Jackie Coogan earned $3 million as a child; $252,000 was left when he sued his mother

Jackie Coogan became a star in Charlie Chaplin's The Kid (1921). In June 1922 his parents asked a Los Angeles court to approve their guardianship of his fortune, and his mother posted a $100,000 bond. Six months later they asked the court to dismiss the guardianship, saying they planned to create a trust. No trust was created. Between 1923 and 1936 Coogan earned $3,012,422. On May 4, 1935, his father died in a car crash that Jackie survived. His mother then married Arthur Bernstein, manager of Jackie Coogan Productions. Coogan turned 21 in October 1935 and asked for his money. His mother said California law gave a child's income to the parents. He sued her in April 1938. A court-appointed receiver, John E. Biby, found that $250,000 was left. The suit settled in February 1940, and mother and son each took half of the remaining $252,000. Coogan later said he received $35,000, including his cashed-in life insurance. California passed the Coogan Law in 1939. It now requires employers to place at least 15 percent of a child performer's gross earnings in trust. On September 26, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1880, which extends the law to minors who create content on platforms such as YouTube. Coogan died of a heart attack in 1984.