Michigan Court Validates Handwritten Will Discovered in Aretha Franklin’s Couch, Ending Estate Battle.
In a significant development following years of legal disputes over Aretha Franklin’s estate, a jury has determined that a handwritten document found in the late singer’s couch is a valid will. The ruling was delivered on Tuesday in a Michigan court. The will, discovered in 2019, a year after her passing, was found in a notebook discreetly tucked under a couch in Aretha’s Detroit home.
Dated March 31, 2014, the newly validated documents differ significantly from a draft of her will from 2010, introducing a noteworthy shift in her intended estate plans.
The recently discovered pages of the will reportedly appoint Aretha Franklin’s sons, Kecalf and Edward, as executors of her $6 million estate. Notably, the name “Teddy,” also known as Ted White II, who was previously designated as executor in the 2010 version, appears to be crossed out in the newer document.
Furthermore, the 2010 will seemingly mandated that Kecalf and Edward would need to pursue business classes and obtain a degree or certificate in order to benefit from Aretha’s estate. However, the 2014 version does not include this requirement, indicating a notable change in the conditions outlined for her sons’ involvement in the estate.
TMZ broke the story, when Aretha Franklin passed away in 2018, after battling pancreatic cancer, no will was initially discovered. However, this absence of testament sparked a fierce conflict among her children, leading to an intense battle for control over Aretha’s financial legacy.
Now, after a protracted struggle, the game for Aretha’s financial throne has finally come to an end. The emergence of a valid will has brought closure to the heated disputes surrounding her estate.
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Fharnell M.
