Aaron De Groft, an art historian and curator, passed away at age 59 following a brief illness. His career was marred by involvement in a scandal regarding fake Basquiat artworks at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), where he served as director for approximately 18 months. The OMA was raided by the FBI over the authenticity of the works in June 2022, leading to De Groft's dismissal. Legal battles ensued between him and the museum, with accusations of fraud and wrongful termination at the heart of the dispute. De Groft's family may continue the legal action due to Florida's survival statute.
At the time of his death, De Groft was in a legal dispute with the OMA, where he was the director and chief executive for about a year and a half.
Experts had raised questions about their authenticity, and ultimately an auctioneer in Los Angeles admitted that he and an accomplice had made the fake works in 2012.
Prior to the raid, De Groft had defended the works' authenticity and reiterated the false provenance provided by their owners.
De Groft was not a party in another ongoing lawsuit stemming from the Basquiat forgery scandal.
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