Teen Mom OG fans are well aware of the difficult relationship between Farrah Abraham and her mother, Debra Danielsen. It appears that their mother/daughter issues aren’t the only ones in the family as Farrah’s grandmother filed for an elder abuse protective order against Debra in June.
The petition for relief from elder abuse was originally filed by Carmella Danielsen, 84, on June 16 in Iowa. A judge signed off on the order on June 28, and the document states that it is valid for one year.
According to the court filings, obtained from the Pottawattamie County Clerk, the dispute centers around finances and was triggered by a confrontation on June 15. From Carmella’s petition:
On June 15, 2021, Debra showed up to my residence with her husband, David. She tried getting into my home but I locked the door because I am afraid of her from all the recent things I have found out. They were both very angry and confronted my granddaughter, Ashley, in my yard because they wanted in the house to discuss me filing fraud on the Roth IRA account (as suggested by Fidelity Financial). Ashley had to call the police, David threatened Ashley that the state will be paying a visit to my house soon. The police told them to leave my property and to only communicate with Ashley via email.
The petition included a lengthy statement detailing Carmella’s allegations. Here is the full statement with Carmella’s address redacted:
* * * BEGIN * * *
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to notify the responsible party who updated and/or appointed Debra Danielsen as asset manager/guardianship/power of attorney over my financial responsibilities, that Debra Danielsen’s responsibilities and access to my accounts are hereby legally reversed and revoked, and she is to be taken off of my accounts effective immediately.
This update took place over the past two to three years, and according to Debra I have gone broke. However, after investigating my accounts, I have found that Debra opened a Roll Over Roth IRA account in my name at Fidelity Financial valued at approx. $40,000 and has listed herself as 100% the beneficiary. I was not made aware that I had this account in my name, or that Debra listed herself as the beneficiary. I was not aware that she was using any money I had left over from my small, fixed income, to fund this Roth IRA. I was made to believe that I was completely and totally broke, as that has been what Debra has been telling me for years. I would have to ask her for permission to purchase essentials for myself, such as food or clothing, even though I am retired and have a pension and social security money coming into two joint checking accounts that Debra has opened at Fidelity Financial with survivorship rights also in her name. These accounts are fully funded with my direct deposits. I never gave Debra permission to open joint accounts and I was made to believe, from Debra, that the accounts were only in my name. I have never been allowed to look at statements or have access to statements from these accounts, as Debra has her personal email listed and is having e-statements sent directly to her. She also has her phone number and email statements tied to the Roth IRA in my name. Debra Danielsen has proven she cannot be financially responsible, have proper communication, a cooperative financial plan, budget, act in good faith, and now has left me completely broke.
I have also been pressured by Debra to give my one last asset to her in my will, my home at [redacted], Council Bluffs, IA 51501. I own my home and I worked my life for it, among dedicating my time and money to do home renovations to her properties. I have dedicated my home and property to my granddaughter, Ashley Danielsen, whom as chosen to live with me since she was a baby, and is now the mother of two children, my great grandchildren. I am very proud of my great grandchildren, who I have had the opportunity to watch since birth, and have lived on my property since birth, whom I wake up, put to bed, feed, attend taking to school and swim lessons, help and teach them how to care for their pets, laundry, clean, protect, and love dearly. Ashley Danielsen, my granddaughter, is the only reason I have been able to eat or have basic necessities. Ashley loves me, cares for me and takes care of me like her own, since Debra has continuously told me that I am broke.
I can now see Debra’s alternative motives for her control over my financial assets and the pressure of my home and estate. I believe Debra’s behavior has been reflective of someone who is mentally ill, incompetent, and criminalistic. Debra has herself in debt, and now many others in the family. Debra has been emotionally abusive to both of her daughters and their children, and now I can see she is emotionally and financially abusive to me as well. Debra has been acting with ill will and unethically, by threatening to take my only asset, my home, and make my granddaughter, Ashley, and her children homeless. I can see the signs in hindsight but never wanted to believe my own daughter would do that to me, until recently when I seen the proof.
Debra Danielsen has also had hardships communicating on property tax and my granddaughters took on the burden, to yet find out Debra did utilize my money to pay the taxes and she had enough in my accounts to pay the taxes. Debra has brought financial stress to both of her daughters due to mishandling the financial assets properly of mine.
For a short time, Debra was a retail sales rep for AT&T. During that time, she moved my cell phone service from Verizon, under Ashley Danielsen’s plan, to AT&T. I had been on Ashley’s phone plan for years and years, Ashley always paid the bill. Debra received commission for every new account she brought to AT&T, and thus created another bill for me. Debra also did this with my television plan, and signed me up for DirecTV because that’s what she sold at AT&T. Upon being fired from AT&T, Debra was irate with them, and moved my phone service back to Verizon, under riy own account, and cancelled DirecTV to sign me up for Dish Network.
Debra Danielsen has not been transparent with my money, my health insurance, my bank accounts, and my stock investments, and there is more she could illegally be doing without my consent. I am capable, and responsible for all, if not more, of all of my current responsibilities at my home than beforehand. It is heart wrenching to be betrayed, abused emotionally and financially by my only daughter. Debra doesn’t even come to my home to check the work of the handymen she hires and that I am left over paying. If I say anything against one of the handymen that I trusted her to hire, she tells me I complain about everything.
This has all been alarming and disturbing. I am providing proof of my ownership of my estate, my living will, and can provide a letter from my granddaughter’s (Ashley Danielsen and Farrah Abraham) accounts of financial support. My granddaughters, whose mother is Debra Danielsen, can testify to my financials, my health, and my capabilities, so others can have clarity and transparency if need be.
I am currently seeking legal advice as to what my options are for the manipulation and financial abuse I have endured at the hands of Debra Danielsen.
Carmella Danielsen
6-15-21
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As stated above, the order of protection was signed by a judge on June 28. As a result, Debra is “restrained from abusing, harassing, intimidating, molesting, interfering with, or menacing the Vulnerable Protected Party, or attempting to abuse, harass, intimidate, molest, interfere with or menace the Protected Party.”
Debra is prohibited from setting foot on Carmella’s property. She is also “restrained from exercising any powers on behalf of the Protected Party through a court-appointed guardian, conservator, or guardian ad litem, an attorney in fact, or another third party.”
The rift between Debra and Carmella would seem to explain the similar rift between Farrah and Debra that Debra talked about in a recent interview with Chris Hansen. “We’re not speaking today,” Debra reveals in the interview, “so that’s very sad and I miss my granddaughter.”
Debra, Farrah, Carmella and Farrah’s sister Ashley were all together to celebrate Mother’s Day earlier this year. Here’s a video of that, followed by another video with just Debra and Carmella recorded in December of 2019:
It’s unclear if Carmella has filed a civil lawsuit against Debra, as hinted at in the order.
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
