James Brown omits wife from will (19.01.07)

'Godfather of Soul' James Brown has reportedly omitted his five-year-old child and partner Tomi Rae Hynie from his will.

The will‚ which was created prior to his marriage to Hynie and the birth of his son‚ was filed in a South Carolina court yesterday and obtained by the Associated Press. It begins: "I‚ James Brown‚ also known as 'The Godfather of Soul' … have six living children."

James Brown died on Christmas Day 2006 due to heart complications. His death has now sparked a number of disputes over his estate due to the alleged illegality of his marriage‚ and the omissions in his will.

Brown's original marriage to Hynie was reportedly annulled because she was already married when the couple exchanged vows. They never got a chance to remarry prior to his death.

In addition to excluding Hynie and his son from the will‚ Brown also added a clause which said that the singer failed to provide for "any other relatives or persons whether claiming‚ or to claim‚ to be an heir of mine or not".

According to Hynie's lawyer‚ the widow now plans to sue and will be asking the court to rule her marriage to Brown legal‚ and include her and her son in the division of his estate.

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