29 November 2023 , 15:25
989
0
Aretha Franklin's sons have won ownership of her former homes, thanks to a will found down the back of her sofa.
The decision came four months after a jury validated the document under Michigan law, despite its scribbles and hard-to-read passages.
Franklin had signed it and put a smiley face in the letter "A." This will override the singer's handwritten will from 2010 that was found at her suburban Detroit home around the same time in 2019, according to the judge.
One of her sons, Kecalf Franklin, will get that property, which was valued at £900,000 million in 2018 but is now worth more. A lawyer described it as the "crown jewel" before trial last July.
Another son, Ted White II, who had favoured the 2010 will, was given a house in Detroit. However, it was sold by the estate for £236,000 before the duelling wills had emerged.
Taylor Swift seen looking cosy with Matty Healy's mum Denise Welch months ago
READ MORE: Aretha Franklin's children battle over handwritten wills five years after singer's death
Aretha Franklin's estate was contested by her sons"Teddy is requesting the sale proceeds," said Charles McKelvie, an attorney for Kecalf Franklin. Judge Jennifer Callaghan awarded a third son, Edward Franklin, another property under the 2014 will.
Aretha Franklin had four homes when she died of pancreatic cancer in 2018. The discovery of the two handwritten wills months after her death led to a bitter dispute between the sons over what their mother wanted to do with her real estate and other assets.
One of the properties, worth over £900,000, is likely to be sold with the proceeds divided among her four sons. The judge noted that the 2014 will didn't clearly specify who should receive it.
"This was a significant step forward. We've narrowed the remaining issues," said McKelvie about the ongoing estate saga. There's still a dispute over how to handle Aretha Franklin's music assets, though the will seems to suggest that the sons would share any income. A status conference with the judge is scheduled for January.
Franklin was a global superstar for decades, best known for late 1960s hits like "Think," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Respect." She was one of the industry's top-selling artists, selling more than 75 million records over six decades.
Her sons Ted and Kecalf won two of her former homes (AP)By October 2014, Franklin also became the first woman to have 100 songs on Billboard's Hot RandB/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Her personal life was just as eventful.
By 1970, she had four children by four different men. She married and divorced twice, first to her manager Ted White and later Glynn Turman. The star also ended an engagement to long-time friend William 'Willie' Wilkerson in 2012.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]