Barry White, the legendary soul singer, passed away on July 4, 2003, leaving behind a musical empire worth $20 million.

However, his death revealed a shocking oversight: he had never finalized his divorce from his second wife, Glodean James White, nor had he left a will. This mistake set the stage for decades of legal battles and family betrayal.

At the time of his death, Barry was living with Katherine Denton, his long-term partner. Katherine believed she would inherit his estate, as Barry had promised her financial security throughout their relationship. Just weeks before his de@th, Katherine gave birth to a daughter, Barryanna, claiming Barry was the father.

However, DNA testing later proved otherwise, leaving Katherine with nothing—no inheritance, no financial support, and the devastating realization that her connection to Barry was neither legal nor biological.

Under California’s community property laws, Barry’s estranged wife, Glodean, inherited his entire fortune. Despite having been separated from Barry since 1988, Glodean suddenly found herself in control of his $20 million estate.

She promised Barry’s children from his first marriage that she would share the wealth voluntarily, and for 12 years, she kept that promise by providing them with monthly payments.

However, in 2015, the payments abruptly stopped. Barry’s children, including his son Daryl White, were told the estate was struggling financially.

They were led to believe that Barry’s music was no longer generating substantial revenue due to changes in the music industry. Yet, unbeknownst to them, the estate’s income was actually skyrocketing due to the rise of streaming platforms, licensing deals, and sampling by hip-hop producers. Barry’s catalog was more valuable than ever, generating millions of dollars annually.

Daryl, facing homelessness, decided to take legal action against Glodean. He filed a lawsuit demanding transparency about the estate’s finances, claiming that Glodean had deliberately misled Barry’s children while using the estate’s income to fund her lavish lifestyle.

The legal discovery process revealed shocking evidence: during the years when Barry’s children were told the estate was struggling, it was actually generating record-breaking income.

The financial records uncovered systematic deception. Glodean had cut off payments to Barry’s children at the same time the estate’s revenue had exploded.

She had used the increased income to support her own extravagant lifestyle while excluding Barry’s biological children from their father’s wealth. The settlement reached in the lawsuit forced the disclosure of these financial records, exposing how millions of dollars had been hidden from Barry’s children.

This revelation marked the end of 22 years of secrecy and betrayal. Barry White’s legacy, built on love and family, had been turned into a weapon against his own children.

The settlement acknowledged Barry’s biological children as legitimate heirs and granted them access to the wealth and legacy he had created. While the truth was finally revealed, the damage to Barry’s family remained a tragic contradiction to the values he embodied during his life.