The late James Brown's partner/wife Tomi Rae Hynie has finally been allowed back into their shared home in South Carolina to retrieve her belongings, having been locked out of the house since the soul legend's death in December. Hynie entered the building accompanied by the estate's trustees and three of Brown's children, and collected a number of personal items, including clothing. Hynie and the son she had with Brown were, of course, left out of his will.
Hynie has, as previously reported, clashed with Brown's family, who dispute the legitimacy of her marriage to the late singer, saying that their 2001 marriage was void due to the fact that her previous marriage was not annulled until after she and Brown had exchanged their vows. She's clearly not at odds with all of them, however, as she embraced Brown's daughter Venisha when the judge handed down the ruling that she should be allowed access to the house, and has also united with the star's children in attempting to remove three trustees who they consider are mismanaging Brown's estate, allowing taxes to go unpaid and a judgement over a land sale to go unanswered. Together they are seeking the appointment of a special administrator to take over the trust.
Those trustees, meanwhile, are seeking a restraining order and an injunction against Brown's children, who, they claim, have interfered with the administration of the estate. "From the moment they tried to act as personal representatives, we have been met with contempt," says Strom Thurmond Jr, a lawyer handling Brown's will. The judge says he will consider the children's request next week.
Brown's body has still not been buried, and remains above ground in a sealed casket awaiting a decision on where it should be interred.