Tomi Rae Hynie, the woman who may or may not have been James Brown's fourth wife, who, as previously reported, was not mentioned in the late singer's will, is going to court in a bid to secure half of the singer's estate and access to the couple's former home, that she was locked out of soon after his death, in order to reclaim what she claims are her personal possessions.
As previously reported, Hynie's marriage to Brown is doubted because it is claimed she was married to another man at the time the couple got wed in 2001. Hynie claims her previous marriage, to a Pakistani man, was a marriage of convenience to secure the man a green card, and that it was subsequently annulled. However, there is some doubt as to whether that annulment took place or, more to the point, whether it had taken place before her and Brown's wedding took place (some reports say the first marriage wasn't annulled until 2004). If their marriage was not legitimate, and given that she is not mentioned in Brown's will, Hynie could get nothing from the singer's estate. The couple's young son would presumably have a claim in his own right, despite not being mentioned in the will, though Caro here seems to remember Brown was at one point demanding paternity tests in relation to his youngest son, so that claim too may not be without controversy.
Anyway, it is for all these reasons that Hynie is going to court to dispute the will and, she hopes, prove once and for all she is Brown's legitimate widow. Commenting on her legal action, she told reporters yesterday: "I have a long hard battle to fight for my husband's rights, for my rights and for my son's rights that have been completely violated during this time. I am his wife. It's my home".
On the demands for access to the couple's home, Hynie's attorney Robert Rosen told reporters: "She's not asking the court to live there. They locked her out and wouldn't let her in but she has a right to go in and get her stuff - furniture, her clothing, her son's toys. They keep saying that they're going to do it but they never do it, so we're going to ask a judge to order them to do it".
Brown's attorney and the trustee of his estate, Buddy Dallas, denies ever previously hearing from Hynie in relation to any personal belongings in the late singer's home.