The Inheritance Intrigue of Aretha Franklin’s Estate

As I read about the public disputes among three sons over their late mother’s inheritance, I couldn’t help but wonder what their deceased mother would have thought of their current actions.

But Aretha Franklin must share in the blame of this court case. Renowned as the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards, Aretha made a rather naive oversight by neglecting to leave behind a formal, typed will.

Now, five years after her demise due to pancreatic cancer, uncertainty lingers regarding the division of her possessions, which encompass four homes, several cars, furs, jewelry, and gold records with an estimated value of $18 million. The confusion does not arise from a lack of written instructions, but rather from the absence of official documentation. The public has been made aware of three versions, two of which were handwritten and discovered eight months after her passing, tucked away in a sofa and dated 2014. The third document, dated 2010, was found in her cabinet.

The third son prefers the 11-page document from 2010 states that he and a niece should be the co-executors of her estate, and that the second and fourth sons “must take business classes and get a certificate or a degree” to reap the rewards of the estate. The niece has resigned citing the growing acrimony among the Franklin brothers. “Given my aunt’s love of family and desire for privacy, this is not what she would have wanted for us, nor is it what I want,” she wrote in a 2020 court filing.

But the two sons reject that document and want the 4-page 2014 documents, which crosses out the names of the third son and the niece and instead puts the second son in their place. This version says nothing about business classes or degrees.

What about the first son? He is suffering from mental illness and lives under a legal guardianship, but both wills say he must be supported financially by the estate. Through his lawyer, he has reached a separate settlement regarding the estate and won’t be taking part in the litigation.

Ultimately, a jury will determine which of the two documents should be recognized as the valid last testament of the Queen of Soul. The trial commenced on Monday and is projected to conclude within a week.

Aretha Franklin’s case places her alongside a list of artists who departed without leaving a will, leading to contentious disputes over their estates. Among them are notable figures such as James Brown, Prince, and Bob Marley.