*Following the death of John Singleton on Monday at age 51 comes word that his family is set to battle for control of his estate.
Sources connected with the Singleton family tell TMZ that John’s mother, Shelia Ward, is not only up against John’s daughter, Cleopatra, but also his estranged father and girlfriend, the mother of his 1-year-old son.
Last week, Cleopatra filed a motion seeking to block her grandmother’s proposed conservatorship. She claims Ward wants to liquidate all of John’s assets and freeze out his 7 children, the report states.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: WE REMEMBER: John Singleton Passes Away at 51
Singleton’s estate is allegedly worth $35 million and Cleopatra fears Sheila will make it impossible for her and others in the family to access what they believe they are rightfully entitled to financially.
John’s mother is his longtime business manager, thus the reason why she filed for the conservatorship after he reportedly fell into a coma last week. But Ward denies plotting to cut her son’s children from his estate.
Cleopatra, meanwhile, doesn’t trust her grandmother and she’s suggesting John’s son, Maasai or his father, Danny be appointed conservators instead of Sheila.
The acclaimed director, who was the first Black male to receive an Oscar nomination, suffered a stroke after experiencing weakness in his legs, and was admitted to the hospital on April 17. He was taken off life support Monday and died a few hours later.
His family issued a statement, saying: “We are sad to relay that John Singleton has died. John passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends. We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time.” — The Singleton Family.