More than two years into a battle over how to parcel out James Brown’s wealth, a South Carolina judge okayed a settlement Tuesday that gives nearly half his assets to a charitable trust, a quarter to his widow and young son, and the rest to Brown’s adult children. The Godfather of Soul’s will was called into question soon after Brown died of heart failure on Christmas Day 2006. His last wife challenged the will when she was left out and Brown’s kids claimed the estate was being mismanaged by trustees.
The settlement establishes that Tomi Rae Hynie Brown, a former backup singer for Brown, is the surviving spouse and that James Brown 2nd is his child. Brown’s lawyers had claimed she was not his widow because she was still married to another man when she and Brown exchanged vows in 2001.
Brown’s six adult children had bickered with Hynie Brown as each fought for a share of the estate.
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