By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The estate of Chuck Close, the artist known for his enormous photorealistic portraits of himself and others, has settled a lawsuit accusing Cigna (NYSE:) of failing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years for necessary medical care. of his life.
In a filing late Friday in Manhattan federal court, an attorney for Close’s estate said both sides have reached an agreement in principle to settle, and expect to complete a settlement within 45 days and dismiss the case. Terms were not disclosed.
Cigna, the insurer’s attorney and the attorney for Close’s estate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Close died in August 2021 at the age of 81.
He used a wheelchair after being paralyzed by a rare vertebral artery rupture in 1988, and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. Close received nursing care at home in 2015.
The estate sued Cigna in August 2022 for $686,723 in “wrongfully denied benefits” plus interest.
Last December, a judge denied Cigna’s counterclaim to recover $357,684 for services it said were not medically necessary.
Close’s larger-than-life portraits feature many famous subjects, including composer Philip Glass and model Kate Moss. His portraits could be indistinguishable from photographs when reproduced, as in books.
The case is Estate of Close v. Cigna Health and Life Insurance Corp, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-07449.
