The Will: Family Secrets Revealed (2010)
A looks at the most contentious stories of inheritance and an exploration of the family dynamics, legal wrangling and high emotions surrounding real-life stories in a world where grief and greed collide.
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Episode 1 - The Estate of Howard Hughes
Release Date: 2011-10-19Billionaire Howard Hughes dies, leaving behind an estate worth $2.5 billion, but no will. But 3 weeks later, a will appears, leaving $156 million to Melvin Dummar. An epic legal battle will ensue to prove whether the Will is genuine or counterfeit.
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Episode 2 - The Estate of Frankie Lymon
Release Date: 2011-10-26Frankie Lymon, singer of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" dies from a drug overdose at 25. Who will inherit the royalties from this hit song? His bandmates Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant? Or, Morris Levy, allegedly credited with co-writing the song?
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Episode 3 - The Estate of Conway Twitty
Release Date: 2011-11-02At the age of 59, famed country star Conway Twitty dies, leaving a $15-million estate to his four children. But Conway's widow is legally entitled to one-third of the estate. Fighting for her share, an ugly legal battle unfolds in the family.
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Episode 4 - The Estate of Art Hadly
Release Date: 2011-11-09Sarah Hadley, daughter of Art Hadley, the inventor of the expansion bracelet, dies at the age of 75. Her death triggers the distribution of a $7-million trust, but relatives from near and far feud as to who should really take home the money.
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Episode 5 - The Estate of Johnnie Taylor
Release Date: 2011-11-16Johnnie Taylor, R&B musician, dies at 66 leaving behind a million-dollar estate. His six children expect to split his estate, until three strangers claim they're Taylor's children as well. Challenging the news, a 2-year legal battle ensues.
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Episode 6 - The Estate of Lillian Garis Booth
Release Date: 2011-11-30Philanthropist Lillian Garis Booth dies at 92, leaving $10-million to her nephew Robert Reldan: a convicted serial killer serving a life sentence. In an effort to stop the inheritance, the father of one of his victims wages an epic legal battle.
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Episode 7 - The Estate of Rock Hudson
Release Date: 2011-12-14Rock Hudson dies in 1985 with AIDS. His death sparks a bitter lawsuit by Marc Christian who claims Hudson knowingly exposed him to HIV. The trial leads to a landmark decision about a partner's duty to disclose a potentially deadly diagnosis.
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Episode 8 - The Estate of Wayne Perry
Release Date: 2011-12-28The death of renowned, 55-year-old Country songwriter Wayne Perry in Ohio on May 15, 2005, sparks a five-year legal battle between his four children and his faith-healing evangelical sister for an estate valued at over a million dollars.