Larry King’s widow, Shawn King, isn’t just contesting his most recent will, which she was left out of. She’s also asking to be named the administrator of the late TV icon’s estate. New court documents viewed by ET on Friday, Feb. 19, show Shawn essentially wants the court to recognize an official will Larry had drawn up in 2015 rather than the handwritten, secret one he updated in October 2019, two months after he filed for divorce from Shawn (the divorce was never finalized). In his 2015 will, Larry nominated Shawn to be the executor of his estate, ET reports.
The updated will removed Shawn entirely and named his five children as equal beneficiaries of his estate. Larry’s son, Larry King Jr., however, has indicated he wants to be the estate’s special administrator, having already filed an emergency petition. Shawn, meanwhile, is arguing that the newer will should not be honored because it was never filed unlike the 2015 will. She also suggests Larry Jr. was involved in secret, seemingly self-serving financial maneuvers prior to his father’s death and says the estate is only worth about $350,000 — not the $2 million Larry Jr. claims as its value.
She maintains she has “the most knowledge” of Larry’s businesses and assets. Larry and Shawn had been married for 22 years when he passed away on Jan. 23. In a report published Friday, a family law expert said there’s a good chance the handwritten “holographic” will, as Larry’s 2019 will would be deemed, won’t stand. Attorney Walter Melcher predicts that instead, Shawn lawyers will argue “Larry did not have the capacity to draft a will” by late 2019, given his many health issues.
