Aretha Franklin (†)
A handwritten note under the sofa cushion determines her inheritance
Aretha Franklin (†)
© Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
Aretha Franklin left a fortune worth millions after her death. A dispute broke out between her sons about the soul singer’s inheritance, which has now been ended in court: A handwritten note stuck in a sofa is considered a legitimate will.
She has been dead for almost five years: died on August 16, 2018 Aretha Franklin, †76, one of the most important soul singers of all time, suffering from pancreatic cancer. But only now has the dispute between her four sons about the inheritance come to an end – due to a handwritten note stuck in a couch.
Handwritten note found in the sofa
According to the New York Times, a court in Pontiac, Michigan has now ruled that the note found under a sofa cushion at the late “Respect” singer’s estate in Detroit dates back to 2014 supposed to be the legitimate testament of the “Queen of Soul”.
Dispute over Aretha Franklin’s inheritance
The arguments were sparked because another paper, said to date from 2010, turned up in a closet of the singer. In the handwritten wills, the four sons Clarence Franklin, 68, Edward Franklin, 66, Teddy Richards, 59, and Kecalf Cunningham, 53, were favored differently, which is why the case ended up in court.
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“It’s been a long five years”
Aretha Franklin’s net worth was estimated at around $80 million at the time of her death. After an hour-long deliberation, the jury ruled that the note from 2014, which had been under the sofa cushion, was valid – and thus in favor of the sons Kecalf and Edward, who inherited a large part of the fortune. Kecalf Franklin was relieved after the end of the trial: “We just want to take a deep breath now,” he told the New York Times outside the courtroom. “It’s been a long five years for my family and my kids.”
Source used: nytimes.com