Kecalf Franklin, Aretha Franklin‘s youngest son, is staunchly against the Jennifer Hudson-led upcoming biopic of his mom’s life because he says MGM never bothered to get input from Franklin’s children for the film.
READ MORE: First look: Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin in ‘Respect’ biopic
“How can you make a movie about a person and not talk to the persons sons or grandchildren about important information?” Kecalf Franklin wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday. “If you are a “real” fan of my mothers, please do not support this. Ask yourself … would you want this done to you?”
While Franklin said he supports Hudson as the Queen of Soul, who he claims was hand-selected by his mom for the lead role in Respect, he took issue with the rest of the film. The film, which is being produced by MGM, started filming last fall and is scheduled to be released on Oct. 18.
“Everything else is being done against our wishes,” Franklin, 49, wrote in the post. “The Franklin family (does not) support the movie that is in production!”
David Bennett, the longtime attorney for Aretha Franklin, however, took issue with the post and said Kecalf doesn’t speak for his three brothers or other members of the Franklin family.
“He does not speak for the family,” Bennett told The Detroit Free Press. “I know he doesn’t speak for his brother Ted White or his brother Clarence Franklin. The grandchildren have absolutely nothing to do with this. What he’s really doing is talking for himself.”
Further, Bennett said Decalf’s post really has more to do with his desire to “become the personal representative of the estate” instead of Franklin’s niece, Sabrina Owens, and less about the movie. Kecalf is currently petitioning Oakland County Probate Court to be named executor of his late mom’s estate, the news outlet reported.
READ MORE: Barack Obama wants the hat Aretha Franklin wore to his 1st presidential inauguration
Owens has been the executor since Franklin died in 2018 death, and White and Clarence Franklin submitted court filings backing her in the role. However, ever since multiple wills were discovered last spring that each contained different instructions, the family has been in court to try and hash out whether the wills were actually written by Franklin. Last August, Judge Jennifer Callaghan instructed handwriting experts to assess the validity of the documents. Callaghan also ordered Owens and Franklins’ four sons to start mediation.
Charlene Glover Hogan, Kecalf Franklin’s lawyer, did not respond to a Free Press request for an interview on Tuesday.
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