The seven children of late director John Singleton will inherit his film and comic book collection. Court documents retrieved by RadarOnline.com reveal that Sheila Ward, who is Singleton’s mother and also the executor of his estate, has finalized the deal on how to distribute his memorabilia.
Singleton was a director and producer of several films and television series. He made his directorial debut in 1991 with the acclaimed film, “Boyz in the Hood.” For the film, Singleton, then just 24, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and became the first African-American and youngest person to ever be nominated for the award.
In a career that spanned 28 years, Singleton directed music videos such as Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” and films such as “Baby Boy,” “Shaft,” and “Four Brothers.” He was the co-creator of the TV series “Snowfall,” and also served as executive producer or director of series such as “Billions,” “American Crime Story,” and “LA Burning: 25 Years Later.”
When Singleton died in 2019, his estate was valued at $6.8 million. Assets in the estate included a home in Los Angeles, a 1999 Lexus, a 2003 Mercedes Benz, and a 2012 sailboat. In addition, he owned a 70 percent interest in Crunk Pictures, LLC, and was the owner of New Deal Productions which was valued at $3.2 million.
Estate Conflicts and Resolutions
At the time of Singleton’s death, he had seven children, no trust, and an outdated will from 1993. When his will was initially finalized, Singleton only had one child, Justice Singleton, according to Forbes. Singleton’s children and their mothers filed claims against the estate. One daughter, Cleopatra, filed a claim requesting $1 million to be paid to her as an earlier court order demanded Singleton establish a $1 million life insurance policy with her named as the beneficiary.
As a result, Ward filed to establish probate proceedings listing five acknowledged children and two minor children listed as “alleged daughters” as their paternity was questioned.
Cleopatra Singleton also previously filed a petition with her father’s estate requesting a monthly allowance of $2,778 per month. Her request was granted by the court in 2019. Singleton’s mother is now opposing the payments.
By February 2023, the estate split Singleton’s estate among his seven children.
In another filing, Ward disclosed Singleton had a group of 168 comic books that included DC favorites such as “Swamp Thing,” and “Black Panther.” In addition, Ward described two more boxes – one containing 170 comics ranging from “Batman,” “Bat Girls,” and “Dark Knight” — and another having 166 with issues of “Captain America” and “X-Men.” Singleton also owned 896 laserdisc movies.
As part of the updated filing, Ward requested the court to award her $17,000 for managing Singleton’s estate, which included negotiating a settlement with FX to compensate Singleton for his contributions to the television series “Snowfall.”
At press time, the judge has not approved the request.
Cleopatra thinks she is the only entitled one ☝🏽 and I bet she has calculated this monthly allowance real good. Family members fighting over the estate is sad, but that is what happens when someone passes away, we must do better as a people, and if Singleton was alive this would not be happening.
This is why it’s important to have an updated Will. It baffles me that some celebrities don’t take the time to do this.
It’s important to have a will and keep updating it. Being someone’s child does not and should not automatically entitle you to inherit. The only sure way to direct your assets where you want them is to state what you want clearly in a will. Sometimes the children of a parent do not have a good relationship. It is up to that parent to decide what they want to do about that
People…consult with a competent estate attorney and create both a Will and a Trust. Also talk with a tax professional prior to creating the Trust. You can save your family headaches, heartaches, and money.
Don’t gt it twisted. Each of Mr. of Johns children stand to receives a share. The laws protect those who have older wills when new children are born. The issue is maturity in such matters as sharing with your siblings.
I believe one child should not be awarded everything . She should be willing to share the wealth there seems to be enough to go around and make everyone happy. A will is a must I’m not sure why people don’t take time to write one. Death comes to all no matter who you are you just don’t know when. Let’s do better at taking care of those who we will leave behind. Blessings to his family , let’s work together if we call ourselves family