Aretha Franklin’s Family in Court Over Contested Will

The family of world-renowned singer, Aretha Franklin, have gone to court to determine which of two documents is the correct reflection of her final wishes.

A six-person jury at the Oakland County Probate Court in Pontiac, Michigan gathered on Monday, 10 July, to hear from a selection of witnesses, including Franklin’s four sons, her niece Sabrina Owens, as well as a handwriting pundit to determine what will be done with her multi-million-dollar estate.

The “Respect” singer died in August 2018 at 76 years old. At the time, it appeared she had left no will behind but months later, two handwritten wills were found at her home in Detroit, Michigan: one in a locked cabinet and another under a sofa cushion.

During her six-decade career in the music business, Franklin became an 18-time Grammy Award winner and created 17 Top 10 hits and 112 charted Billboard singles, which ultimately led to 75 million record sales. The starlet was also the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

While it’s uncertain exactly how much Franklin’s estate – which includes homes, cars, furs and jewellery – was worth, some estimates place it to be around $80 million.

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