Aretha Franklin Had Nearly $1 Million In Uncashed Checks At The Time Of Her Death

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin Had Nearly $1 Million In Uncashed Checks At The Time Of Her Death

The Queen of Soul demands that the world puts respect on her finances – even in the afterlife. According to new reports, the late iconic singer Aretha Franklin was not broke at the time of her death last year, as some speculated. In fact, she allegedly left nearly one million dollars in uncashed checks lying around her home!

According to court documents, family members found the hefty checks while taking inventory of her possessions. One of the publishing checks found was for just over $280K while another written by the Sound Exchange and Screen Writers Guild totaled around $702,000. These checks, alone, total to approximately $982,000!

But fans and fellow industry peers know that Aretha Franklin’s secrecy about her money was common knowledge. Legend has it that she demanded payment for performances upfront before hitting the stage – many times in cash! She would only accept payment by hand, put it directly into her purse – and oftentimes performed with the purse on her person, or within eye-shot.

This May, months after her passing, three handwritten wills were found in the Queen’s Michigan home. Unfortunately, family members including her niece and youngest son were already enthralled in a court battle over who was to be the head of her estate, and who would receive possessions and money. The three wills are currently being evaluated by handwriting experts.

Written by Miata Shanay