In 2016, the fate of Paramount the media empire that includes Viacom, CBS, and Simon & Schuster hung precariously in the balance. Its founder and head, 93 year old Sumner Redstone, was facing a very public lawsuit brought by a former romantic companion, Manuela Herzer she, along with another of his girlfriends, Sydney Holland, had tried to influence the aging media mogul to cut off his own family and hand over his bank accounts and controlling shares.