Jury rules that handwritten will found in Aretha Franklin’s couch cushions is legally valid
The ruling settles a dispute between the "Respect" singer's sons over two separate documents found in the late star's home
Aux News Aretha Franklin
In a real-life “is it underlined or crossed out” moment, a jury decided Tuesday that a handwritten and scribbled-over document found in between Aretha Franklin’s couch cushions is, in fact, a legally binding will (via Associated Press).
While the “I Say A Little Prayer” singer—who died in 2018 at the age of 76—did not leave a formal, type-written will, two separate hand-written documents emerged in 2019 when her niece scoured the late Queen of Soul’s home for records. The document found in the couch (which would eventually win the day) was dated 2014, while the other document, which was found in a locked cabinet, was dated 2010.
Dispute over the will has seemingly turned three of Franklin’s four sons against each other, with the second oldest son Edward and youngest son Kecalf favoring the 2014 document, and second youngest son Ted White II favoring the 2010 document. Oldest son Clarence is living with special needs in an assisted living facility and did not participate in the trial; his guardian told the BBC that lawyers “have reached a settlement that gives Clarence a percentage of the estate without regard to the outcome of the will contest.”
There were slight differences between the two wills, such as the 2014 document stating that Kecalf and his children would fully inherit the singer’s home in Bloomfield Hills, MI, and that they did not need to take “business classes and get a certificate or a degree” to benefit from the estate, a provision that was present in the 2010 version.
While White’s attorney argued that the 2010 will was superior since it was actually locked up, Edward and Kecalf’s team won in the end by claiming that the more recent papers should override what came before, and that “you can take your will and leave it on the kitchen counter. It’s still your will.”
“Says right here: ‘This is my will.’ She’s speaking from the grave, folks,” a lawyer said of Franklin, who signed the document with the letter A and a smiley face.
While the brothers reportedly sat next to each other but did not speak at the trial, there may still be hope for reconciliation. “I love my brother with all my heart,” Kecalf said when asked about their relationship outside of the courtroom.
18 Comments
Speaking from experience, family fights over estates are lame at best, utterly depressing at worst.If I had an estate, and knew that my family would be squabbling over it like a bunch of soulless lizards, I’d sooner put it in a pile and light it on fire.
Fights over Wills are stupid. Wills in general are stupid. Daniel Craig had a good take about why he doesn’t like the concept of Wills.
Those three sons should be ashamed of themselves.
I can’t see anywhere where Daniel Craig says he doesn’t like the concept of wills. I see an interview where he says he doesn’t plan to leave his children with big inheritances, but that’s an entirely different animal. He may plan to spend his money before he passes, but I would bet good money he’s got a will that says what he wants done with his estate when he dies. He’s basically saying that he doesn’t want his kids to be trust fund babies, but if that’s what he wants, then he’ll absolutely need a will to spell that out. Otherwise, if he dies without a will, he’ll get the opposite of what he wanted. His estate will pass to his next of kin (Rachel Weisz if she’s still alive, or his kids if she predeceases him) without any stipulation that it be distributed elsewhere.
We should all subscribe to the Ron Swanson view on wills:Ron: I’ve had the same Will since I was eight years old. (hands Ben his Will)
Ben: (reading Ron’s Will) Upon my death all of my belongings shall transfer to the man or animal who has killed me.
Ben: What are these weird symbols?
Ron: The man who kills me will know.As always, Ron Swanson shows us the way.
I’m trying to parse this. Is it the idea of inherited wealth that bothers you, or the idea that one can opt out of the default process?
Tell me you don’t understand estate law and have never had abusive family members without telling you don’t understand state law and have never had abusive family members.Next time you encounter a situation where another party has to be designated as heir or executor because the next-of-kin is dangerous and manipulative, or a trust has to be established for the care of a disabled child after the parent passes, or a bequest has to be made with specific instructions for its use (like, say, for a grandchild’s college fund), we can talk. Until then, you’ll forgive me for thinking your comment is absurd.
People get stupid about money. Even people who are generally good and care about each other.
This was a gross read. Those boys should focus more on finding financial success within their own lives. Gross.
That’s a lot of loose change to be sitting under those couch cushions for five years.I served as a juror in a will contention law suit a few years back. It was both ugly and pathetic at the same time. And that was just a relatively small inheritance from a small rural town. I can only imagine something of this magnitude.
I feel a lot better about my decision to keep all my legal documents in Aretha Franklin’s couch now.
Choosing to read this as a euphemism.
Well, she did command them to “find out what it means to me,” and the court has obliged.
Huh, I just peeked into my signed copy of Lady Soul and discovered another will, dated 2017. It says that all her belongings should go to… Chandler Binge? What a weird coincidence!
These dudes must have grown up loaded. They’re fighting over a house and whether or not they need to get a degree or a certificate? If all that was standing between me and a quarter of the Queen of Soul’s riches was a 3 week correspondence course through the University of Phoenix, I’d be done with the classes before we even went to trial.
Kecalf…
Aretha “I Say A Little Prayer” Franklin. Oy.
Yeah, seriously. The woman has at least half a dozen legendary songs to her name, and they choose one that’s primarily associated with Dionne Warwick? I hope we see an article soon about John “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” Lennon or Jimi “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” Hendrix.
Her version of “I Say a Little Prayer” does slap, though. Something about how she goes “I say a little…” and lets the backup singers finish the “…prayer for you” is just so great. I heard that version for the first time in a cab on a trip to Amsterdam with my best friend. I highly recommend the 2006 compilation The Definitive Burt Bacharach Songbook, which contains that track and several other ones that were hits in the UK, so you get the Gabrielle version of “Walk on By” and the Cilla Black version of “Anyone Who Had a Heart”; Sandie Shaw’s “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me”, etc.