Current:Home > InvestAretha Franklin's handwritten will found in a couch after her 2018 death is valid, jury decides -VisionFunds
Aretha Franklin's handwritten will found in a couch after her 2018 death is valid, jury decides
Rekubit View
Date:2025-04-10 11:09:19
A document handwritten by singer Aretha Franklin and found in her couch after her 2018 death is a valid Michigan will, a jury said Tuesday, a critical turn in a dispute that has turned her sons against each other.
It's a victory for Kecalf Franklin and Edward Franklin whose lawyers had argued that papers dated 2014 should override a 2010 will that was discovered around the same time in a locked cabinet at the Queen of Soul's home in suburban Detroit.
The jury deliberated less than an hour after a brief trial that started Monday. After the verdict was read, Aretha Franklin's grandchildren stepped forward from the first row to hug Kecalf and Edward.
"I'm very, very happy. I just wanted my mother's wishes to be adhered to," Kecalf Franklin said. "We just want to exhale right now. It's been a long five years for my family, my children."
Aretha Franklin was a global star for decades, known especially for hits like "Think," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Respect."
Aretha Franklin did not leave behind a formal, typewritten will when she died five years ago at age 76.
The singer reportedly had a net worth of $80 million when she died. But the estate now has assets totaling less than $6 million, according to a report by the BBC.
But documents, with scribbles and hard-to-decipher passages, emerged in 2019 when a niece scoured the home for records.
In closing arguments, lawyers for Kecalf and Edward Franklin said the fact that the 2014 papers were found in a notebook in couch cushions did not make them less significant.
"You can take your will and leave it on the kitchen counter. It's still your will," Charles McKelvie told the jury.
Another lawyer, Craig Smith, pointed to the first line of the document, which was displayed on four large posters in front of the jury.
"Says right here: 'This is my will.' She's speaking from the grave, folks," Smith said of Franklin.
Kecalf and Edward had teamed up against brother Ted White II, who favored the 2010 will. White's attorney, Kurt Olson, noted the earlier will was under lock and key. He said it was much more important than papers found in a couch.
"We were here to see what the jury would rule. We'll live with it," Olson said after the verdict.
The jury found that the 2014 version was signed by Aretha Franklin, who put a smiley face in the letter 'A.'
Reid Weisbord, a distinguished professor of law at Rutgers University, told CBS News that the jury had to consider two issues -- whether the smiley face was a valid signature and whether Franklin intended it to be her will.
"Some states allow a handwritten will that doesn't contain witness signatures to be valid," Weisbord told CBS News.
There still will be discussions over whether some provisions of the 2010 will should be fulfilled and whether Kecalf Franklin could become executor of the estate. Judge Jennifer Callaghan told all sides to file briefs and attend a status conference next week.
Franklin's estate managers have been paying bills, settling millions in tax debts and generating income through music royalties and other intellectual property. The will dispute, however, has been unfinished business.
There are differences between the 2010 and 2014 versions, though they both appear to indicate that Franklin's four sons would share income from music and copyrights.
But under the 2014 will, Kecalf Franklin and grandchildren would get his mother's main home in Bloomfield Hills, which was valued at $1.1 million when she died but is worth much more today.
The older will said Kecalf, 53, and Edward Franklin, 64, "must take business classes and get a certificate or a degree" to benefit from the estate. That provision is not in the 2014 version.
White, who played guitar with Aretha Franklin, testified against the 2014 will, saying his mother typically would get important documents done "conventionally and legally" and with assistance from an attorney. He did not immediately comment after the verdict.
The sharpest remarks of the trial came from Smith, who represented Edward Franklin. He told the jury White "wants to disinherit his two brothers. Teddy wants it all."
Kecalf Franklin sat near White during the trial but they did not appear to speak to each other.
"I love my brother with all my heart," Kecalf said outside court when asked if there was a rift.
Aretha Franklin's other son, Clarence Franklin, lives under guardianship in an assisted living center and did not participate in the trial.
- In:
- Detroit
- Entertainment
veryGood! (282)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
Ranking
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island