Tony Bennett’s grieving daughters have implied they were stopped from visiting their sick father shortly before his passing, raising concerns about the quality of care he received, in a revealing new interview.

The legendary singer died in his hometown of New York, aged 96, on July 21, 2023, seven years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

In an exclusive conversation with DailyMail.com, Johanna, 53, and Antonia Bennett, 51, discussed his final days and the painful ongoing legal conflict with their ‘complex’ step-family.

‘In the end, we were unable to see him very much,’ Johanna revealed. 

‘I would have moments where I would go sit with him. He seemed to be in a constant dreamlike state, dozing off frequently. He always recognized me and [Antonia] as well.’

‘He could maybe not find the word “Johanna” or something, but when he would find it, he’d be really excited about it, and he’d be like, “Johanna!”‘

From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail’s new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 

The indie film producer explained how as ‘part of his therapy,’ the legendary crooner would perform daily the ‘entire 90-minute show’ he put on in 2021 with Lady Gaga at Radio City Hall – but ‘towards the end, [it was] more like three days a week.’

But when it came to his care, they claim they were not fully made aware of the plans. ‘We’re not 100 percent about his level of care,’ Johanna said. ‘It’s a complicated family dynamic in our family.’

Antonia, who last saw her father ‘three or four weeks’ before he died, explained about his health: ‘We all knew that something was wrong. It was difficult to watch him slowly fade away. The main thing was understanding that there’s was a diagnosis and that’s what it is.

‘There were times where I thought “oh maybe he’s mad” or “why is he reacting like that?” When you finally understand what’s happening, you’re able to release some of that, and just be more in the moment and present with the person.’

The sisters have been dealing with their grief alongside a year-long legal war with their half brothers, Daegal ‘Dae’ Bennett and D’Andrea ‘Danny’ Bennett, who was Tony’s manager, as well as their stepmom, Susan Crow, who married Tony in 2007.

Tony had Danny, 71, and Dae, 68, with his first wife Patricia Beech. They divorced in 1971, the same year he married Antonia and Johanna’s mother Sandra Grant, 84. They divorced in 1983. The music icon then married Susan, 58, in 2007. They were together up until his death.

In a lawsuit filed in June 2024, Johanna and Antonia accused Danny of mishandling their father’s assets which they claim were ‘dramatically diminished’ by the time he died. His lawyers responded in February with a motion to transfer to Surrogate Court, or, alternatively, dismiss the petition. As of April 29, a judge has agreed to transfer, court records show.

A second suit, filed in March 2025, has them seeking a removal of Danny as head of the family trust for allegedly breaching his fiduciary duty.

In the latter filing, Johanna and Antonia argue there are ‘multiple instances’ of Danny making ‘gifts to himself from the Family Trust, including during Tony’s incapacity.’

‘Danny made multiple withdrawals (in the forms of loans, “gifts,” and commissions) to himself or to or for the benefit of his children in his capacity as trustee,’ it read.

‘And he even borrowed $750,000 from the Family Trust to purchase a personal residence for himself and his family and executed a mortgage in favor of the Family Trust to secure that private loan.’

He also allegedly took out a ‘$450,000 loan’ from the Family Trust in 2020, and had not paid it back, per the complaint.

The filing also claims, ‘Tony’s earnings from live performances alone during the final 15 years of his active career exceeded $100 million’ and that ‘Tony and the Family Trust owned property valued in excess of $12,000,000.’

However: ‘Tony’s net worth at the time of his death, including assets in the Family Trust, was dramatically diminished as a result of Danny’s self-dealing, conflicted transactions, and other personal benefits that he obtained through the abuse of his fiduciary roles,’ according to the court filing.

The defendants have yet to respond to the second lawsuit, but court records show that Danny, Dae and Susan have all been served.

As they approach the two-year anniversary of their father’s death, Johanna and Antonia, who miss dining with their father at his favorite NYC restaurants and browsing museums together, said it is still ‘very, very hard to find your footing.’

‘He was this larger-than-life force…that being gone, is really an adjustment,’ Johanna said. Meanwhile, Antonia added, ‘One day you think you’re doing alright then you’re not. And to be honest it’s still happening… I still have days where it’s really hard to imagine he’s not here.’

But Antonia has found some solace in her father’s piano, which she inherited per his will, but court docs claim she was ‘prohibited’ from getting the piano for ‘months.’

The will was executed in October 2016 and stated Johanna, Antonia and Danny would each receive $900,000.

‘I have his piano. He left that to me and I have it in my house and it was the piano that was in our house when I was growing up, and it was picked out by Bill Evans, who’s a very well-known jazz pianist,’ the singer told DailyMail.com.

Her daughter, Maya, nine, is learning to play, while Antonia uses it to record her upcoming album Expressions- adding it makes her feel like ‘he’s there with me.’

New music from their late father could be released posthumously, with Antonia claiming he has ‘over 200 records that are just sitting there unreleased.’ 

‘In his later years, what he would do is just go in [the studio] and record and record,’ she said. ‘So there’s a lot of stuff. I don’t know if it will get released or what they’re planning on doing with it, but there is a lot of material there that hasn’t been released.’

Danny’s company, RPM Music Productions, Inc. sold rights to Tony’s music but it remains ‘unclear’ per court docs ‘what music assets (and other property) were or were not sold as part of the deal,’ because Tony’s daughters have not been provided with various details of the transaction.  

Addressing Johanna and Antonia’s latest comments, the Defendants’ attorney Eve Rachel Markewich, told DailyMail.com: ‘These comments are unequivocally false and disappointingly self-serving. It is a universally well know fact that Susan Benedetto and Danny’s devotion to Tony was beyond reproach. Danny and Tony Bennett have worked together for over 40 years, and that the record of their successful partnership speaks for itself. 

‘Tony thoughtfully planned his estate many decades ago to reflect his wishes and generously provided for his loved ones. Danny has always acted in Tony’s best interest and has worked diligently to ensure his father’s plans were honored and carried out. It is unfortunate and sad that some are choosing to refute his decisions rather than honoring their father’s legacy.’