Three sons of Aretha Franklin are locked in a court battle over whether a document found in a sofa should count as her will.
And a jury ruled on Tuesday (July 11) that the note counts as a valid Michigan will, a critical development in the dispute between the singer’s brothers.
The Respect star died aged 76 in 2018 without a formal, typewritten will.
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And, five years on, the Queen of Soul’s legacy has been tied up in a Detroit court after a niece discovered different sets of handwritten papers at her home.
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The issue for a jury was whether a 2014 document found in the sofa counts as a will. It trumps a 2010 handwritten will that was uncovered in a locked cabinet at the same time.
Son Ted White II favoured the 2010 will, though both would see the warring brothers share revenue from Aretha’s music.
The 2010 version lists him as a co-executor to the estate. It also calls for Franklin’s other sons Kecalf and Edward to “take business classes and get a certificate or a degree” if they wish to benefit from the estate.
But they argued the 2014 version is their mother’s primary will.
(Image: Getty Images)
In it, Kecalf replaces Ted as co-executor and his grand-children would also inherit his mother’s £1million mansion.
Kecalf claimed it was normal for his mum to sign documents while “on the couch”.
Aretha’s biggest hits, which gained her worldwide fame, included classics such as Respect, (You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman), Chain of Fools, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) and Think.
She has an estimated net worth of $80million (£62.8million), according to Celebrity Net Worth.
(Image: AP)
In total, 73 of her hits made it to Billboard’s Hot 100 list.
With 18 Grammy awards behind her, it is easy to see why The Rolling Stone declared her the Greatest Singer of All Time.
Not only that, but Time named her one of the 25 Most Powerful Woman of the Century.
Aretha became the first woman to ever be included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
