In the year 2018, the great musical icon, the Queen of Soul, passed away at the age of 76. Unfortunately, she left no formally written will, and now, five years later, her legacy remains entangled in a Detroit court. This legal battle started when her niece stumbled upon different handwritten papers at her home.
The essential question for the jury is whether a document dating back to 2014, found amidst the cushions of a sofa, can be considered a valid will under Michigan law. If it is deemed valid, it could potentially supersede a handwritten will from 2010, discovered in a locked cabinet at the same time. The older version had multiple signatures from Franklin herself.
In court, Ted White II, the son who played guitar during his mother’s performances, expressed his support for the 2010 document. He testified before the jury, saying, “Having spent a significant amount of time working with her administratively, I can attest that every other document she signed was conventionally and legally executed with the assistance of a lawyer.” However, he did admit that the 2014 document found in 2019 was also written by his mother.
While both documents indicate that Franklin’s four sons would share income from music and copyrights, there are subtle differences between them. To present this to the jury, four large posters displaying pages from the 2014 document were shown as evidence. Notably, this version removed White as the executor of the estate and named another son, Kecalf Franklin, in his place.
Kecalf Franklin, along with the grandchildren, stands to inherit his mother’s primary residence in Bloomfield Hills, which was valued at $1.1 million at the time of her death but is worth considerably more today. In response to a question from his attorney, Kecalf Franklin stated that it isn’t unusual for important documents like a will to be discovered in the living room. He emphasized that his mother often used the living room couch as a space to read mail, make important phone calls, sign documents, and even sleep.
A niece named Sabrina Owens, responsible for managing the estate immediately after Franklin’s passing, did not personally appear in court on Monday. However, her testimony from a formal interview was read aloud. Owens explained her determination to search Franklin’s house for essential records, stating, “She primarily used the kitchen and living room. So when I reached the sofa, I lifted the far right cushion and discovered three notebooks.”
Closing arguments will be presented to the jury on Tuesday, marking the culmination of this legal battle. The most recent financial report filed in March revealed that the estate had an income of $3.9 million in the preceding 12-month period, with a similar amount spent, including over $900,000 in legal fees to various firms. Overall assets were valued at $4.1 million, primarily consisting of cash and property. However, it’s worth noting that Franklin’s creative works and intellectual property were significantly undervalued, listed with a mere nominal figure of $1.
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