Rita LeBlanc, Former Saints Heir, Arrested in Charleston Parking Incident

Rita LeBlanc, granddaughter of the late New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, was arrested in Charleston, South Carolina. She is accused of pushing a parking enforcement officer. The incident happened while the officer was trying to place a parking boot on a vehicle.

LeBlanc, 48 years old, was charged with hindering a city employee. Police said she grabbed the parking boot locking device during the confrontation. Emergency services were called after the officer reported being pushed. Rita was released the next day on a personal recognizance bond. Her court date is set for July 24, 2025.

Rita LeBlanc was once the vice chairman of the New Orleans Saints. She held this position from 2012 to 2014. Many believed she would take over the team after her grandfather. But in December 2014, Tom Benson fired her and stopped any future contact. This caused a family dispute.

Reports say that during a home game in 2014, LeBlanc grabbed Benson’s wife, Gayle Benson. She shook Gayle in a family suite. After this, Tom Benson announced that Gayle would be the next owner of the Saints. Rita and her family later filed a lawsuit to challenge this. The case was settled in 2016.

LeBlanc has said she still considers herself a partial owner of the team. She also spoke about the stress from the family fight. She said it was hard and that no family should go through such problems.

The Saints are having a tough season. They finished with a 5-12 record, their worst since 2003. Also, their quarterback, Derek Carr, retired early in the year. The team hopes to recover soon.