Whitney Houston’s Emmy has been yanked from the chopping, er, auction block.
The New York Daily News reports that a California judge has ruled that the Emmy Houston won in 1986 for her Grammy performance of “Saving All My Love for You,” will not be for sale in an upcoming estate auction.
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“We are disappointed, but we fought the good fight, and we will withdraw the Emmy from the auction,” auction house president Greg Rohan said to the Daily News.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences filed a lawsuit against Heritage Auctions claiming that the Emmy legally belongs to the Academy. The lawsuit explains that Emmy awards are on loan to winners, and while they may be bequeathed, for-profit sales were forbidden.
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“The Television Academy has met its burden that the Emmy statuette given to Ms. Houston for her to take home, as opposed to the prop statuette presented during the awards ceremony, contained the table stating that the statuette ‘is the property of and all rights are reserved by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences,” U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson wrote in his decision.
The Houston family has not yet responded to the lawsuit.