Sabrina Owens,
Personal Representative
The Estate of Aretha L. Franklin

January 30, 2020
David Bennett, Esq.
Thav, Gross, Steinway & Bennett
30150 Telegraph, Ste. 444
Bingham Farms, Michigan 48025-4549
Re:

Letter ofIntent to Resign as Personal Representativefrom
The Estate ofAretha L. Franklin

Dear Attorney Bennett:
In accordance with Section 700.3610 of the Probate Code, Termination of Appointment (Voluntary), please
accept this correspondence as my official 14-day notice of resignation from my position as the Personal
Representative of The Estate of Aretha Louise Franklin. Upon receipt of this notice, I am requesting that you
file a petition with the court, seeking the termination of my appointment and the appointment of a successor
Personal Representative.
After my Aunt Aretha’s passing, I was asked (by my cousins), to accept the role of Personal Representative on
behalf of the Estate (e.g., Clarence, Edward, and Kecalf Franklin and Theodore White II). I accepted the
position because I believe that my Aunt would have trusted me to represent her interests on behalf of her
heirs. She trusted me and was always confident I would exercise good judgment and try to make the best
decisions on her behalf. She often said that I was, “worth my weight in gold.”
Through the years, my Aunt shared many of her business dealings with me. As the Personal Representative, my
goals were to manage the affairs of the Estate, help resolve all of her outstanding business matters, enhance her
legacy, and grow the Estate for the beneficiaries.
In 2010, when Aretha first became ill, I received a call from one of her trusted physicians. This was not
uncommon, as her physicians often contacted me when they could not reach her. When I told him that she had
just left town for an engagement, he asked that I locate her immediately and direct her to ‘turn her bus around,’
as he was concerned about her lab results. Without question, Aunt Aretha did as requested.
Over the years, I accompanied my Aunt to numerous doctor appointments and in-patient hospital stays.
During this time, I was asked to handle some of her personal, medical and business affairs, and it became
apparent to me that my Aunt’s health was steadily declining. In February 2018, I quietly started drafting the
blue print for her home going service, based on what I believed my Aunt would have wanted. The result was a
weeklong celebration of her life, in services and events in August 2018. Thousands of her fans attended the
service and millions watched world-wide, on multiple video streaming platforms;
Since Aretha’s passing i6 months ago, I’ve had oversight and managed contract negotiations on movies, music,
entertainment, and real estate projects, and worked with the Estate team to handle numerous business and
financial matters. I attended, along with members of my family (including her sons), numerous public
appearances in honor of Aretha.

 To date, I am very proud of the work that the Estate team has accomplished in this short time frame.
We have:
i,

Responded to beneficiary financial (and other document) requests as permitted by probate rules;

2.

Successfully negotiated a lucrative deal with the producers of the “Amazing Grace” documentary
film,which was one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2019, both domestically and internationally;

3.

Reached the final phase of contract negotiations with MGM on the Biopic, ‘Respect’, starring
Jennifer Hudson. Ms. Hudson was selected by Aretha;

4.

Reached the final phase of contract negotiations with National Geographic, on an 8-part ‘Genius’
series, produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment;

5.

Moved and stored the contents of her Riverfront Apartment, where she spent her last days;

6.

Sold one vacant golf course property;

7.

Conducted a major renovation on a second property that is currently on the market;

8.

Completed an audit of her intellectual properties;

9.

Worked with an estate company to move and store the contents of her primary residence. This was a
major undertaking that took months to negotiate and execute;

io.

Successfully negotiated worldwide licensing deals for the use of Aretha Franklin’s music, voice, image,
and likeness;

ii.

Settled all outstanding debt with creditors, with the exception of three contested court cases;

12.

Filed the first Estate taxes and continue to work to resolve the outstanding tax debt with the
Internal Revenue Service. We hope to reach a settlement in the near future;

13.

Continue to work with her record label to release and distribute her existing catalog music and
recordings worldwide;

14.

15.

Worked with the public relations team to manage numerous year-long celebrations and events in
Aretha Franklin’s honor, including the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 48Lh Annual
Phoenix Award Dinner (September 15, 2018); the American Music Awards (October 9, 2018); the
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (November 2, 2018); ARETHA! A Grammy Celebration
for the Queen of Soul (Sunday, January 13, 2019); and the 61st Annual Grammy Awards (February io,
2019); the Stellar Gospel Music Awards (March 2019), the renaming of ‘Chene Park’ to ‘The Aretha
Franklin Amphitheater’ (May 19, 2019); the Pulitzer Prize ceremony (May 28, 2019), and the renaming of
a portion of the John C. Lodge Freeway, to ‘The Aretha Franklin Memorial Highway,’ (July 22, 2019);
among numerous other distinguished and high-profiled events.
Worked with the public relations team to mitigate any negative press that might impact the
‘Aretha Franklin brand’ for existing and potential new business for the Estate;

 i6.

Established relationships and facilitated collaborations with The Neuro-endocrine Tumor
Research Foundation (NETRF), and Detroit’s Karmanos Cancer Institute to raise funding to further
medical research on NETs in Aretha’s honor;

17.

Reviewed and responded to all requests submitted to the Estate directly or by third parties;

i8.

Reviewed daily media reports that are published nationally and globally on Aretha Franklin;

19.

Acted as a spokesperson For the Estate.

In May 2019, I discovered three handwritten Wills in Aretha’s home. That is when relationships began to
deteriorate with the heirs. I reiterate, when I accepted the position, I expressed to my cousins that I would
accept the role of Personal Representative under two important conditions, i) that no fractured relationships
develop within the family; and 2) that we did not end up in court disputes over disagreements with the Estate,
both of which have occurred;
During my tenure, I worked with the Estate team to follow Michigan’s Probate Code to remain in compliance
with the law and followed the instructions of the supervising judge and my attorneys. I always operated with
integrity, truth, and compassion. My primary goal was to honor my Aunt by handling her business
professionally, fairly and within the law. In spite of my best efforts, my role with the Estate has become more
contentious with the heirs. Given my Aunt’s deep love of family and desire for privacy, this is not what she
would have wanted for us, nor is it what I want. Therefore, I believe it is now time for me to relinquish my role
as the Personal Representative and clear the path for the selection of a successor. I hope that my departure will
allow the business of the Estate to continue, calm the rift in my family and allow me to return to my personal
life. I love my cousins, hold no animosity towards them, and wish them the best.
Finally, I would like to thank all the estate partners and third parties for their hard work, dedication, and
commit1nent on behalf of the Estate of Aretha Franklin.

Personal Representatie
cc:

Kevin Check, Probate Attorney