Aretha Franklin’s 2014 Hand-Written Will Found In Her Couch Ruled Valid By Jury

The fight over Aretha Franklin’s will has come to a close, with a jury ruling that the document found in her couch is valid. 

The decision was made on Tuesday, a major update in the bitter battle over her estate. Sadly enough, the matter has created tension among her three of her sons, Kecalf, Edward, and Teddy. The jury met for under an hour before determining that the 2014 four-page list of demands would override the 2010 will, which was found around the same time locked in a cabinet in Franklin’s home.  

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Both documents outlined that her children were to split all income brought in from her music and copyrights. However, the earlier will declared that Kecalf and Edward must secure business classes with a degree to earn money from her estate. The 2014 manuscript did not have such requirements in place. Instead, it stated that Kecalf and his children would be the owners of her Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, home and her fleet of luxury vehicles. Kecalf and Edward had battled it out in court against Teddy since both handwritten notes emerged in 2019. Franklin’s son, Clarence, was not listed in either will due to mental health issues. Instead, his brothers have been tasked with ensuring he is cared for financially. He currently resides in a Detroit group home. 

At the time of her death on August 16th, 2018, Franklin did not have a legally filed will recorded. However, lawyers on both sides have argued that the scribed papers are still valid and detailed Franklin’s final wishes. After her passing, Franklin’s estate was reportedly worth about $18 million. In 2021, an agreement with the IRS paid about $8 million in federal taxes. Per the deal, which was detailed by the New York Times, the estate would designate 40 percent of all incoming funds to pay additional taxes owed by Franklin and her heirs.

“We just want to exhale right now. It’s been a long five years for my family and my children,” Kecalf told the press outside of the courtroom shortly after his victory.