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Shortly after Brooke Astor redrafted her will leaving everything to her son, Anthony Marshall, she gave a speech praising the "magnificent job" he was doing managing her affairs - a speech people close to her can't believe she wrote.
Marshall's lawyers are now using a copy of the speech to support his bid to retain guardianship of his 104-year-old mother.
Astor's grandson, Philip Marshall, has accused his dad of elder abuse, and a judge removed Anthony as guardian in July.
"It's not her voice," said a source close to Astor who is familiar with the speech, which she delivered at the Knickerbocker Club in February 2004.
According to the source, Astor usually spoke extemporaneously. If she were to write notes, they would be on her own letterhead. The copy of the speech is not.
A source familiar with the lawsuit said shady lawyer Francis X. Morrissey - who was hired by her son - admitted he wrote down her words, but he claimed they were dictated to him by Astor.
The speech, now being used by Anthony Marshall's lawyers as proof Astor wanted to change her will, contains only 110 words. In it, Astor says her son "never asked me for anything."
The speech also attests to Astor's love for her daughter-in-law, Charlene, whom friends say Astor has little use for.
"Most of all," Astor proclaims in the text, "I love [Tony] and his wife, Charlene."
stefanie.cohen@nypost.com
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