A Dallas funeral home known for its reality TV show on elaborate services is facing at least 17 lawsuits that accuse the business of being negligent in handling corpses and remains.
Golden Gate Funeral Home is being sued by families who say the central Oak Cliff business has caused them mental anguish after some say they were given the wrong person’s ashes, ashes were thrown away, or bodies were left in a decomposed state during viewing, according to court documents.
The funeral home is run by John Beckwith Jr., known for producing over-the-top funerals. In 2013, Golden Gate had a reality TV show on TLC called Best Funeral Ever that aired eight episodes showcasing the services.
Fourteen lawsuits were filed in Dallas County since Jan. 13, on top of three that were filed last year. Each of the 14 seeks monetary relief of $1 million from Golden Gate.
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Golden Gate issued a statement to NBC 5 Wednesday afternoon saying, "Golden Gate is a family-owned and operated business that has provided care and services to the Dallas Community for generations. We will not comment on this pending litigation, except to state that we plan to respond to the allegations made against us and defend against these claims in a court of law."
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