Editing James Brown (section)

===Last will and testament===
Brown signed his last will and testament on August 1, 2000, before [[James Strom Thurmond Jr.|J. Strom Thurmond Jr.]], an attorney for the estate.<ref name="jbwill">{{cite web |title=James Brown Jr. not included in will |url=http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/5164202.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021452/http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/5164202.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |work=WRDW-TV News |place=Augusta, Georgia |access-date=January 12, 2007}}</ref> The irrevocable trust, separate and apart from Brown's will, was created on his behalf, that same year, by his attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, one of three personal representatives of Brown's estate. His will covered the disposition of his personal assets, such as clothing, cars, and jewelry, while the irrevocable trust covered the disposition of the music rights, business assets of James Brown Enterprises, and his [[Beech Island, South Carolina]] estate.<ref>{{cite web |title=James Brown's road to wealth was rocky: Financial turmoil part of 'Godfather' legend |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=January 7, 2007 |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/james-browns-rocky-road-to-wealth-financial-turmoil-part-of-godfather-legend/HYSLOH56XFCXNOX4FCQTJCAPPY/ |access-date=February 17, 2022 |archive-date=February 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217160807/https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/james-browns-rocky-road-to-wealth-financial-turmoil-part-of-godfather-legend/HYSLOH56XFCXNOX4FCQTJCAPPY/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the reading of the will on January 11, 2007, Thurmond revealed that Brown's six adult living children, Terry Brown, Larry Brown, Daryl Brown, Yamma Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown, were named in the document. Hynie and James II were not mentioned as heirs.<ref name="jbwill" /><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6255039.stm James "Brown's widow 'not in will'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217043616/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6255039.stm |date=February 17, 2007 }}, BBC News (UK), January 12, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2007.</ref> Brown's will was signed 10 months before James II was born and more than a year before Brown's marriage to Tomi Rae Hynie. Like Brown's will, his irrevocable trust omitted Hynie and James II as recipients of Brown's property. The irrevocable trust had been established before, and not amended since, the birth of James II.<ref>Finn, N. (January 18, 2007), [http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=82616c16-71cd-4fed-8de9-9d0e7451473b&entry=index "James Brown's estate wills more drama"], E!News. Retrieved March 21, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522155010/http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=82616c16-71cd-4fed-8de9-9d0e7451473b&entry=index |date=May 22, 2012 }}</ref>

On January 24, 2007, Brown's children filed a lawsuit, petitioning the court to remove the personal representatives from the estate, including Brown's attorney, as well as trustee Albert "Buddy" Dallas, and appoint a special administrator because of perceived impropriety and alleged mismanagement of Brown's assets.<ref>{{cite web |title=James Brown's children request trustees be removed |date=January 26, 2007 |url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/01/26/james_brown_s_children_request_trustees_ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704181758/http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/01/26/james_brown_s_children_request_trustees_ |archive-date=July 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |work=Star Pulse |access-date=January 28, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://images.bimedia.net/documents/jb_petition.pdf |title=Emergency petition for termination of appointment and removal of personal representatives and for emergency order restraining all personal representatives. In the matter of James Brown, a/k/a James Joseph Brown. Case/Estate No. 2007-ES02-0056 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616182020/http://images.bimedia.net/documents/jb_petition.pdf |archive-date=June 16, 2007 |publisher=Probate Court of Aiken County, State of South Carolina |date=January 24, 2007 |access-date=January 28, 2007}}</ref> On January 31, 2007, Hynie filed a lawsuit against Brown's estate, challenging the validity of the will and the irrevocable trust. Hynie's suit asked the court both to recognize her as Brown's widow and to appoint a special administrator for the estate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/ent/brown13107pet.html |title="Emergency petition for appointment of special administrator. In re estate of James Brown a/k/a James Joseph Brown, deceased, Case No. 2007-CP-02-0122 |publisher=State of South Carolina Circuit Court, County of Aiken |date=January 31, 2007 |via=FindLaw |access-date=March 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307141742/http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/ent/brown13107pet.html |archive-date=March 7, 2007 }}</ref>

On January 27, 2015, Judge Doyet Early III ruled that Tomi Rae Hynie Brown was officially the widow of James Brown. The decision was based on the grounds that Hynie's previous marriage was invalid and that James Brown had abandoned his efforts to annul his own marriage to Hynie.<ref name="Rohter">{{cite news |author=Larry Rohter |date=January 23, 2015 |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/judge-rules-tommie-rae-hynie-brown-was-married-to-james-brown/?_r=0&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003 |title=Judge Rules Tommie Rae Hynie Brown Was Married to James Brown |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 27, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402222258/http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/judge-rules-tommie-rae-hynie-brown-was-married-to-james-brown/?_r=0&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Judge-orders-release-of-emails-in-James-Brown-estate-lawsuit-289227041.html |title=Court order states Tommie Rae Brown as James Brown's wife and legal surviving spouse |work=[[WRDW-TV]] News |place=Augusta, Georgia |date=January 26, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402135146/http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/Judge-orders-release-of-emails-in-James-Brown-estate-lawsuit-289227041.html |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>

On February 19, 2015, the [[South Carolina Supreme Court]] intervened, halting all lower court actions in the estate and undertaking to review previous actions itself.<ref>[http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20150226/AIK0101/150229641/1004/sc-supreme-court-freezes-james-brown-estate-case "S.C. Supreme Court freezes James Brown estate case"] ''[[Aiken Standard]]'' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526192801/http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20150226/AIK0101/150229641/1004/sc-supreme-court-freezes-james-brown-estate-case |date=May 26, 2015}}</ref> The South Carolina Court of Appeals in July 2018 ruled that Hynie was, in fact, Mr. Brown's wife.<ref>[http://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20180727/james-brown-was-legally-married-to-wife-appeals-court-rules "James Brown was legally married to wife, appeals court rules"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421081610/https://www.augustachronicle.com/news/20180727/james-brown-was-legally-married-to-wife-appeals-court-rules |date=April 21, 2021 }}, ''[[Augusta Chronicle]]''</ref> In 2020, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Hynie had not been legally married to Brown and did not have a right to his estate.<ref name="settles">{{cite news |last1=Kinnard |first1=Meg |date=July 23, 2021 |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-james-brown-66adcad4652f9f92dd1e149ef28a5ac3 |title=Family of James Brown settles 15-year battle over his estate |access-date=July 25, 2021 |work=AP News |agency=Associated Press |archive-date=July 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725005931/https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-james-brown-66adcad4652f9f92dd1e149ef28a5ac3 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was reported in July 2021 that Brown's family had reached a settlement ending the 15-year battle over the estate.<ref name="settles" />