From Kurt Cobain to Amy Winehouse, these stars didn’t share their final wishes.
When celebrities pass away, there’s often much more to deliberate than just where their final resting place will be. With tons of money in their bank accounts, royalties for all of their projects still rolling in and their legacy to uphold, it’s important that there’s someone to control their estate.
Unfortunately, some stars pass away without a will, leaving major questions about who will manage the estate. It often leads to intense court battles among their families, some which go on for years.
Find out which stars passed on without a will…
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1. Amy Winehouse
Following Amy Winehouse’s untimely passing in 2011, it was discovered that she had died without a will, leaving behind an estate that was worth an estimated $4.66 million. Since there was no documentation about her wishes to distribute her estate, it all went to her parents, Mitch and Janis Winehouse, according to USA Today.
Meanwhile, nothing was awarded to her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she divorced in 2009. In 2019, he attempted to make a $1.4 million legal claim on her estate but has appeared to be unsuccessful.
2. Jimi Hendrix
Famed musician Jimi Hendrix was just 27 when he died in 1970, leaving no will behind. His estate was awarded to his father Al but when he died in 2002, it began years of legal battles over management of the estate. Al had passed control to Jimi’s adopted stepsister Janie — which was contested by Jimi’s brother Leon, per CNN.
During a court battle in 2004, Leon and seven of the 11 beneficiaries of Al’s estate argued that Janie had never known Jimi because she was just a little girl when he died. Leon also said that Janie had convinced their father Al to write him out of his will and had mismanaged the estate. A judge eventually ruled that Janie would remain in control of the estate but would need to distribute funds to other trustees, per the New York Times.
Years later, another judge granted Leon the rights to use Jimi’s likeness and image. In turn, there have been numerous other court battles between Jimi’s family over his estate.
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3. Kurt Cobain
When Kurt Cobain died in 1994, he had no valid will. In the end, his estate was left to his wife, Courtney Love, which included publishing rights to almost all of Nirvana’s catalog. A trust was also established for his daughter Frances Bean, who was just a year old when her father passed.
Courtney remained in control of her portion of the estate for over a decade before selling a share of Nirvana’s publishing rights for an estimated $50 million. In 2010, she stepped down as manager of the company that administered Kurt’s publicity rights in exchange for a $2.75 million loan from her daughter’s trust fund. Around that time, Frances turned 18 and was able to access her trust, representing a third of the estate.
4. Prince
Prince died in 2016, leaving behind an estate estimated to be valued at $300 million — and no will. Multiple people attempted to come forward as secret family members and claim a portion of the estate but they were all eventually dismissed. It took over a year to determine the rightful beneficiaries of Prince’s estate, which eventually was deemed to be his sister, Tyka Nelson, as well as five half-siblings, according to USA Today.
Over the course of the next few years, the siblings often found themselves in court, battling out how funds were distributed. In 2021, three of the heirs sold their shares to music publishing company, Primary Wave. The following year, a judge finally ruled on distribution of the estate, which was valued at $156 million, per Forbes.
While the legal battle was seemingly settled, the siblings have continued to face disagreements that have played out in court. As recently as early 2024, the managers of Prince Legacy LLC, the holding company that oversees half of Prince’s estate, had to file a lawsuit against several family members who attempted to remove the managers from the company.
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5. Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur was just 25 when he died, leaving behind no will. His estate was eventually awarded to mother Afeni Shakur-Davis. When Afeni later passed away in 2016, record label executive Tom Whalley was named as executor of the estate. Tom had originally signed Tupac while he was working for Interscope and eventually served as the head of Warner Bros Records. In her will, Tupac’s sister Sekyiwa and The Tupac Shakur Foundation were named as beneficiaries.
Tom managed the estate for several years but in 2022, Sekyiwa sued Tom, alleging that he had been “embezzling millions” and blatantly violating his role as executor. She later requested an estate audit. What has played out in court since then is unclear.
6. Sonny Bono
After Sonny Bono unexpectedly died in a skiing accident in 1998, it was discovered that he had not left behind a will. After going through the court, his wife Mary Bono was named the executor of his estate which was eventually divided between herself and Sonny’s two children: Chaz Bono and Christy Bono Fasce.
In 2021, Sonny’s ex-wife and musical collaborator Cher filed a million dollar lawsuit against the estate, claiming that Mary had tried to end provisions that entitled her to 50% ownership of the former duo’s musical compositions and record royalties. Mary had exercised a part of the Copyright Act’s “termination rights” in order to “recapture…rights that had previously been transferred to third parties” without Cher’s “knowledge or participation.” According to Fox News, a judge ruled in 2024 that Cher should have received over $418,000 in royalties.
7. Billie Holiday
When Billie Holiday died in 1959, she had little money to her name — but had an estate which contained royalties for her music as well as control of her image and publishing rights. With no will, her estate ended up in the hands of her estranged abusive husband Louis McKay. When he died in 1981, the estate was then passed to his heirs, including his widow, Bernice McKay. According to Billboard, in 2012, she sold the estate to independent publisher Bicycle Music which later merged with Concord Music Group.
