Larry King’s Secret Will Excludes Wife, Creating Estate Planning Conflict

In a surprising turn of events, legendary talk-show host Larry King left his wife of 22 years out of his $2 million estate in his final will and testament.

Shawn King, whom he was in the process of divorcing at the time of his death, is now contesting the validity of the document.

The couple filed for divorce in August 2019, and just two months later, Larry allegedly wrote a handwritten will stating that all his assets should be divided equally among his five children, without mentioning Shawn.

According to a report by the New York Post's Page Six, Shawn believes that someone influenced her husband to draft the will, although she did not provide further details.

She maintains that they had a solid family estate plan, which was created together in 2015, and she firmly believes that it should hold up.

Unfortunately, the estate proceedings have become more complicated due to the inclusion of two children who passed away last year in the latest will.

Shawn King was Larry's seventh wife.

Larry King Jr. has requested to be appointed as the estate's administrator, as reported by TMZ.

Larry's net worth was estimated at $144 million, but the $2 million estate only accounts for assets not held in trusts.

It is said that Larry, 87, died from COVID-19, although Shawn claims that sepsis was the more immediate cause of death.

This case is not the first instance of messy estate planning among celebrities.

Chadwick Boseman, known for his role in “Black Panther,” did not have a will when he passed away in 2020, a common situation for many Americans, including Prince.

Even when there is a will, complications can still arise, as seen in the case of John Mahoney, who played the father in “Frasier” and had 38 beneficiaries listed in his will upon his death in 2018.

Estate planning can be a tedious process, particularly when significant assets are at stake.

However, it is crucial for individuals of all net worth levels to have certain essential documents in place.

These include a will, which specifies how their money and belongings should be distributed, a power of attorney to designate someone responsible for carrying out their last wishes, and a healthcare proxy to outline instructions for medical care in the event of incapacity.