A trial judge had dismissed a lawsuit filed by the mother and halted proceedings on the children's claims last year. After an appellate ruling, the children's suit was allowed to go forward.
Lawyers for Bren have argued he has scrupulously complied with a series of agreements he entered into more than 17 years ago with Gold. He never denied paternity, but because the children were the potential victims of kidnapping for ransom, he asked Gold not to identify them as his children.
Because Bren is willing to pay whatever a court orders, there is no need for investigation of his assets and finances, said his lawyer, Robert C. Welsh.
The teenagers' mother "was represented by experienced counsel of her own choosing," Welsh said. "They negotiated private written agreements that [Bren] has abided by every step along the way."
Chodos acknowledged in court recently that "a child can't eat a million dollars worth of food. I understand that. But it is always a function of what the father, the paying parent, is able to provide. Maybe they need a yacht like Donald Bren has, maybe a plane like Bren has, maybe they need a house in Newport Beach and in Beverly Hills."
john.spano@latimes.com
