More than two years into the battle over James Brown’s estate, a South Carolina judge on Tuesday approved a settlement that gives nearly half of his assets to a charitable trust, about a quarter to his widow and young son, and the rest to Brown’s adult children. Insert hot tub comment here.
From The Washington Post:
The settlement establishes that Tomi Rae Hynie Brown, a former backup singer to Brown, is the surviving spouse and her son, James Brown II, is his child. Brown’s attorneys had claimed she was not Brown’s widow because she was still married to another man when she and Brown said their vows in 2001.
Soon after Brown’s death at an Atlanta hospital at age 73, Hynie Brown was locked out of his South Carolina home, photographers captured her sobbing and grasping iron gates to the property’s entrance.
“I am so relieved and happy that the court has approved this settlement,” Brown’s widow said in a statement to the AP. “I want to be able to work with the trustees and other Brown family members to promote James Brown’s legacy. My son James and I are grateful to the judge and hope this nightmare is finally over.”
Read the full story here.
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