Another Possible Aretha Franklin Will Surfaces in Estate Dispute
Lawyers for two of the singer’s sons say the document was in the files of a law firm she had engaged to help her with estate planning.
Aretha Franklin was initially thought to have died without a will, but now still another document that may represent her last wishes has been found.Credit.Paul Natkin/Getty Images
The estate of Aretha Franklin just got a bit more complicated.
When the legendary singer died at 76 in 2018, her family assumed she had no will. Then, nine months later, a few handwritten documents, which may represent two or even three wills, were found in Franklin’s home, leading to a dispute among her four sons over how her estate should be run and its assets divided.
Last modified on Fri 12 Mar 2021 08.32 EST
A fourth possible will has been discovered in the attempt to finalise the estate of Aretha Franklin.
Filed in a Michigan court this week, the eight-page document, titled The Will of Aretha Franklin, was apparently drawn up in 2018 along with an additional document outlining the terms of a trust, the New York Times reports. Both papers are unsigned and marked as drafts.
The new draft will would create a trust to benefit her son Clarence, who has undisclosed special needs, and would split the remaining assets among her other three sons along with specific inheritances to other relatives.