Bambi Swayze, Sister Of Late Patrick Swayze, Accused By Ex-Husband Of Leaving Him In 'Financial Ruin'
She and her ex-husband were married for 29 years.
getty Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock has seen the movie Dirty Dancing. Not only did it inspire people to try the famous (and unrehearsed!) lift at the end of the film, but it skyrocketed Patrick Swayze to stardom.
Unfortunately, on September 14, 2009, Swayze lost his battle to pancreatic cancer, leaving behind his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, as well as his mother, Patsy, two brothers, Don and Sean, and adopted sister, Bambi.
But who is Bambi Swayze? Just like her siblings, Bambi is an actress and has been in the films One Last Dance, Lethal Ninja, and the TV movies In Search of Dr. Seuss and Stompin' at the Savoy. Though she hasn’t been in any recent films, she’s making headlines — and the timing couldn’t be worse. September 14 was the 10-year anniversary of Patrick’s death, after all.
While divorces can be nasty, and financially and emotionally devastating, Bambi’s ex-husband is accusing her of being an alcoholic and criminal.
Photo: Moanalani Jeffrey
According to RadarOnline, Bambi’s ex, Don Franzen, revealed she was arrested on more than one occasion for shoplifting and was kicked out of sober living and rehab — all on his dime. Franzen claims it left him in “financial ruin.” The judge ordered Franzen to pay Bambi $2,500 a month, even though he claims he is “sinking” with over $80,000 in debt.
The exes were married for 29 years and separated in 2016 but court documents from 2017 are the final nail in this marriage coffin. Franzen alleged Bambi has a “long history of abuse of alcohol and mental instability,” referring to run-ins with the law. In 2017, she was arrested for DUI and had a plethora of shoplifting offenses. She was kicked out of a sober living facility and came to her ex; otherwise, “she would be living in [her boyfriend’s] car!”
This isn’t the first time there have been major allegations against the Swayze siblings. Just last month, Patrick’s widow, Lisa Niemi, alleged that her late husband had been abused by his mother, Patsy.
Photo: Pinterest
Sean told RadarOnline that the allegations were fabricated by Niemi in an attempt to extort money:
“My family doesn’t even associate with that piece of s***. There was never any abuse in our family. She has been grubbing for money since he died. Anything that makes her money she’ll tell the press... I know what my family was like growing up. I don’t need to watch a documentary about it…
There was never any abuse. She [our mom] had a temper. We all had tempers. Everyone had violent tempers. But there were no beatings. We got spankings and whippings, like a good old southern boy. All we did was get our whippings growing up. We never got punched in the face, hit across the body or slapped in the face. We got a belt to our butts growing up. That was normal back then. And it doesn’t mean it’s abuse. We had a great childhood. We were in sports and athletes in school. It was fun...
We don’t talk to Lisa. I don’t care if she lives or dies. We were always a family and were close. She always hated being around us. She was cold around us Why would she do this and turn up something negative? It’s the 10-year anniversary of his death and should celebrate him. Let him rest in peace.”
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.