In 2022, Prince‘s family – after lengthy discussions and disputes – managed to reach an agreement on the division of the artist’s estate. Prince passed away in April 2016 at the age of 57 due to a Fentanyl overdose. At the time of his death, Prince had no spouse or children, leading to the division of his estimated $156 million estate among six half-siblings.
Now, a year later, a complaint has been filed in a Delaware court by Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer – appointed in 2022 to manage the estate through Prince Legacy LCC. The complaint is directed towards four heirs of the family (stepsisters Sharon and Norrine Nelson, and nieces/nephews Breanna and Allen Nelson). The allegation is a breach of contract: the estate was divided 50/50 between shares sold to Primary Wave (the company managing Prince’s catalog since 2021) and Prince Legacy LCC, and there is allegedly no way to overcome this division. However, despite this arrangement, the four family members reportedly attempted to sell their shares to Primary Wave, thereby jeopardizing the 50/50 split of the inheritance.
“These individuals have no business experience, no experience in the music business, and no experience in negotiating and managing high-level contracts in the entertainment industry,” reads the filed complaint. “They have a documented history of internal battles and simply are not capable of handling the estate.”