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The Court of São Paulo Ended the Lawsuit Filed by Two Alleged Heirs Who Tried to Prove Blood Ties with Silvio Santos, Reinforcing the Validity of the Original Decision and Keeping the Inheritance in the Hands of the Six Daughters of the Communicator
The judicial saga involving the name of Silvio Santos gained a new chapter — and, apparently, a definitive conclusion. The Court of São Paulo rejected a lawsuit filed by Hugo Sérgio Marques Júnior and Guilherme Augusto Marques, who sought recognition as biological grandchildren of the presenter. The decision was issued by the 11th Family and Succession Court of São Paulo, which chose to end the case without examination of the merits, also preventing any inclusion of the claimants in the division of the communicator’s inheritance.
The information was disclosed by Jornal da Cidade Online, which detailed the content of the ruling signed by Judge Claudia Caputo Bevilacqua Vieira last Friday (17). According to the portal, the magistrate accepted the arguments of Silvio Santos’ daughters, represented by lawyer Luiz Kignel, and reaffirmed that the case was protected by res judicata, a legal principle that prevents the reopening of already terminated cases.
Understand Who the Alleged Grandchildren Were and What They Claimed
The two plaintiffs of the lawsuit are the children of Hugo Sérgio Marques, a man who, back in 1996, tried to prove in court that he was the biological son of Silvio Santos, whose real name is Senor Abravanel. At that time, the Court of Justice of São Paulo rejected the request due to lack of concrete evidence.
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Even after Marques’ passing in 2015, his children decided to resume the dispute, this time “post mortem”, requesting a DNA test. The new action requested that the test be performed by exhuming the remains of the presenter or, alternatively, using genetic material from the six daughters of the businessman.
However, the defense of the heirs argued that the attempt was improper, as the original case had been closed for over 20 years. The judge agreed, stating that “the dissatisfaction of the party with the judgment against its claim cannot disregard the permanence of the relationships already solidified by the mantle of res judicata.”
The Court’s Decision and the Financial Impact of the Case
In addition to denying the request for a genetic test, the court condemned the two plaintiffs to pay R$ 20,000 in attorney fees, even though they were beneficiaries of free legal aid. According to specialists consulted by the portal, the decision practically closes any possibility of future recognition, leaving the defense with only the option to appeal to the Court of Justice of São Paulo and, as a last resort, to the STJ or STF.
The case attracted attention not only for its emotional aspect but also for the amount involved. Silvio Santos’ inheritance is estimated to be R$ 6.4 billion, with R$ 3.9 billion referring to assets registered in commercial boards, such as properties, companies, and corporate participations. The remainder is distributed among financial investments, media properties, and other personal assets.
The magistrate also emphasized that, although the Supreme Federal Court had accepted in some cases the relativization of res judicata, this does not apply to the process of the Marques brothers. “The request is merely a repetition of a litigation already decided with res judicata and without new evidence capable of justifying the reopening of the issue,” she concluded.
The Family History and the End of a Decades-Long Dispute
The father of the plaintiffs, Hugo Sérgio Marques, died in 2015 at the age of 58, without seeing his wish recognized by the court. He claimed to have been born from a relationship between Wilma Marques and Silvio Santos in the 1950s. The presenter, however, refused to attend six hearings and did not undergo the DNA test requested at the time.
Silvio Santos himself passed away in 2024 at the age of 93, ending one of the most notable careers in Brazilian television. His estate, formed by an empire of communication and business, is now under the administration of his six daughters, who are expected to continue the business legacy of the Silvio Santos Group.
Meanwhile, the alleged grandchildren stated that they intend to appeal the decision. However, family law experts consider it unlikely that there will be a change in judicial understanding, as all previous instances had already confirmed the definitive closure of the case.
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