The Orlando Museum of Art and the family of former museum director and CEO Aaron De Groft have agreed to drop their lawsuits against each other, signaling the end of the years-long legal dispute over a suite of fake Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings.
De Groft died last month due to a “brief illness,” as described in his obituary. He assumed leadership of the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) in 2021, but his tenure was cut short by the 2022 FBI raid of “Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat,” and the later reveal of an FBI affidavit that named him as a key figure in an investigation into art fraud. In 2023, Los Angeles auctioneer Michael Barzman confessed to making the fake Basquiat paintings.
“This has been a very difficult period in the museum’s history and for everyone involved,” Cathryn Mattson, the museum’s executive director, told the Orlando Sentinel, which first reported the news. “This is the logical next step after he died. It needed to be concluded.”
De Groft was fired by the museum board days after the raid. The chairwoman at the time, Cynthia Brumback, departed amid criticism of how the exhibition proceeded despite having received FBI queries into their provenance as early as July 2021.
In August 2023, the museum filed a lawsuit accusing De Groft of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and conspiracy. He subsequently countersued and accused the museum of using a public relations strategy intended to “destroy him.” He sought financial compensation for wrongful termination, defamation, and breach of contract. Speaking to the Sentinel, De Groft said he was “going to war to get my good name back, my professional standing and personal and professional exoneration.”
Litigation was still pending as Florida’s “survival statute” permits a family member to take over a lawsuit after the death of the plaintiff. Mattson told the Sentinel that, “the parties did not think it prudent or cost-effective to continue with this litigation.” Their agreement, or joint stipulation of dismissal in legal terms, was filed on Monday.
Meanwhile the owners of the paintings are seeking a $20 million insurance payout over the FBI seizure. Insurance companies Liberty Mutual and Great American are currently pursuing a court ruling to dismiss the claim. The OMA is named in the suit as the technical holder of the insurance policy, but whatever the ruling, is not be liable financially.
The institution, which celebrated its centennial last year, said in a statement that its focus was on the future. “The filing of the Joint Stipulation of Dismissal ends the litigation between OMA and De Groft, and between De Groft and OMA, in its entirety,” the statement read. “It is OMA’s sincere hope that this step will allow OMA to continue forward with its mission in partnership with its valued constituencies.”
