Aretha Franklin’s Sons Battle Over Her $80 Million Estate – Five Years After Her Death

Three of Aretha Franklin’s sons are reuniting next week, but not for the usual reasons. 

The “Respect” singer had four sons,  Clarence, 68, Edward, 66, Ted White II, 59 and Kecalf Cunningham, 53. She died of pancreatic cancer in August 2018.

Edward, White and Cunningham will be headed to a Michigan court on Monday for a trial over their late mother’s wills. Two handwritten wills were discovered at Franklin’s Detroit home after her death.

Her estate is estimated to be worth over $80 million.

The first will was found in a cabinet and dates back to 2010 and identifies White, and Franklin’s niece, Sabrina Owens, as executors. In addition, it reportedly states that Edward and Cunningham were required to “take business classes and get a certificate or degree” to benefit from the will. 

A second, more recent will was found in a couch and dates back to 2014. It replaces White with Cunningham as an executor and does not include the requirements from Cunningham and Edward. 

Both wills state that Franklin’s oldest son, Clarence, who was reportedly diagnosed with a mental illness, must be regularly supported. 

In a typical case, the 2014 will would override the 2010 will. However, the 2010 will was reportedly notarized and signed, while the 2014 will was not. But under Michigan law, a will is valid regardless of notarization as long as it is dated, signed and written in the original writer’s handwriting. 

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“Two inconsistent wills cannot both be admitted to probate. In such cases, the most recent will revokes the previous will,” Cunningham’s lawyer, Charles McKelvie, insisted in a court filing. 

White’s attorney, Kurt Olson, argued, “If this document were intended to be a will, there would have been more care than putting it in a spiral notebook under a couch cushion. 

Since Franklin’s death, three different executors have managed her estate. Owens, who was named an executor in the first will, withdrew from her role in 2020, referring to a rift in the family after the 2014 will was found. The current executor is a local lawyer named Reginald Turner. 

The trial is set to begin on July 10.