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Prince’s Estate Drama: Late Singer’s Funeral Delayed Until August As Family Fights Over His $300 Million Fortune

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 08:29 PST, May 14, 2016

Prince died nearly three weeks ago, but the late singer will reportedly not be laid to rest until August as his family has become embroiled in a battle over his $300 million estate.

Attorney Michael Padden has filed court papers this week claiming that the singer’s late half-brother, Duane Nelson, Sr., had a daughter and granddaughter who could be entitled to a portion of the estate, Radar Online reported.

Prince reportedly never left a final will, meaning the two distant relatives could have a case for their share. Duane Nelson, Sr. died in 2011, but his place in Prince’s estate plans are still unclear. Tyka Nelson, Prince’s sister, has been named executor of his estate and she has not named Duane as an heir, Radar Online reported.

But Padden is making the case that 11-year-old Victoria Nelson, Prince’s grandniece, is entitled to a portion of the estate. In a statement to the New York Daily News, Padden said he had previously represented Victoria’s mother, Brianna, whose whereabouts are now unknown. Padden added that he felt a “moral and ethical obligation” to let the court know about Victoria.

“I’m perplexed that nothing has been filed for her yet. In light of the high publicity of this case, it’s strange,” he told the Daily News this week.

The tension over Prince’s $300 million estate is reportedly starting to boil over within the family. This week, Tyka Nelson unleashed a rant on Facebook noting that Prince’s funeral service had to be delayed until August. She noted that there was a funeral originally planned for April 23, but it was canceled the night before. Tyka did not give a reason, but Radar Online reported that the cancellation came amid a “family feud” over Prince’s fortune.

There had already been an unofficial memorial service for Prince, one organized by his ex-wives, Mayte Garcia and Manuela Testolini. As E! Online reported, the service attracted a number of celebrities to offer their condolences, including Eric Benet, Spike Lee, Gwen Stefani, Tavis Smiley, The Revolution, Dita Von Teese, and Herbie Hancock.

Sources said the event had the feel of a funeral, but Tyka Nelson refuted reports that there had already been an official service held for Prince.

“We would like everyone to know that, contrary to previous and current reports, there has been no memorial, funeral or tribute service for Prince that was organized or authorized by the family or Paisley Park representatives. Together, the family is planning an official memorial service and public event to take place in the near future.”

As the family is reportedly torn apart by tensions over his estate, new details are also emerging about the singer’s final years. Sources close to the singer have come forward to detail Prince’s alleged struggles with addiction, with friend and collaborator Sky Dangcil telling Us Weekly that the singer turned to prescription painkillers after a hip surgery.

Dangcil said that Prince wanted to maintain his torrid pace of recording and performing, but was in considerable pain due to his ailing hips.

“Everyone saw that his hips were turning into a bigger problem,” Dangcil revealed. “He was always ‘on,’ so he wouldn’t complain or say anything was wrong.”

Kim Berry, Prince’s hairstylist, also said that the singer was in “a lot of pain” in his final years. The friends say Prince used painkillers to help him continue his pace of working despite the ongoing pain.

While family members say Prince will be laid to rest in August, the court proceedings regarding his $300 million fortune suggest that the estate battle could go on much longer than that.

[Picture by Donald Mirralle/Getty Images]

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