🎵✍️Soul Brothers Brawl Over Aretha Franklin’s Scribbled Wills – Who Will Win the R-E-S-P-E-C-T?👑💸
TL;DR:
Five years posthumously, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin’s, legacy is under dispute. With no formal will left behind, her four sons are battling over two handwritten wills, one of which was discovered in couch cushions, like a lost TV remote. It’s not a tale of treasure maps and X marks the spot, but a complex legal battlefield where the prize is control over the late music superstar’s estate.
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The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, left us with timeless hits, but not without a mysterious parting gift – two handwritten wills. Despite years of dealing with health issues and countless opportunities to get her affairs in order, the official typewritten will never made an appearance.
Did she perhaps leave us with an intentional puzzle to solve? 🤔
The wills, with all their scribbles, scratches, and hard-to-read passages, have triggered a classic sibling feud. One son, Ted White II, is championing a document penned in 2010. Simultaneously, brothers Kecalf Franklin and Edward Franklin are all for a will written in 2014, both unearthed in Franklin’s Detroit home after her passing in 2018.
You’d think after years in the limelight, the diva would have her ducks in a row, but according to Pat Simasko, an elder law specialist, it’s not so surprising.
Will this familial discord ever find resolution, or is the Franklin family doomed to a perpetual trial? ⚖️
As Franklin sang in one of her most famous hits, “You make me feel like a natural woman,” her wills do nothing of the sort. They are a kaleidoscope of crossed-out names and erratic instructions. The 2010 document lists White and Owens as co-executors and insists Kecalf and Edward Franklin need to complete business classes to benefit from the estate. Meanwhile, the 2014 version wipes out White’s name, slots Kecalf Franklin in his stead, and forgets all about the business classes. It’s like a game of musical chairs, but with a few million dollars at stake. 🎓💸
So, which will is the real deal? Who will become the custodian of Aretha’s legacy? Ted White II stands with the older, notarized and signed will, while Kecalf Franklin’s camp argues the later document takes precedence, dismissing the former as a mere draft.
Who’d have thought an informal will could hold such weight? 📜
While the sons wrestle over the interpretation of the wills, the estate hasn’t been sitting idle. In the last five years, it’s seen three executors and paid off at least $8.1 million to the IRS for taxes. The present estimate of the estate’s worth is $4.1 million, with Franklin’s creative works and intellectual property being considerably undervalued.
In a twisted tale of the ‘Battle of the Wills’, who will eventually claim the crown and walk away with the spoils? And was this the final performance the Queen of Soul intended for her heirs, a cryptic treasure hunt, or just the consequences of not planning ahead?
What do you think, folks? Was this part of Aretha’s grand plan or a simple oversight that’s now turned into a costly family feud? 🤷♂️
Disclaimer: This article does not provide legal or financial advice. It’s a recap of events related to Aretha Franklin’s estate following her passing. Always seek professional advice before making legal or financial decisions.
