise the investigation. Any law enforcement would be a complete idiot not to investigate further. They need to put that girl on a lie detector & interrogate her. They need to charge her, seizures or not, for "failure to render aid". She sounds like a sociopath on the 911 call, only she mattered. She acted waaaaay to quickly in disconnecting his life support, selling photos & interviews, moving furniture out of the house,etc.

[kickthatpizza]

I am so sick of hearing that when a famous person passes away, people tend to fight over the estate and money. I feel the proper thing to do is to divide the money and estate equally between all family, and if there is any left give to charities. That way there will not be any fighting.

[pitip23]

But if that was the case, then you would be getting scum-like people aka shannon price receiving an entitlement.. that they obviously do not deserve.

But it does suck that people focus on the estate and money rather than the actual passing. It just shows how crummy mankind truly is..

[GAGR58]

CBS try to show a little class and take these photos off your site! What makes you any different than Shannon? You're just as disgusting as her. I didn't expect to see these photos here, and once I did, I've lost all respect for you.

[brendanzl]

This is so sad it is obvious his wife only has a interest in his money. She is one very sick person for doing this. All I've heard about since he died is people fighting over his estate. Makes u wonder if any of these people were really true friends

[wireflight]

What part of "it was confirmed by Utah Valley Regional Medical Center that Price was granted legal rights by the actor to make medical decisions on his behalf" don't people understand?

Reports proximate to the time of death indicate Coleman had no reasonable chance for recovery: he was no more alive than was Terry Schiavo; moreover, no sane person grants the right to make medical decisions on his or her behalf except that person is trusted completely.

Caregivers are legally obligated to their respective patients; moreover, in the absence of a standing DNR ("Do Not Resuscitate") competently executed, caregivers are required to assume a patient wishes every available means be employed towards keeping "alive" the patient.

THE ONLY REASONS a person would empower another to make medical decisions on his or her behalf are:

-(a) to guess which conflicting diagnosis seemed least incredible -- and by logical inclusion, which course of treatment seemed most consistent with the empowered person's understanding of the patient's desires; and

-(b) to terminate life support efforts in accord with the empowered person's understanding of the patient's "stop loss" policy -- usually meaning the patient's estate is to be preserved as nearly whole as possible in preference to any sort of chronic life support efforts.

Consequently, however inelegant, Price's alleged comment "[Coleman] was going to die anyway" cannot be regarded as proof of mens rea; rather, it tends most strongly to indicate Price did EXACTLY according to the most reasonable interpretation of Coleman's desire.

Moreover, there is certainly reason to believe that Coleman did not entirely burden Price with the problem of guessing his intent.

Whether any such written or other record exists to prove Coleman explained how she would know when he should be removed from life support neither indicates nor can reasonably be cited as predicate to infer that no such conversation took place.

Everything in this article strongly suggests that Shannon Price has been libeled by tabloid rag Globe Magazine. None of the credible facts thus far reported can be reasonably construed to imply that Price acted in this matter with anything other than competent benevolence towards Coleman.

I hope Price is able to pierce the corporate veil, and to drain every last penny of financial worth not only from Globe Magazine and from its parent (American Media), but also from the sleazeball principals whose industry derives its profits from the infamy it is able to generate.

[cstu0200]

What we should be asking is, "Why is she not in jail for murder"? If you look at her neck while she is bending over Gary as he lay in his hospital bed you can see marks or sctratches, and if you remember when the discussion of Gary abusing his wife, he had a simular head injury, and he even mentioned that "he never mentioned how she beat up on him". As sure as OJ was guilty, she is guilty. But then again, it is Utah....

Utah, what are you waiting on.....Lock her up before her and all of her family totally cleans him out. I would look for a bat of some kind, her natural swing of a bat would probably cause the same injury in the same location. I believe her intent this time was to kill him. I would love to investigate this case...

Gary, Rest in Peace, finally
C.

[montill43]

I hope, nobody here lives in a glass house. Everyone got to this site by a click, we all are guilty of gawking. If it wouldn't be of this human condition there would be no need to sell pictures to a paper which many people buy at the supermarket cash-out.