John Young claims to be the love child of the late John Hemme. Photo / Duncan Brown.
John Young claims to be the love child of the late John Hemme. Photo / Duncan Brown.
Kiwi claims Aussie mogul was his Dad and he should inherit.
A New Zealand man who claims to be the love child of Australian entertainment mogul John Hemmes is preparing to launch legal action to claim a chunk of the late rich-lister's estimated $800 million fortune.
The heir to the estate, bar baron Justin Hemmes, has sounded out Sydney's top barristers to protect the money his father left to him.
But Hastings union organiser John Young claims to be the son of John Hemmes and says he was born after his mother had an affair with Hemmes in the 1950s.
Hemmes was the figurehead of the Merivale empire of Sydney restaurants, bars, hotels and wedding venues and died in March aged 83 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Young, who has long fought to be recognised as Hemmes' son, has engaged Sydney lawyers to fight in court to be recognised in the multi-millionaire's will.
The 61-year-old said he was more interested in being recognised as a family member than making a cash grab.
"Money is the only language they seem to understand so maybe this is the only way to get their attention," he said. "I've spent 40 years trying to get them to acknowledge me."
Justin Hemmes has been linked to women including singer Natalie Imbruglia, Kiwi model Nicola Robinson and yoga teacher Carla McKinnon.
Earlier this year he announced his model girlfriend, Kate Fowler, was expecting the couple's first child.
A spokesperson for Hemmes' estate said the family had not received a claim from Young but had sought legal advice.
"If Mr Young does lodge a legal claim it will be dealt with in the same way that any claim would be dealt with against any estate," the spokesperson said.
Young said he had spoken to a lawyer who specialises in wills and succession law from Gerard Malouf and Partners in Sydney.
Under NSW law, an "eligible person" can make a claim on a deceased estate within 12 months of their death.
Young's lawyer declined to comment but Young said he would need to win a legal argument to launch a claim and then prove paternity.
Young said he had been trying to contact former Sydney caterer Fiona Cameron, who claimed her son, Edward, was also fathered by Hemmes.
Kate Fowler and Justin Hemmes, heir to entertainment mogul John Hemmes Photo / Supplied
"I've just found out I may have a half-brother. If I could find him and take a DNA test we could establish a connection to Mr Hemmes," Young said.
In 2000, Cameron told media that the millionaire hotelier was paying too little in child support and produced payment documents with Hemmes' name on them.
Hemmes denied fathering the child but admitted making the payments, according to reports at the time.
Young and his twin sister, Dale, were born in 1953. Dale died in 1994.
Hemmes told media in the early 2000s that he lived in New Zealand in 1951 and 1952 but denied fathering Young and his sister.
Young said he discovered he was adopted when the man they had been raised to believe was their father died.
The twins contacted an investigating agency that led them to the Hemmes' mansion.
Young launched a paternity case in New Zealand in the early 2000s. The Court of Appeal initially found he could get a declaration legally recognising a connection between him and his biological father.
But Hemmes had the order overturned by the Supreme Court in a precedent-setting 2005 decision that ruled Young ceased to be the offspring of his biological father once he had been adopted.
