The battle over Aretha Franklin's will begins
The battle over Aretha Franklin’s will begins: Jury is seated in trial to decide whether handwritten documents found stuffed in couch cushions can be accepted as valid will
- The Memphis-born ‘Queen of Soul’ died at her Detroit home in August 2018 at the age of 76
- Franklin had four sons: Clarence, born when she was 12; Edward, born when she was 15; Ted, now 60, who served as her backing guitarist; and Kecalf, now 53
- Franklin died without a formal, typewritten will: on Monday a trial began to decide whether a 2010 or handwritten 2014 document is more legitimate
Aretha Franklin’s family were in court in Michigan on Monday to try and decide which of two wills is the legitimate document.
The Memphis-born Queen of Soul died in August 2018, at the age of 76.
She did not leave a formal, typewritten will, and family has been divided ever since as to which of two potential wills was correct.
Franklin had four sons: Clarence, born when she was just 12; Edward, born to the same father as Clarence when she was 15; Ted, born to Franklin and her husband Theodore ‘Ted’ White in February 1964 ; and Kecalf Cunningham, born in April 1970 whose father was her road manager, Ken Cunningham.
In 2010, Franklin signed a document which made her son Ted, 60, the executor of her estate.
But in 2019, a handwritten version from 2014 emerged, found stuffed down a couch, in which Ted’s name was crossed out and Kecalf’s name inserted as executor. Furthermore, Kecalf would inherit her home in Bloomfield Hills, an affluent suburb north of Detroit.
Aretha Franklin is pictured in December 2008 performing during the 85th annual Christmas tree lighting at the New York Stock Exchange. Two of her four sons are now arguing over her will
Kecalf Franklin, 53 (left), and his brother Ted White, 60 (right), are arguing over their mother’s will
Ted and Kecalf are now in court to work out who is the executor, with a trial expected to last two days.
At stake is control of a fortune which, given she performed from the age of 12 and signed with Columbia Records at 18, remains remarkably low.
The last public accounting filed in March showed the estate had income of $3.9 million during the previous 12-month period and a similar amount of spending, including more than $900,000 in legal fees to various firms.
Overall assets were pegged at $4.1 million, mostly cash and real estate.
Franklin’s creative works and intellectual property were undervalued, with just a nominal $1 figure.
Ted, who played guitar during his mother’s performances, told the court on Monday he believes the 2010 document is the only legitimate one.
‘With all the time I spent working with her administratively, every other document that she ever signed was something that was done conventionally and legally,’ he told the jury.
Aretha Franklin attends the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1978 with her second husband Glynn Turman, her son Kecalf Cunningham, her stepson and her stepdaughter Stephanie Turman
Aretha Franklin is seen in March 2014 with, from left, Clifton Davis, Clive Davis, and her son Kecalf Franklin
Franklin is seen with her boyfriend William Wilkerson (left) and her son Edward Franklin (right) in 2014
He acknowledged, however that the 2010 will found at the same time in 2019 was also written by his mother’s hand.
There are differences between the documents, but both the 2010 and 2014 documents appear to indicate that Franklin’s four sons would share income from music and copyrights.
Four large posters showing pages from the 2014 document were presented to the jury.
Under that version, 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.
Kecalf Franklin, 53, told the court he does not consider it unusual that important papers like a will would be discovered in the living room.
Aretha Franklin’s sons Kecalf Franklin, rear, hugs Edward Franklin after a ceremony honoring their mother in October 2021
Edward Franklin arrives on Monday for the hearing
Kecalf Franklin talks with attorney Charles McKelvie outside the courtroom on Monday
Asked by his attorney where his mother read mail, made important phone calls, signed documents and even slept, Kecalf Franklin repeatedly said: ‘On the couch.’
A niece, Sabrina Owens, who managed the estate immediately after Franklin’s death, did not appear in court Monday, but her testimony from a formal interview was read aloud.
She explained how she was determined to search the Bloomfield Hills house for critical records.
‘She would use the kitchen and living room – that was about it,’ Owens said.
‘So when I got to the sofa, I lifted up that far right cushion and there was three notebooks there.’
The jury will hear closing arguments on Tuesday.
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