LeAnn 'Manipulative': Stepmom

By Stephen M. Silverman

04/21/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

LeAnn Rimes's stepmother, Catherine Dickenson Rimes, has labeled the 18-year-old country star "manipulative" in her pursuit of lawsuits in which the singer claims her father, Wilbur Rimes, and his business partner stole $7 million while co-managing her, reports the Tennessean newspaper. Catherine, who married Wilbur in 1998, says that LeAnn's father is heartbroken about his deteriorating relationship with his superstar daughter, but that Wilbur believes that LeAnn is to blame for the situation. To underscore her point, says the newspaper, Catherine released copies of two taped conversations that LeAnn held in the past two or three years. In one, the singer tells a friend that by crying in court she will get a judge to let her out of her contract with Curb Records. (Wilbur and his business colleague had arranged the contract. After it was upheld in court last week, LeAnn said to her father, "I hate you.") In another tape, LeAnn tells her father she really likes her most recent recording, "I Need You." This directly contradicts public stateme nts she has made criticizing that album. Wilbur Rimes declined to speak directly to the Tennessean. "This is his child," said Catherine, "and he won't speak out for fear of hurting her." LeAnn's attorney refused any comment on the matter.