Did Aretha Franklin Not Have A Will Before Her Death?

Aretha Franklin The Blues Brothers

Last week, we were met with the tragic news that Aretha Franklin passed away at the age of 76 after an extensive and terminal battle with pancreatic cancer. The heartbreaking news was unexpected to many and tragic to everyone who loved her powerhouse voice. And we are met with more grave and unexpected news, as new reports indicate Franklin reportedly did not leave a will, even though she was battling her illness for a good bit of time. The details surrounding this bit of news are not officially confirmed, but here's what we know about the latest development in Aretha Franklin's death.

According to court documents procured by TMZ, Aretha Franklin had an intestate death. That means that the legendary singer had no will at the time of her passing. This news is surprising for a variety of different reasons. The first being that Franklin was gravely ill for several years, even though she made sure that the news was not public knowledge until a few days before her untimely death. The lack of will was also surprising for another reason: her son Clarence who has special needs, and therefore requires financial and other forms of support. Even though Aretha Franklin was deeply sick, she allegedly didn't make a last will one of her priorities. Either that, or it was set to be taken care of when she suddenly passed. Either way, it is unfortunate news for the family and friends of the late singer in the aftermath of her death.

What happens now remains unclear. According to Michigan law, though, the estate will be separately equally with Aretha Franklin's four children: Clarence (63), Edward (61), Ted Jr. (54) and Kecalf (48). Additionally, the family has scheduled an extended dedication of Franklin's life for next week. There will be an open casket memorial in Detroit at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The funeral itself, however, will then be held on August 31st at the Greater Grace Temple. This forthcoming memorial service will only be for close friends and family of the dearly departed.

An intended tribute to the late Aretha Franklin at the VMAs on Monday night was met with a great deal of controversy, when Madonna ultimately made the tribute more about her life than the one we lost last week. While Madge tried to stress that it wasn't intended to a tribute to the late musician, she was still met with anger from fans who believed that it was an unfitting and inappropriate remembrance of the belated singer. Ariana Grande, meanwhile, also paid her respects to the "Respect" singer by singing a rendition of "Natural Woman" with The Roots onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. This tribute was much better received, and it certainly wasn't the only remembrance paid to the late singer.

Will Ashton

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.