In
a
recent
court
battle
over
the
late
director
John
Singleton’s
estate,
his
mother,
Sheila
Ward,
emerged
victorious
against
the
claims
made
by
Singleton’s
ex-girlfriend,
Vestria
Barlow,
and
daughter,
Cleopatra.
Radar
Online
reports
that
a
hearing
was
held
in
Los
Angeles
Superior
Court
where
the
family
members
clashed
over
the
distribution
of
Singleton’s
fortune.
After
John
Singleton’s
passing
in
2019,
Sheila
Ward
was
appointed
to
administer
her
late
son’s
estate.
The
beneficiaries
of
the
estate
are
Singleton’s
seven
children—Justice,
Selenesol,
Hadar,
Massai,
Cleopatra,
Isis,
and
Seven.
In
July,
Ward
submitted
her
final
report
to
the
court,
revealing
that
the
estate
was
valued
at
an
estimated
$6.8
million.
She
asserted
that
the
money
would
be
divided
among
Singleton’s
children.
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However,
a
couple
of
weeks
later,
Cleopatra
and
her
mother,
Vestria
Barlow,
opposed
the
final
report.
Barlow
filed
a
$15
million
federal
lawsuit
against
Ward
and
various
studios,
claiming
she
was
owed
a
percentage
of
residuals
from
several
of
Singleton’s
projects.
Despite
this,
the
federal
judge
dismissed
the
lawsuit
for
being
brought
in
the
wrong
venue.
In
the
recent
hearing,
the
court
presiding
over
the
probate
case
sided
with
Ward,
granting
approval
of
her
final
report.
This
means
that
Ward
has
permission
to
distribute
the
estate
to
the
beneficiaries,
with
each
child
expected
to
receive
around
$1
million.
The
children
will
continue
to
receive
money
over
time
as
the
estate
collects
residuals
from
Singleton’s
work.
The
judge
deemed
the
objections
to
the
report
as
“untimely
filed,”
solidifying
Ward’s
position
as
the
administrator
of
the
estate.
In
her
petition,
Ward
detailed
Singleton’s
assets,
including
comic
books,
movie
memorabilia,
a
Los
Angeles
home,
various
vehicles,
and
ownership
stakes
in
companies
like
Crunk
Pictures
and
New
Deal
Productions.
The
estate
also
held
valuable
items
such
as
expensive
comic
book
art,
a
70%
interest
in
Crunk
Pictures
and
New
Deal
Productions
estimated
at
$3.2
million,
a
$1.1
million
retirement
account,
$31,000
in
the
bank,
and
personal
property
like
a
painting
of
Tupac
worth
$75,000
and
the
$50,000
lowrider
used
by
Tyrese
in
Singleton’s
film
“Baby
Boy.”
The
resolution
of
this
court
battle
sheds
light
on
the
complex
financial
legacy
left
behind
by
the
acclaimed
director.
