When legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin passed away in August 2016, it was rumored and eventually reported that she left no will behind to help guide friends and family through who should control ownership of her estate and assets. According to laws in Michigan, the state she called home, assets of any unmarried person who dies without leaving behind a will are divided equally among his or her children. In Franklin’s case, the absence of a will meant that her highly marketable and bankable legacy could be up for grabs for anyone within her family to claim.
Related: Countless Musicians & Public Figures Pen Tributes To Aretha Franklin
A new report shared earlier this week however reveals that three handwritten wills were recently discovered in Franklin’s Detroit home, including one that was hidden away (or forgotten) underneath her living room couch cushions.
The report goes on to detail that one of the documents, dated March 2014, states that Franklin’s assets are to go to members of her family. The newly-discovered documents don’t come without some levels of uncertainty, as the handwriting is apparently “extremely hard to decipher,” and up to four pages have words scratched away. The document was found located inside a spiral notebook under couch cushions, according to lawyers of the estate, making Franklin even that much more relatable to the rest of us.
Two other handwritten wills dating back to 2010 were also discovered inside of a locked cabinet by Franklin’s niece, Sabrina Owens. One of the cabinet documents is comprised of 11 pages worth of writing, and even comes with a notary’s signature. The documents have since been filed with a Michigan court, and a hearing is scheduled for June 12th.
The news of someone with a career as fruitful in success as Aretha Franklin leaving behind such illegitimate legal documents pertaining to her estate brings back memories of that ridiculous legal battle that ensued between the former wives of Jerry Garcia following his death in 1995. Take some advice from Aretha and Jerry folks—If you’re worth a ton of money, don’t leave your handwritten wills under the couch cushions. Rather, shove them into the glove compartment where they belong.
[H/TÂ Associated Press]