Aretha Franklin’s Sons Are Headed To Court To Battle Over Her Estate

After five years since her passing, a dispute has arisen among Aretha Franklin’s four sons regarding her estate.

On Monday, an unusual trial is set to commence, raising questions about Aretha Franklin’s assets. Two handwritten wills are slated to be introduced during the trial, which, in accordance with Michigan law, may be deemed as her final directives.

Following her death in 2018, both of the wills were found in Franklin’s Detroit residence. Interestingly, the more recent will was discovered tucked away in a notebook in the couch cushions.

The ongoing dispute has created a rift between one of Franklin’s sons, Ted White II, and his siblings. Ted believes that the papers dated 2010, discovered in a cabinet, should hold significant authority over the estate. On the other hand, Kecalf Franklin and Edward Franklin are in favor of a 2014 document.

Franklin didn’t leave behind a will, which implied that her four sons would likely inherit her valuable assets, which included real estate in suburban Detroit, furs, gowns, jewelry, and future royalties from her works. To handle the estate, a niece named Sabrina Owens agreed to take on the role of personal representative or executor.

While there are disparities between the two documents, they both seem to suggest that the sons would collectively receive income from music and copyrights. In the older will, Ted and Owens are designated as co-executors, and it states that Kecalf and Edward “must take business classes and get a certificate or degree” to be eligible for estate benefits.

Contrarily, the 2014 document includes a modification where Ted’s name is crossed out as an executor and replaced by Kecalf. Notably, there is no mention of the requirement for business classes in this document. Additionally, Kecalf and the grandchildren would inherit Franklin’s Bloomfield Hills residence.