The final wishes of singing star Aretha Franklin will be adjudicated starting next Monday in a trial that will determine which of two handwritten wills will be honored.
Millions in royalties are at stake in the legal action. Franklin was a music superstar, known for massive hits like “Respect” and “Think.” She had four sons, but never created a formal, typewritten will, despite years of health problems and an historic legacy.
Instead, she left two handwritten documents, including one found in a couch. Son Ted White II believes papers dated in 2010 should mainly control the estate, while sons Kecalf Franklin and Edward Franklin favor a 2014 document.
Both were discovered in Franklin’s suburban Detroit home months after her death from pancreatic cancer in 2018 at age 76. A niece, Sabrina Owens, agreed to be personal representative or executor.
Read more on deadline.com