Nearly a year after Michael Madsen’s death, the late Reservoir Dogs star’s estate is facing a new legal battle.
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TMZ recently reported that the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department claimed the late actor owed his ex-wife, Jeannine Bisignano, more than $1.2 million in back child support payments.
The approximate back child support amount is $1,267,573.49.
The former couple divorced in March 1995. They shared two sons, Christian and Max.
Madsen has four other children. His first three, Kalvin, Hudson, and Luke, were with his first wife, DeAnna. His last child, Jessica, was with his third wife, Dana Meching.
TMZ further reported that while Bisignano wants to be in charge of the estate to collect the money she’s due, their sons have already filed a petition to be appointed administrators.
Madsen suddenly passed away in July 2025 at the age of 67. The cause was later determined to be cardiac arrest. Along with alcoholism, heart disease was listed as a contributing factor to the actor’s death.
“We understand Michael had a cardiac arrest,” the actor’s rep, Liz Rodriguez, shared at the time.
Madsen was preceded in death by his son, Hudson, who died by suicide in 2022.
Madsen’s Sister Recently Spoke Out
Remembering her brother, Michael Madsen’s sister, Virginia, opened up about life without the actor.
In a post on Instagram, Virginia shared a 2015 black-and-white throwback photo of her and Michael.
“On the way back to the hotel, he told the driver to let us out quite suddenly. He wanted to walk. And so we did,” she wrote in the post’s caption. “Late at night in Manhattan, talking about our kids. It is an unsteady hand that writes this now because time does not heal grief. Just allows the wind to change direction from time to time, melancholy nevertheless.”
Virginia further shared, “I remember a book he loved. The last line reads, ‘He would soon be borne away by the waves and lost in the darkness and distance.’ There was comfort there for you. You are at peace now, I know. And I understand.”
The late actor’s sister previously stated that he was “bigger than life.” However, she admitted it was a struggle to stay in communication with him during the last few years.
“He really wasn’t communicating with anybody,” she explained. “And that addiction will do everything it can to separate loved ones from the person who’s suffering. He tried really hard over and over again until he just got farther and farther away.”