Family of James Brown settles 15-year battle over his estate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The household of entertainer James Brown has reached a colony ending a 15-year conflict implicit the precocious singer’s estate, an lawyer progressive successful the mediation said Friday.

David Black, an lawyer representing Brown’s estate, confirmed to The Associated Press that the statement was reached July 9. Details of the colony were not disclosed.

Legal wrangling implicit the Godfather of Soul’s property has been ongoing since his decease astatine the property of 73 connected Christmas Day 2006.

The performer’s decease touched disconnected years of bizarre headlines, opening with Tomi Rae Hynie — a erstwhile spouse who claimed to beryllium Brown’s woman — being locked retired of his 60-acre (24-hectare) property portion photographers captured her sobbing and shaking its robust gates, begging to beryllium fto in.

Brown was renowned for hundreds of iconic philharmonic works including hits similar “I Feel Good” and “A Man’s World,” and was known astir the satellite for his flashy performances and dynamic signifier presence. But years of cause problems and fiscal mismanagement caused his property to dwindle.

More than a twelve lawsuits were filed implicit the years by radical trying to laic assertion to the singer’s assets, which courts person estimated to beryllium worthy thing from $5 cardinal to much than $100 million.

The combat implicit Brown’s property adjacent spilled implicit into what to bash with his body. Family members fought implicit the remains for much than 2 months, leaving Brown’s body, inactive wrong a golden casket, sitting successful acold retention successful a ceremonial home.

Brown was yet buried successful Beech Island, South Carolina, astatine the location of 1 of his daughters. The household wanted to crook the location into a shrine for Brown akin to Elvis Presley’s Graceland, but that thought ne'er got disconnected the ground.

Last year, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Hynie had not been legally joined to Brown and truthful did not person a close to his multimillion-dollar estate.

Justices besides ordered a circuit tribunal to “promptly proceed with the probate of Brown’s property successful accordance with his property plan,” which outlined instauration of a spot that would usage his euphony royalties to money acquisition expenses for children successful South Carolina and Georgia.

A 2009 colony program would person fixed astir fractional of Brown’s property to a charitable trust, a 4th to Hynie, and the remainder to beryllium divided among his big children. The authorities Supreme Court overturned that woody successful 2013, penning that then-Attorney General Henry McMaster — present the state’s politician — hadn’t followed Brown’s expressed wishes for astir of his wealth to spell to charity, having alternatively selected a nonrecreational manager who took power of Brown’s assets from the estate’s trustees to settee debts.