Lennon gave Smith an allowance of £30 per week (equivalent to £ in ), but when she found out that Lennon's first wife's mother was being given the same amount, she phoned the Lennons' house and said, "What has she [Cynthia's mother] done to deserve anything? Tell John, when you speak to him, that I am very, very annoyed", before slamming down the phone. Lennon moved to New York in 1971, and never returned to England again. Despite losing touch with several family members, he kept in close contact with her and telephoned her every week. In a 1981 television interview with Southern Television reporter Christopher Peacock, Smith stated that she spoke with Lennon by phone the night before he was murdered. He called her to say he was homesick and was planning a trip back to England. After Lennon's death, Smith was furious to find out that he had never transferred the ownership of the house over to her, which meant that Ono owned the house and could sell it at any time.
