The world knew Robin Gibb as the melancholy voice of the Bee Gees, but behind the scenes, a bitter feud exploded after his death — pitting his widow, Dwina Murphy, against his stepchildren in a painful, public battle over his legacy and fortune.
Robin Gibb passed away in early 2012, leaving behind a family torn apart not just by grief but by fierce disagreements over his estate. At the heart of the conflict was the distribution of his wealth. Dwina Murphy, who had been married to Robin for years, was named as the primary beneficiary in his will, as expected. Yet this triggered deep tensions with Robin’s children from previous relationships, who felt sidelined and robbed of their rightful inheritance.
The controversy ignited immediately after the will was made public. Many of Robin’s older children accused Dwina of favoritism and secrecy. They claimed she controlled the estate and decisions around Robin’s legacy, to the exclusion of his other family members. Spencer Gibb, one of Robin’s sons, was outspoken, expressing feelings of neglect and resentment over how Dwina handled matters.
“It felt like we were pushed out, like our father’s last wishes were manipulated,” said Spencer Gibb, one of Robin’s sons from a previous relationship.
Meanwhile, Dwina Murphy stood her ground, insisting she was honoring Robin’s true intentions. The widow reportedly found it deeply distressing that the family drama played out in public, tarnishing memories of their life together. She argued that the will was clear and that she was merely executing what Robin had wanted.
“I am carrying out Robin’s wishes with the utmost respect. This public feud breaks my heart,” Dwina Murphy said in a rare exclusive statement.
The disagreement revealed more than just legal wrangling; it exposed fractured family bonds and emotional wounds. Many of Robin’s children voiced feelings of being kept at arm’s length during his final years, suggesting that Dwina had distanced them from Robin. Such accusations only deepened the split and extended the pain long after the initial loss.
While the dispute never escalated into a courtroom battle, the fallout was unmistakable. The once close-knit Gibb family found themselves fractured by suspicion and hurt. Some members publicly lamented the handling of the estate and how it overshadowed their father’s legacy.
To this day, the feud remains a somber reminder of how complicated life can become when a beloved public figure dies. The battle over Robin Gibb’s estate underscored the emotional turmoil and difficulties of honoring a legacy dealt with in tangled personal relationships and competing loyalties.
