The widow of the late Padres owner is suing his siblings for control of the team.

The San Diego Padres are in the midst of a custody battle.

The widow of deceased team owner Peter Seidler, Sheel Kamal Seidler, has filed a lawsuit against his two brothers in an attempt to seize control of the team.

The widow claims in her lawsuit that Peter, prior to his passing, expressed his final wish for her to manage the Padres, followed by their children, and that her children own the largest share of the team. She also accuses Peter's brothers, Matt and Bob, of attempting to undermine Peter's vision and legacy, as well as falsely asserting themselves as his rightful inheritors.

The suit claims that Bob's wife made several "racist, profane, and hateful communications towards Sheel, a woman of Indian descent."

The widow released a statement addressing the complaint on social media.

The complaint accuses Matthew and Robert of breaching their fiduciary duty and committing fraud. I urge anyone interested in the details to read the full complaint. This was not an easy decision to make. During this challenging time, I have taken every effort to avoid distractions and resolve the issue privately. I have focused on supporting the hardworking professionals within the Padres organization and the talented players we are fortunate to watch almost daily throughout the season.

"Although I made this decision as a last resort, I am confident it is the best way to protect the Padres franchise and ensure the vision that Peter and I shared for the team will continue."

Matt issued a statement through Sportico, stating that Sheel's accusations are "unfounded."

"Sheel Seidler, the widow of Peter Seidler, has filed a complaint that lacks any basis," Seidler stated. "Peter had a well-defined estate plan that designated three of his nine siblings, with whom he had collaborated for many years, as successor trustees of his trust. Moreover, Peter explicitly forbade Sheel from ever serving as trustee."

In November 2023, Peter, at the age of 63, passed away after being ill for several months. His condition has not been publicly disclosed. Seidler, a cancer survivor, also struggled with health problems for an extended period.

In July 2023, he stated that the Padres would remain within his family for future generations after his passing.

Seidler Equity Partners, founded by Seidler, was a crucial component of the group that acquired the Padres in 2012. Seidler's uncle, Peter, and Ron Fowler were also part of the group.

The group's name is derived from Walter O'Malley, who owned the Dodgers from 1950 to 1979 when they relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. In 2020, Fowler transferred the role of chairman to Seidler, who later purchased a portion of Fowler's stake to become the team's largest shareholder.

In an attempt to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West division and win a World Series, he gave out a series of high-cost contracts to superstar players prior to his death.

The contracts comprise Manny Machado's $350 million agreement, Fernando Tatis Jr.'s $340 million deal, Xander Bogaerts' $280 million contract, and Yu Darvish's $108 million pact.

In November 2023, the Athletic reported that the team borrowed $50 to cover the expenses of the contracts.

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