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
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.