Claire Kellerman has declared the potential collapse of a Scottish island community center is “not her business.”
Kellerman, 62, the adopted daughter of late “M*A*S*H” film star Sally Kellerman, made the remark to Sky News last week as her lawsuit against the Bernera Community Association threatened to bankrupt the tiny organization. The California transplant moved to Great Bernera, a Scottish island of fewer than 250 residents, roughly three years ago.
The legal battle began earlier this year when Kellerman attempted to enter the Bernera Community Cafe with her Australian cattle dog, Tarkina. Staff blocked her entry, pointing to signs on the door reading “Assistance Dogs Welcome” and “Service Dogs Only,”. Kellerman claims she has a disability stemming from childhood trauma and that Tarkina qualifies as a service animal, reports said. The specific nature of her disability remains unclear.
Several island business owners have accused Kellerman of repeatedly lashing out at them and threatening lawsuits whenever her dog — whom locals describe as prone to chasing other animals and pets — is denied entry to establishments.
The case took a costly procedural turn when Kellerman initially filed suit against the wrong entity, the Great Bernera Community Development Trust. That misstep drained approximately $7,000 from the charity’s resources before she amended her complaint to target the Bernera Community Association, which operates the multi-purpose community center housing the cafe along with a doctor’s office, fire station, and museum. Reports said that the BCA now faces bankruptcy due to the ongoing litigation.
Kellerman herself bears no current legal expenses. The Scottish Legal Aid Board is covering her bills, leaving island residents to fund their own defense while she pursues the case at no personal cost.
Local leaders have not minced words about their frustration. Western Isles Member of Parliament Andrew Crichton publicly condemned Kellerman’s actions as “vexatious.” Donald MacKinnon, another community figure, dismissed the entire matter as “absurd.”
Kellerman’s mother, Sally Kellerman, earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of U.S. Army Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman’s 1970 film “M*A*S*H,” the dark comedy that preceded the long-running television series. The elder Kellerman died in February 2022 at age 84.
The younger Kellerman’s legal campaign has left the tight-knit island community reeling. What began as a dispute over a cup of coffee and a dog’s presence has metastasized into an existential threat to a hub that serves multiple essential functions for a population smaller than many city apartment buildings.
Neither Kellerman’s attorneys nor BCA representatives responded to requests for comment.