Read the angry emails between pop star Vanessa Amorosi and her mum (2024)

The bitter feud between pop star Vanessa Amorosi and her mother over the singer's fortune has been laid bare in emails filed in the Victorian Supreme Court.

The emails show Amorosi's escalating emotions as her initial despair turns into anger during a heated argument with her estranged mother, Joyleen Robinson, over money and property in Australia and the United States.

The emails, which include Amorosi telling her mother, 'this is bullsh*t, and you know it' and 'I'm not playing these games', were released in a court judgment on Thursday.

Although Justin Steven Moore ruled in favour of Amorosi, who was in California and did not attend the court, the victory came with a catch: she was ordered to pay her mother nearly $870,000.

The legal battle between the pair is far from over, as Amorosi's lawyers are now battling with her mother and stepfather's legal team over who will be responsible for paying the court costs.

Amorosi, 43, sued her mother over properties purchased with earnings from her album sales and touring fees, including an eight-hectare farm in Narre Warren, southeast of Melbourne, and her current residence in California.

The properties were purchased during Amorosi's career peak two decades ago, around the time she released the hits 'Absolutely Everybody' and 'Shine'.

The deterioration of the relationship with her mother seems to have been set off by a strident email from her stepfather, Peter Robinson.

Mr Robinson sent a series of pointed questions about money, bank deposits, and real estate, ending the email with: 'I am asking these questions to try and avoid further disasters.'

Amorosi responded the next day and said: 'Makes me feel like I'm stealing my own money from you.

'How about ... you guys just keep the money and we all just call it a day.'

After a seven-month estrangement, Amorosi reached out to her mother again in November 2015 and said: 'I still haven't gotten over what happened seven months ago.

'I worried about not having any assets, but have managed because I had money left in my account.'

In the days leading up to Christmas that same year, Amorosi fumed: 'I never get a clear answer. Let me know when you can be bothered explaining.'

After dismissing Mrs Robinson's reply as 'bullsh*t' and demanding to see the paperwork, the performer described the dispute as 'crazy' and said, 'I'm the one left with nothing after 15 years of working my a** off'.

She signed it off by simply stating: 'No need to reply.'

In court, Mrs Robinson argued the Narre Warren property should belong to her as she had paid her daughter the $650,000 they agreed to back in 2001.

But Justice Moore on Thursday ruled the supposed agreement between the pair never happened and Amorosi should have full ownership of the property.

Amorosi said the $650,000 used to purchase the Narre Warren home in 2001 came from a trust account set up to receive all of her earnings.

The house was in both her and her mother's names, with Mrs Robinson alleging Amorosi agreed to hand over full ownership of the Narre Warren home if she paid $650,000 when asked.

Mrs Robinson maintained the agreement was made in February 2001 during a conversation in the kitchen of their former family home.

Mrs Robinson said she handed over $710,000 to Amorosi in 2014 for the loan she took out on her American home, thus fulfilling her end of the housing pact.

But Amorosi told the court she should have full ownership as there was never any pact in place.

The singer also sought to be the sole owner of her current Californian residence, which was bought through a trust account set up by her mother with her stepfather as sole director.

While ruling the supposed 'Narre Warren agreement' did not exist, His Honour did agree that Mrs Robinson should receive restitution for the contribution she made to Amorosi's property in 2014.

'The shifting and inconsistent course of Mrs Robinson's evidence leaves me entirely unconvinced that there existed a Narre Warren agreement as alleged,' the judge said in his reasons.

'I did not find Mrs Robinson to be a reliable witness in her evidence to the court.'

He ordered Amorosi pay her mother $650,000 plus $219,486.33 in interest.

Mrs Robinson was also not in attendance, although some of her family members watched on.

The judgment brought to an end a legal battle which had started in March 2021, when Amorosi launched Supreme Court proceedings, and resulted ina five-day trial in October last year.

Amorosi and her mother both gave evidence, with the performer breaking down in tears under cross-examination by her mother's lawyers.

She said that from a young age, her mother had ultimate control of her finances and trusts with money fromher recording career, which in some years she earned 'millions'.

Justice Moore noted in his judgment that Amorosi had 'released her first single while still at school and living at home at (the) Narre Warren' property.

He said that at the age of 19, she had sung at the opening of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, performing 'Heroes Live Forever.'

Amorosi hit the big time in 1999 with her debut single, 'Have a Look', which reached gold status in Australia, thenachieved international success with her debut studio album, The Power.

'Absolutely Everybody' went on to be a in many European countries, including the UK and Germany.

Her combined album and single sales have surpassed two million worldwide.