Words that the seven children of the late 'Boyz n the Hood' director are preparing for a court battle surface after it was uncovered that his will that left his assets to his first born was never updated.
- May 8, 2019
AceShowbiz - John Singleton's seven children are reportedly gearing up for a legal fight as the late director died before updating his will.
The "Boyz n the Hood" writer/director passed away on 28 April, more than a week after being placed in a coma after suffering a stroke, and he was laid to rest surrounded by friends, family and collaborators such as Taraji P. Henson and Ice Cube on Monday, May 06.
According to TMZ.com, his mother Sheila Ward, the executor of his will, filed the document with the probate court on Friday. The will was reportedly drawn up in 1993, when his first born Justice was Singleton's only child, so everything in his will is left to her.
The revelation the will was never updated and never took into account his other six children is reportedly "wreaking havoc" on the family, who have armed themselves with lawyers to fight for a piece of the estate, which is reportedly worth an estimated $35 million (£26.8 million).
According to the website, under California law, unless the other six children were specifically disinherited in the will when it was signed, they may have a legal claim to a portion of the estate.
Ward listed his assets at around $3.8 million (£2.9 million) when she filed the legal documents, meaning more than $31 million (£23.7 million) is unaccounted for. TMZ editors report that Singleton may have set up a trust to avoid some of his assets going through probate court.
There has already been some fighting between family members. When Singleton was hospitalised, his 21-year-old daughter Cleopatra accused her grandmother Ward of trying to cut the children out of his estate.
