Waverly Scott Kaffaga was John Steinbeck’s stepdaughter and, for the last fifteen years of her life, the person with sole legal authority over the novelist’s literary estate. Born in 1936 to actor Zachary Scott and Elaine Anderson Scott, she took over as executor of her mother’s estate after Elaine’s death in 2003 and spent the rest of her life defending that authority in court, ultimately winning a $13.15 million jury verdict in 2017 against Steinbeck’s son Thomas and his widow Gail for interfering with film adaptations of The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, and other works. She died in November 2017, days after a Ninth Circuit ruling in her favor.
Family Background
Waverly’s parents, Zachary Scott and Elaine Anderson, met as drama students at the University of Texas and married in 1934.1Los Angeles Times. Zachary Scott Zachary became a Hollywood actor who appeared in more than 30 films. Her parents divorced in 1949,2New York Times. Elaine Steinbeck, 88, Author’s Widow, Dies and in 1950 her mother married John Steinbeck. That marriage lasted until the author’s death in 1968.
In July 1956, Waverly married Francis Melville Skinner at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York.3New York Times. Waverly Scott Is Married Here She later married a man named Kaffaga, whose name she carried for the rest of her life.
How She Came to Control Steinbeck’s Estate
John Steinbeck’s 1968 will left his literary interests to Elaine. His two sons from an earlier marriage, Thomas Steinbeck and John Steinbeck IV, each received $50,000 in trust.4U.S. Supreme Court. Appendix, Steinbeck v. Kaffaga In 1981 the sons sued Elaine seeking a larger share of royalties, and the family settled in 1983.5Courthouse News Service. John Steinbeck’s Heirs Face Off at Trial Over Movie Adaptations
That 1983 agreement became the document every later fight turned on. Elaine received “complete power and authority” to negotiate, authorize, and manage the exploitation and termination of rights in John Steinbeck’s works. The sons each got their royalty share raised from a quarter to a third. Elaine kept full control over all film and theater adaptations.6New York Times. Steinbeck Heir Lawsuit
Elaine died in April 2003. Her estate plan specifically excluded Thomas, John IV, and their heirs, and left her copyright interests to her children and grandchildren from her earlier marriage.7FindLaw. Penguin Group (USA) Inc. v. Steinbeck Waverly stepped in as executor, which under the 1983 agreement made her the sole person with authority over the novels.
The Film Rights Lawsuit
The conflict that defined Waverly’s later life centered on Hollywood. In 2014 she sued Thomas Steinbeck, his wife Gail Knight Steinbeck, and their company, The Palladin Group, in the Central District of California. She alleged that they had systematically interfered with her ability to license the novels for film and television despite having no legal claim to those rights.8Courthouse News Service. Steinbeck Heirs Turn Up the Wrath
The projects she said were destroyed by the interference included a planned Grapes of Wrath remake to be directed by Steven Spielberg and an East of Eden reboot that was to star Jennifer Lawrence.9KQED. Federal Court Moves to End Litigation Battle on John Steinbeck Estate Court filings alleged Thomas had secretly signed a $650,000 deal with DreamWorks to serve as executive producer on the Grapes of Wrath remake, a deal he had no authority to make.10Press Democrat. Author John Steinbeck’s Stepdaughter Wins $13 Million in Suit Over Movie Rights
The complaint also described a pattern of smaller obstructions. Starting around 2009, the defendants allegedly made unreasonable demands in audiobook negotiations, including a $111,000 advance and final approval over narrators and cover art. In 2012, Gail Steinbeck allegedly tried to block a Mumford & Sons concert, a Grapes of Wrath documentary, and a parody of Steinbeck’s work.8Courthouse News Service. Steinbeck Heirs Turn Up the Wrath
The 2017 Verdict
Thomas Steinbeck died on August 11, 2016, at age 72.11New York Times. Thomas Steinbeck, Novelist and Son of John Steinbeck, Dies at 72 Gail Knight Steinbeck continued the fight. After a five-day trial that began August 29, 2017, a jury unanimously sided with Waverly and awarded $13.15 million.4U.S. Supreme Court. Appendix, Steinbeck v. Kaffaga The breakdown:
- $1.3 million for breach of contract
- $1.3 million for slander of title
- $2.65 million for intentional interference with prospective economic advantage
- $7.9 million in punitive damages, with $5.925 million assessed against Gail Knight Steinbeck personally
The court found that the defendants had engaged in “lying, meddling, slandering, and threatening litigation to harm Kaffaga and Elaine’s estate” despite knowing prior court decisions had established they held no such rights.4U.S. Supreme Court. Appendix, Steinbeck v. Kaffaga
On November 16, 2017, a Ninth Circuit panel separately affirmed the dismissal of related claims by the Steinbeck heirs involving Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and The Long Valley, holding that the same issues had already been resolved in earlier litigation.12U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Steinbeck v. Kaffaga, No. 15-56375
Her Death and What Followed
Waverly Scott Kaffaga died just days after the Ninth Circuit ruling.13U.S. Supreme Court. Brief in Opposition, Steinbeck v. Kaffaga She was in her 80s.14Los Angeles Times. Steinbeck Lawsuit Her son, Bahar Kaffaga, was appointed as her successor as executor of the Estate of Elaine Anderson Steinbeck.
On September 9, 2019, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the $5.25 million compensatory damages award, finding it rested on “reasonable estimates grounded on testimonies and documentary evidence.” The panel vacated the $5.925 million in punitive damages against Gail Steinbeck, however. Though it found “ample evidence” of malice, it held that Kaffaga’s estate had failed to present meaningful evidence of Gail’s financial condition and ability to pay, as California law requires.15U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Kaffaga v. Estate of Thomas Steinbeck, No. 18-55336
Judge Richard Tallman, writing for the panel, called the dispute “the unending dispute in interests over Steinbeck’s works” and added: “This has to end. We cannot say it any clearer.”16Harvard JOLT Digest. Kaffaga v. Estate of Steinbeck The Supreme Court denied Gail Steinbeck’s petition for review on October 5, 2020.17SCOTUSblog. Steinbeck v. Kaffaga
What Her Fight Made Possible
The years of litigation had a chilling effect on Hollywood’s willingness to adapt Steinbeck. Studios were reluctant to commit to projects when rights sat under what the Ninth Circuit called a “constant threat of litigation.” Both the Spielberg Grapes of Wrath and the Jennifer Lawrence East of Eden collapsed during the fighting.
With the estate’s authority settled by the courts Waverly spent her final years navigating, new adaptations have moved forward. Netflix announced a seven-episode limited series of East of Eden, written and executive produced by Zoe Kazan, with Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, and Mike Faist in the cast. The series is scheduled to debut globally in fall 2026.18Netflix Tudum. East of Eden Series After Waverly’s death, her attorney said the estate “is looking forward to bringing Steinbeck’s many works to life for future generations.”9KQED. Federal Court Moves to End Litigation Battle on John Steinbeck Estate