Jury Rules That  2014 Document Found In Aretha Franklin’s Couch Is A Valid Will

Following Aretha Franklin’s death in 2018 at the age of 76, it was rumored that the singer didn’t leave a will, and this raised questions in regard to how her assets will be shared among her sons. However, the situation changed in 2019 when two documents came to light. Among the documents was a handwritten will dated back to 2010, which bears Franklin’s signature and notarization, and a 2014 document found in a notebook on the singer’s couch.

The 2014 document detailed the equal division of her copyrights among her sons and that they must undertake business administration classes to manage the asset. However, this new revelation caused a division among the singer’s children, leading Kecalf and Edward to team up against Ted White Jr., who favored the 2010 will, stating that it was much more important than papers found in a couch.

Kecalf Cunningham’s lawyers prove the authenticity of the 2014 document

During the brief hearing, one of the attorneys representing Kecalf and Edward Franklin, Charles McKelvie, reiterated to the jury that discovering the 2014 papers within a notebook nestled in couch cushions does not diminish its significance. “You can take your will and leave it on the kitchen counter,” he confessed. “It’s still your will.”

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Furthermore, another lawyer Craig Smith drew the court’s attention to the document’s opening sentence, prominently showcased on four expansive posters before the jury, stating that it explicitly showed the will’s legality. “Says right here: ‘This is my will,'” he noted. “She’s speaking from the grave, folks.”

Michigan court states the 2014 document written by Aretha Franklin as her authentic will

On Tuesday, after deliberating for less than an hour in a brief trial that started Monday, a jury concluded that the handwritten document by Aretha Franklin, which was discovered in her couch after her demise, is a legally valid will according to Michigan law, thus invalidating a 2010 will which was also found in a locked cabinet at the late musician’s Detroit home. Kecalf Cunningham, whose lawyers had argued in favor of the 2014 document, expressed his satisfaction at the verdict. “I’m very, very happy. I just wanted my mother’s wishes to be adhered to,” he admitted. “We just want to exhale right now. It’s been a long five years for my family, my children.”

However, there are still debates regarding the fulfillment of specific provisions outlined in the 2010 will and the potential appointment of Kecalf Franklin as the estate executor due to the disparities between the 2010 and 2014 wills. Although both documents seemingly indicate that Franklin’s four sons would collectively receive income from music and copyrights, the trial Judge Jennifer Callaghan instructed all parties involved to submit briefs and participate in a status conference scheduled to hold in the coming week to lay the remaining concerns to rest.