Reuters reports that a Minnesota judge has denied claims from 29 people who claim that are heirs of Prince’s estate, which strengthens the claims of his surviving siblings.
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Prince died on April 21 of a prescription drug overdose, and had no will, which has left determining the heirs to his estate up to the courts.
Tyka Nelson, Prince’s sister, and his half-siblings, John, Norinne and Sharon Nelson, as well as their descendants, Brianna Nelson and Victoria Nelson, will now have to submit to DNA testing to ensure they’re related to Prince. Brianna Nelson alleges her late father, Duane J. Nelson, was Prince’s half-brother.
Four siblings or half-siblings, as well as two women believed to be a niece and a grand-niece, will be tested. However, in Prince’s case neither exist – as his parents are deceased, as is the only child known to be born to the singer, a boy, who died shortly after birth in 1996 from a genetic disorder.
The results are in for most of Prince’s would-be heirs, who received word from the courts Friday on whether they qualified to receive part of the musician’s multimillion-dollar estate.
That means that now at least 24 people who claimed to be a half-sibling through someone other than Prince’s father, or those claiming more distant family tree connections, are out. His estate is estimated to be worth anywhere from $150-300 million before taxes.
The order also tosses out a handful of claimants who alleged that Prince’s father was someone other than John L. Nelson, who is listed in court records as Prince’s father.
Eide has sealed some court filings from potential heirs, and the special administrator handling Prince’s fortune has requested a blanket order to seal all business deals.
Judge Eide said there were no known disputes with their relationship to the singer but ordered the three and Tyka to undergo genetic testing. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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The two that don’t need to be tested – Baker and Jackson – claim relation to Prince through a common mother, Mattie Shaw, but different fathers.
