James Brown's family finally settles 15-year-long legal battle over his estate worth up to $100M a year after judge ruled that his longtime girlfriend had no legal right to Godfather of Soul's fortune
- Marc Toberoff, a lawyer for nine of Brown's heirs, told DailyMail.com 'all matters' had been settled between the parties and that his clients were 'very happy'
- He said he could provide no further details of the settlement with the terms of the deal remaining under wraps
- The value of Brown's assets is unclear with estimates from $5-$100 million
- Deal paves way for Brown's dying wish to fund scholarships for disadvantaged children to finally be realized
- It comes one year after a judge ruled Brown's longtime girlfriend Tommie Rae Hynie was not his legal wife so has no right to the Godfather of Soul's fortune
- Brown's estate has been the subject of a 15-year legal battle since he died aged 73 on Christmas Day in 2006
The family of entertainer James Brown has reached a settlement ending a 15-year battle over the late singer's estate, an attorney involved in the mediation said on Friday.
David Black, an attorney representing Brown's estate, confirmed to The Associated Press that the agreement was reached on July 9. Details of the settlement were not disclosed.
Last week, a lawyer for nine of Brown's heirs told DailyMail.com that the parties struck deal on a 'secret' settlement.
Marc Toberoff, a lawyer for nine of Brown's heirs including five children, the estate of one child, and three grandchildren, told DailyMail.com 'all matters' had been settled between the parties and that his clients were 'very happy.'
'All matters between James Brown's children and Tommie Rae [Hynie] and Tommie Rae's son have been settled with the estate,' he said.
A settlement has finally been reached over James Brown's multi-million dollar estate bringing to an end a high-profile legal battle between his children and girlfriend which rumbled on for 15 years. James Brown on stage in London in 1986
James Brown family members Mike Hart, Jason Brown, Deana Brown Thomas, Tommie Rae Hynie, James Brown III, Dr. Yana Brown and Veneisha Brown attending the launch of Say It Loud: The Genius of James Brown at The GRAMMY Museum in 2011
Tommie Rae Hynie is pictured attending the premiere of Get On Up in Georgia in 2014. The settlement comes one year after a judge ruled Brown's longtime girlfriend Hynie was not his legal wife and so has no right to the Godfather of Soul's fortune
Brown and Hynie during the UK Music Hall Of Fame 2006 left. Hynie and the couple's son James Brown II in 2014 right
'My clients are very happy that this final settlement has been reached and hope that the trust created by their father can soon be funded.'
He said he could provide no further details of the settlement.
Legal wrangling over the Godfather of Soul's estate has been ongoing since his death at the age of 73 on Christmas Day 2006.
The performer's death touched off years of bizarre headlines, beginning with Tomi Rae Hynie - a former partner who claimed to be Brown's wife - being locked out of his 60-acre estate while photographers captured her sobbing and shaking its iron gates, begging to be let in.
Brown was renowned for hundreds of iconic musical works including hits like I Feel Good and A Man's World, and was known around the world for his flashy performances and dynamic stage presence.
But years of drug problems and financial mismanagement caused his estate to dwindle.
Marc Toberoff (above), a lawyer for nine of Brown's heirs including five children told DailyMail.com last week that 'all matters' had been settled
More than a dozen lawsuits were filed over the years by people trying to lay claim to the singer's assets, which courts have estimated to be worth anything from $5million to more than $100million.
The fight over Brown's estate even spilled over into what to do with his body.
Family members fought over the remains for more than two months, leaving Brown's body, still inside a gold casket, sitting in cold storage in a funeral home.
Brown was eventually buried in Beech Island, South Carolina, at the home of one of his daughters.
In his will, Brown had left the vast majority of his fortune to the trust, his personal effects to some of his children, $2million for his grandchildren's education and nothing to Hynie.
Hynie and Brown had a rocky relationship ever since they first met in the mid-1990s hen she worked as a Janis Joplin impersonator in Las Vegas.
The saga erupted almost straight away after his death, with Hynie pictured being kicked out of his 60-acre estate and shaking its iron gates to be let in (above)
Brown's mansion in Beech Island, South Carolina. While the terms of the deal and how the assets have been divided up remain under wraps, its conclusion paves the way for Brown's dying wish to fund scholarships for disadvantaged children to finally be realized
The atrium to his mansion. No details of the settlement have been provided and the value of Brown's assets is also unclear
They had a son together - James Brown II - in 2001.
In 2003, Brown took out a full-page notice in Variety in 2003 to announce they had split.
Hynie could still keep a connection to Brown's estate through James Brown II.
The family wanted to turn the home into a shrine for Brown similar to Elvis Presley's Graceland, but that idea never got off the ground.
Last year, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that Hynie had not been legally married to Brown and therefore did not have a right to his multimillion-dollar estate.
Justices also ordered a circuit court to 'promptly proceed with the probate of Brown's estate in accordance with his estate plan,' which outlined creation of a trust that would use his music royalties to fund educational expenses for children in South Carolina and Georgia.
A 2009 settlement plan would have given nearly half of Brown's estate to a charitable trust, a quarter to Hynie, and the rest to be split among his adult children.
Brown lies in his casket ahead of his funeral. Brown died on Christmas Day 2006 aged 73
Four of Brown's children are seen above at his funeral on December 30, 2006. Brown's death has also long been a source of contention amid rumors that he was murdered
The state Supreme Court overturned that deal in 2013, writing that then-Attorney General Henry McMaster - now the state's governor - hadn't followed Brown´s expressed wishes for most of his money to go to charity, having instead selected a professional manager who took control of Brown's assets from the estate´s trustees to settle debts.
Brown's death has also long been a source of contention amid rumors that he was murdered.
The only person present when he died was his personal manager Charles Bobbit.
The star never had an autopsy after one of his children decided against it for 'personal reasons' and his remains were placed in a secret location.
Marvin Crawford, the doctor who signed his death certificate, has since come forward to say he does not believe the died of natural causes.
The star's hairdresser Candice Hurst also wrote in a book that she believes there was foul play involved.
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