Aretha Franklin’s Son Calls For A Boycott Against Biopic Starring Jennifer Hudson
The son of late singer Aretha Franklin is speaking out against a biopic that endeavors to portray his mother.
MGM released a trailer for Respect last month in which Jennifer Hudson plays the legendary songstress. Kecalf Franklin, who goes by the moniker Eradesent Views on Facebook, ranted about the film Saturday (January 4), claiming none of Aretha’s family members were contacted about the film, or the forthcoming book The Queen Next Door.
“ONCE AGAIN….. THE FRANKLIN FAMILY (DOES NOT) SUPPORT THE MOVIE THAT IS IN PRODUCTION!!!!! NOR DO WE SUPPORT THE BOOK “THE QUEEN NEXT DOOR”!!!!! NEITHER ENTITY FELT THE NEED TO CONTACT THE (CORE) FAMILY ABOUT ANYTHING!!!!”
He then questioned how a film could be made using Aretha Franklin’s likeness without contacting her family.
“HOW CAN YOU MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT A PERSON AND NOT TALK TO THE PERSONS SONS OR GRANDCHILDREN ABOUT IMPORTANT INFORMATION? HOW CAN YOU PUT A PERSONS FAMILY (IMAGE) IN A BOOK AND NOT ASK PERMISSION?”
Lastly, he called for a boycott.
“IF YOU ARE A “REAL” FAN OF MY MOTHERS….PLEASE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS. ASK YOURSELF….WOULD YOU WANT THIS DONE TO YOU?”
Currently, a family battle is playing out inside Oakland County Probate Court, where Kecalf has petitioned to be named the estate’s executor in place of Franklin’s niece Sabrina Owens.
"This is all about his attempts to become the personal representative of the estate," said David Bennett, Aretha Franklin's longtime attorney and lead counsel for the estate, according to USA Today. "He does not speak for the family. I know he doesn't speak for his brother Ted White or his brother Clarence Franklin. The grandchildren have absolutely nothing to do with this. What he's really doing is talking for himself."
The MGM-produced Respect began filming last fall and is scheduled for an October 18 release in theaters.
Court filings from this summer from White and Clarence Franklin backed Owens in her role as the estate’s personal representative.
