Woman says she is Prince's long-lost sister, claims part of estate

[WASHINGTON] A woman claiming to be Prince's half-sister has come forward saying she is entitled to part of the late pop star's multimillion-dollar estate, legal documents show.

Darcell Gresham Johnston filed court documents Friday in the musician's probate case in Minnesota saying she is an "interested party and beneficiary" in the singer's estate.

The "Purple Rain" star died leaving no will and had no children or living parents.

The estate was previously expected to be equally split six ways between Prince's known surviving siblings under Minnesota law.

The musician's sister Tyka Nelson - his only known full sibling - was named an heir last month along with five of his living half-siblings, John Nelson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Alfred Jackson and Omarr Baker.

Some of Prince's siblings learned of Johnston's existence only several days ago, the celebrity news website TMZ reported, adding that she claims to share a mother with the singer.

The court will have the final say over the legitimacy of her claim.

Tyka Nelson and four of Prince's half-siblings met in court on Monday for a hearing about the estate. It confirmed Bremer Trust as a special administrator, tasked with managing Prince's estate as well as determining whether there are additional heirs.

One of his generation's most prolific musicians, Prince died suddenly on April 21 at the age of 57 at his Paisley Park estate outside Minneapolis.

The cause of death is still unknown, and investigators are examining whether he died of an opioid overdose.

Although the extent of Prince's fortune is unclear, the website Celebrity Net Worth estimates he was worth US$300 million.

His heirs will also control his vast vaults of unreleased material, which is said to include entire unheard albums that were shelved.

AFP