In Summary
Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, has filed a lawsuit against the executor of their late mother’s estate, alleging he “embezzled millions” among other wrongdoings.Sekyiwa Shakur, Tupac Shakur’s sister, is hittin’ up the executor of their late mother’s estate, alleging he embezzled millions of dollars “for his own benefit,” per Billboard.
Tom Whalley is also accused of refusing to hand over personal items that belonged to Tupac, as well as other “blatant violations” of his obligations as the executor of Afeni Shakur-Davis’ estate, including allegedly installing himself in a key managerial post despite a conflict of interest.
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He also allegedly earned over $5.5 million from Amaru Entertainment, the record label that released some of Tupac’s music and is the Trust’s “main income-producing asset” in the last five years.
“Whalley has unreasonably enriched himself at the expense of the beneficiaries and in bad faith by taking excessive compensation in a position from which he should properly be barred based on the inherent conflict of interest,” Sekyiwa wrote, per Billboard.
Howard King, Whalley’s lawyer, denies the allegations, describing his client as a longtime “friend and confidant” of both Tupac and Afeni. He said Whalley had been assigned to oversee Amaru by Afeni prior to her death, despite claims from Sekyiwa that he “hired himself” after her death in 2016.
“These legal claims are disappointing and detrimental to all beneficiaries of the trust,” King said, per Billboard, adding they’re confident the court will rule in their favor.
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Afeni, an American political activist and former member of the Black Panther Party, died in 2016 after reports of a “possible cardiac arrest” at her California home, per Rolling Stone. Tupac was shot and killed in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996 and died a week later from his injuries, his mother by his side. His 1995 single “Dear Mama,” which was eventually added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, was a tribute in her honor.