I pulled the following segments from an article I found online, “5 Celebrities Who Died Without a Will”, written by Elissa Suh for PolicyGenius and published on 12/8/21. While most of us don’t have an estate worth millions, what happened following the deaths of Prince Howard Hughes, Aretha Franklin, and Amy Winehouse can serve as a lesson to all of us non-celebrity types. It’s ALWAYS better to have a will; your loved ones will appreciate it.
“If you die without a will, then your estate — the collection of everything that you owned — will be declared intestate. The court will determine who gets what, which can take months or even years of probate. There is no guarantee that the people closest to you while you were alive will be the beneficiaries of your estate. And because there is no will, your family could tear itself apart in probate court as they fight for their share of the estate.
That was the fate of these five celebrities who died without a will, which led to inevitable legal battles and infighting among their family members and heirs. These famous individuals undoubtedly owned a bit more wealth than the average person, which makes an estate plan all the more necessary. But it all starts with writing a last will and testament — advice that everyone should heed to protect their loved ones in the future.
Prince
Died: April 21, 2016, at age 57, in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Estate value: Between $100 million and $300 million
Prince was hugely popular while he was alive, but after he passed suddenly in 2016, even more fans came out of the woodwork. Numerous cousins and a few supposed wives made a claim to the artist’s vast estate, which consisted of intellectual property rights, unreleased music, fine art, memorabilia, eight vehicles, 67 gold bars, and more. The judge called Prince’s estate “personal and corporate mayhem.” After two years of legal wrangling, Prince’s sister and his five half-siblings were named the rightful heirs by the Minnesota probate court. However, as of March of this year (2021), Prince’s siblings were still fighting for their share of the estate.
Howard Hughes
Died: April 5, 1976, at age 70, in Houston, Texas
Estate value: Over $2 billion
You would think that one of the richest men in the world would have prepared better for the future, but this eccentric aviation magnate/film producer did not leave behind even a simple will. It’s possible that Hughes simply didn’t see the need, as he had no family or direct descendants to pass his empire to — all the more reason he should have had a plan.
The majority of Hughes’ assets went to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, but dozens of distant relatives he barely knew also received a payout, something that the finicky and reclusive mogul probably didn’t want.
The Hughes estate also paid over $169 million in taxes, something that could have been avoided with some planning. Before the estate of Howard Hughes was declared intestate, over 40 handwritten wills were submitted to the court and rejected.
Aretha Franklin
Died: August 16, 2018, at age 76, in Detroit, Michigan
Estate value: $17 million
Nearly a year after the Queen of Soul passed away, three handwritten wills were discovered in her home (one was even wedged between the sofa cushions). The penmanship is messy, at times even illegible, and one of the documents contains cross outs and margin notes, which may detract from its validity.
On the other hand, Franklin was explicit in detailing her intentions that each document was in fact a will, and even signed and dated them — fulfilling some requirements under which a handwritten will, called a holographic will, would be recognized in the state of Michigan. One of the wills was even notarized, which may lend credence to its validity. The legal validity of the three documents hasn’t been determined yet. (Hearings begin in September, which gives you some insight into how slow probate can be.) But the court’s decision could change the course of fate for Franklin’s four sons, who stand to inherit. If no will is determined to be valid, they should receive equal shares of the estate, according to Michigan’s intestate succession law. But the most recent version of her “will” leaves out her oldest son Clarence, who has special needs. Franklin only asks that his brothers take care of him. The singer’s lawyer who handled her entertainment deals often advised her to open a trust, and it sounds like a special needs trust in particular could have been of great help now.
Update: This article was published in 2021. I did find that as of mid-2022 the Franklin estate was finally settled after paying $8 million in taxes to the IRS.
Amy Winehouse
Died: July 23, 2011, at age 27, in London, England
Estate value: £2.94 million (about $4.66 million USD in 2011)
Another musical artist gone too soon. The Grammy winning singer-songwriter died of accidental alcohol poisoning and had no will at the time of death. Her parents eventually received her estate and established the Amy Winehouse Foundation to help young artists struggling with substance abuse.
Winehouse’s estate was probated and settled in the U.K., where she died, and according to British law, her ex-husband was not entitled to anything. Nevertheless, eight years after Winehouse died, her ex-husband tried to make a claim against the estate for $1.4 million. In the U.S. someone must typically make a claim against an estate within just a few years after probate begins — barring fraud, eight years is almost certainly too long. “
Remember, if you want to update your will or trust, or begin the process, I’m happy to help. Please visit www.davidlefton.com or call me at 513-399-7526