Prince’s First Estate Court Hearing Lasts Only Minutes

Iconic singer’s heirs set to begin legal wrangling over his assets

Prince
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The first hearing on the division of Prince’s estate was a decidedly quick one on Monday.

Minnesota District Court Judge Kevin Eide presided over the routine hearing, which saw Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson and his half-siblings agree to make Prince’s bank, Bremer Trust National Association, the special administrator of the singer’s estate.

Eide also cautioned that just because no will has been found yet, that does not mean one does not exist. “None of us has a crystal ball,” Eide said, per USA Today. “None of us know what claims will be made.” The hearing then concluded.

While no one yet knows the exact figure, estimates on the value of Prince’s estate have gone as high as $300 million. Nelson previously said in probate documents, “I do not know of the existence of a will and have no reason to believe that the decedent executed testamentary documents in any form.”

The documents note that Prince “has heirs whose identities and addresses need to be determined,” listing interested persons John Nelson (Prince’s half brother), Norrine Nelson (half sister), Sharon Nelson (half sister), Alfred Jackson (half brother), Omar Baker (half brother) and Lorna Nelson as Prince’s predeceased half sister. Tyka Nelson is Prince’s only full sibling.

Prince was found unresponsive in the elevator of his Paisley Park home in Minnesota the morning of Apr. 21. First responders were unable to revive him via CPR.

Shortly after the singer’s death, TMZ reported that Prince had been hospitalized for an overdose of the painkiller Percocet the week before his death. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that two of the singer’s siblings had said that Prince had “substantial” drug problems, specifically with Percocet and cocaine.

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