Court order narrows Prince’s potential heirs to 6

As a result, Eide has been presiding over the administration of the estate.

In court records released on Friday (29Jul16) and obtained by Reuters, Judge Eide dismissed claims from 29 individuals, including Claire Boyd, who alleged she was married to the rock star, but records of their union were being kept secret by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

That means that now at least 24 people who claimed to be a half-sibling through someone other than Prince’s father, or those claiming more distant family tree connections, are out.

Four people who claimed to be genetic children of Prince’s were shut out by Eide. Tyka Nelson’s attorney did not immediately return a voice mail.

Prince died on April 21 of a prescription drug overdose, and had no will, which has left determining the heirs to his estate up to the courts.

For now, Prince’s immediate successors are his sister Tyka Nelson and five brothers from only one parent.

However, as both Prince’s parents are dead and his only known son died shortly after being born, the legal waters become murky.

He is also pushing to keep the estate’s business dealings under wraps, asking Judge Eide in a filing this week to broadly seal business documents related to its efforts to monetise Prince’s estate.

Among those claimants was Venita Jackson Leverette, whose lawyer James Selmer called the judge’s decision “a travesty” and said he is considering an appeal.

Eight claimants remain, though, and six will undergo further DNA testing, the judge ruled.

Among the claimants were five people who said they were children of Prince and, because the rocker had no recognised offspring, could potentially have gained his entire estate estimated to be worth more than US$300 million. Many have undergone DNA testing in an effort to provide a clearer picture as to who rightfully has a claim, and who doesn’t. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

The two that don’t need to be tested – Baker and Jackson – claim relation to Prince through a common mother, Mattie Shaw, but different fathers. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.