A manuscript found on a sofa in Aretha Franklin’s house constitutes a valid will, a US court jury determined Tuesday, to resolve a dispute between the children of the “Queen of Soul”, who died in 2018.
The legendary American singer, who died on August 16, 2018 in her hometown of Detroit, left no official will, but handwritten documents later discovered in her home fueled years of conflict between her four children.
The documents, difficult to read, appear to share their assets, namely real estate, but also jewelry, furs, sound equipment and music rights.
One, dated 2010, was discovered in a locked cabinet. Another, dated 2014, was found under sofa cushions.
Two of his sons, Edward and Kecalf Franklin, spoke in favor of the 2014 document. Another, Ted White Jr, said the 2010 document is more legitimate.
Both wills seem to indicate an equitable distribution of royalties between these three children.
According to the New York Times, Clarence Franklin, the singer’s first child, suffers from mental health issues and lives under legal guardianship, with his brothers sworn in to support him.
The jury’s decision, made up of six people, is especially favorable to Kecalf Franklin and his children, who must inherit the singer’s main residence, a mansion located in a luxury suburb of Detroit, as well as the cars.
The action centered on the signing of the 2014 document, which read “A. Franklin”, with a small ‘smiley face’ design in the first initial, which Kecalf Franklin said was “characteristic” of his mother’s handwriting.
The jury delivered its decision after an hour of deliberation, ending a two-day trial.
For years, the trustees of Aretha Franklin’s estate have settled debts and paid taxes while managing the rights to her music.
The “Queen of Soul” died at age 76 in Detroit of pancreatic cancer after a six-decade career that made her one of America’s most respected artists.
An unforgettable interpreter of “Respect”, the diva was also a figure in the fight for civil rights for African-Americans and sang at Martin Luther King’s funeral in 1968.
Source: TSF
