Aretha Franklin's real will was found under a couch cushion, signed with a smiley face; here's what happened in the courtroom

Legendary American singer Aretha Franklin died at the age of 76 from pancreatic cancer. She had four sons but apparently no formally typed will. Franklin's niece reportedly had found three handwritten documents around the singer's home in suburban Detroit in 2019. One was dated 2014, and was found underneath a couch cushion. The document was four pages long. It contained handwritten instructions about how the assets will be distributed. The most striking detail was its signature.

What exactly happened?

The 2014 will was short. However, it had different instructions. These were instructions about who will inherit her assets. Franklin's Kecalf and Edward reportedly supported the 2014 document. Notably, The opposing party was their brother, Ted White II, whose lawyer argued that the 2010 will should stand because it was found under lock and key in Aretha Franklin's home.

The opposite side argued that the 2014 document was recent. They said it showed Franklin's final intentions.

What was there in the handwritten will about her estate?

Both the wills were there and it claimed that Franklin's sons could benefit from income generated by her music royalties and copyrights.

According to The Associated Press, the 2010 will stated that her sons would need to get a certificate or degree in business before becoming entitled to her estate. However, all of this was not mentioned in the 2014 version.

There were differences in the will and it surely meant this was a big point as it could change who controls and inherits important parts of her estate.

What happened in the courtroom?

In 2023, the matter went before a six-member jury at Oakland County Probate Court in Michigan. The jury said that the 2014 note had her name signed at the bottom, with a smiley face written inside the letter "A," according to The Associated Press.

This favoured Kecalf and Edward, who supported the 2014 document. Kecalf described it as a big relief. Meanwhile, Ted White II opposed the 2014 document.