Aretha Franklin will: house and songs net worth as sons clash over handwritten document found after death

An unusual trial from a dispute between two sons of the late singer Aretha Franklin regarding her final wishes has arisen, which aims to determine the validity of a handwritten document discovered beneath sofa cushions, which may potentially serve as her official will.

Aretha Franklin, widely known as the Queen of Soul, passed away in 2018 at the age of 76 without a formal, typewritten will. Now, five years later, her estate remains entangled in a Detroit court as a result of the discovery of various handwritten papers at her residence by one of her nieces.

The central question before the jury is whether a document dating back to 2014, found within the depths of the sofa, can be recognised as a legally binding will according to Michigan law. The document was found at the same time as another handwritten will from 2010 found in a locked cabinet

Should the 2014 document be deemed valid, it would supersede the 2010 document, although the earlier will had been signed multiple times by Aretha Franklin herself. Here is everything you need to know about it.

What assets are at stake?

Ted White II, a son who played guitar during his mother’s performances, favours the 2010 document. “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” and with assistance from a lawyer, the 60-year-old told the jury.

He acknowledged however that the 2014 document found at the same time in 2019 was also written by his mother. There are differences between the documents although they both 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. That version crossed out White’s name as executor of the estate and named another son, Kecalf Franklin, in his place.

Kecalf Franklin and grandchildren would get his mother’s main home in Bloomfield Hills, which was valued at $1.1 million (£850,000) when she died but is worth much more today. Kecalf, 53, said he does not consider it unusual that important papers like a will would be discovered in the living room.

Asked by his attorney where Franklin often 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 on Monday (10 July), but her testimony from a formal interview was read aloud. She explained how she was determined to search Franklin’s 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 (11 July). The last public accounting filed in March showed the estate had income of 3.9 million dollars (£3.02m) during the previous 12-month period and a similar amount of spending, including more than 900,000 dollars (£700,000) in legal fees to various firms.

Overall assets were put at 4.1 million dollars (£3.2m), mostly cash and property, though Franklin’s creative works and intellectual property were undervalued with just a nominal 1 dollar figure.