3 Wills (Including One Under a Couch Cushion) Found in Aretha Franklin’s Home

Months after the passing of the iconic Aretha Franklin, three handwritten wills were found in her home – one under a few seat cushions.

When Franklin succumbed to the effects of her pancreatic cancer in August, the family revealed that she had left no will behind. Now, after locating a key to a locked cabinet in the home, BBC reports that they have retrieved two handwritten wills dated from 2010.

Additionally, they’ve uncovered a third handwritten will, dated March 2014, that had been slipped under seat cushions in the living room of the house, according to David Bennett, the lawyer for the late singer’s estate. 

Bennett has been working to decipher Franklin’s scribbles and rushed writings that span four pages, but reveals they indicate that her assets are left to her family. 

It is unclear if Michigan laws will accept the validity of the wills, and two of Franklin’s four sons object to what’s described in them anyway. A hearing is scheduled for June 12th to address the matter. 

The current representative for Franklin’s estate is University of Michigan administrator Sabrina Owens despite objections from Franklin’s son, Kecalf Franklin.