In a recent court battle over the late director John Singleton’s estate, his mother, Sheila Ward, emerged victorious against the claims made by Singleton’s ex-girlfriend, Vestria Barlow, and daughter, Cleopatra. Radar Online reports that a hearing was held in Los Angeles Superior Court where the family members clashed over the distribution of Singleton’s fortune.
After John Singleton’s passing in 2019, Sheila Ward was appointed to administer her late son’s estate. The beneficiaries of the estate are Singleton’s seven children—Justice, Selenesol, Hadar, Massai, Cleopatra, Isis, and Seven.
In July, Ward submitted her final report to the court, revealing that the estate was valued at an estimated $6.8 million. She asserted that the money would be divided among Singleton’s children.
However, a couple of weeks later, Cleopatra and her mother, Vestria Barlow, opposed the final report. Barlow filed a $15 million federal lawsuit against Ward and various studios, claiming she was owed a percentage of residuals from several of Singleton’s projects. Despite this, the federal judge dismissed the lawsuit for being brought in the wrong venue.
In the recent hearing, the court presiding over the probate case sided with Ward, granting approval of her final report. This means that Ward has permission to distribute the estate to the beneficiaries, with each child expected to receive around $1 million. The children will continue to receive money over time as the estate collects residuals from Singleton’s work.
The judge deemed the objections to the report as “untimely filed,” solidifying Ward’s position as the administrator of the estate. In her petition, Ward detailed Singleton’s assets, including comic books, movie memorabilia, a Los Angeles home, various vehicles, and ownership stakes in companies like Crunk Pictures and New Deal Productions.
The estate also held valuable items such as expensive comic book art, a 70% interest in Crunk Pictures and New Deal Productions estimated at $3.2 million, a $1.1 million retirement account, $31,000 in the bank, and personal property like a painting of Tupac worth $75,000 and the $50,000 lowrider used by Tyrese in Singleton’s film “Baby Boy.” The resolution of this court battle sheds light on the complex financial legacy left behind by the acclaimed director.
Back in July, the late director John Singleton’s daughter—Cleopatra Singleton, filed a motion to prevent her grandmother from stopping her allowance after she graduated from college. Singleton’s mom Sheila Ward, has been in charge of John’s estate since his 2019 death, recently asked the court to allow her to stop paying Cleopatra $2,700 per month. Cleopatra said her grandmother’s request should be shut down because she’s currently enrolled in an online school.
The judge just ruled in favor of John’s mother.
Radar Online reports:
A judge has sided with John Singleton’s mother Sheila Ward in her fight with her late son’s daughter Cleopatra over a monthly 4-figure sum she had demanded, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, a hearing was recently held in Los Angeles Superior Court on the matter.
Singleton’s mom explained the allowance was initially approved by the court in December 2019. The funds were to be used to help Cleopatra because she was a “full-time student who did not have other sources of income.”
In her filing, Sheila claimed Cleopatra graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in May 2021 but was still being paid.
Singleton’s mom asked that Cleopatra’s final payout from the estate be reduced by the amount she was paid after her graduation date.
Singleton’s children Justice, Selenesol, Hadar, Massai, Cleopatra, Isis, and Seven will share a 1/7 interest in his estate.
Four years ago director John Singleton passed away after suffering a stroke. The 51-year-old director had been in a coma after suffering a stroke while at a Los Angeles hospital for another health concern. He died peacefully and surrounded by friends, his family said in a statement shared by his publicist.
Now John’s daughter Cleopatra is fighting in court with his mother after getting cut off of $2700 school allowance following her graduation arguing she is still enrolled in online school.
Radar Online reports:
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Cleopatra, one of John’s 7 children, asked the court to shut down the late director’s mom Shelia Ward.
As we first reported, Shelia, who has been in charge of John’s estate since his 2019 death, recently asked the court to allow her to stop paying Cleopatra $2,700 per month.
The support was initially approved by the court in December 2019. The money was to be used by Cleopatra for support because she was a “full-time student who did not have other sources of income.”
Sheila said Cleopatra graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in May 2021 but was still being paid. She asked that Cleopatra’s final payout from John’s estate be reduced by the amount she was paid to her after the date of graduation from Xaiver University.
Now, Cleopatra said her grandmother’s request should be shut down because she’s currently enrolled in an online school.
Further, Cleopatra said Sheila’s final accounting report submitted to the court should not be approved. She claimed it contained “woefully inaccurate” information and failed to include documentary proof for certain transactions.
A judge has yet to rule.
Singleton, who was also a screenwriter and producer, made history in 1992 when he became the first black director nominated for an Academy Award and, at 23, the youngest nominee in that category for the 1991 drama “Boyz n the Hood,” his directorial debut. The critically acclaimed film follows the lives of three teenage boys in Los Angeles and addresses questions of race, violence and relationships.
Keyshia Cole says that the late John Singleton was originally planning to direct her new biopic, Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story. She revealed the detail in a personal message after the film premiered on Thursday. Singleton passed away in 2019 at the age of 51 after suffering a stroke.
“John Singleton, we sat down with him and was supposed to do the movie,” she said. “That didn’t happen then.” She also joked that Singleton didn’t want to cast Cole as herself, which led to her going in a different direction. “Rest in peace John Singleton,” she added.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: Keyshia Cole performs during R&B Super Jam Ladies Night at Barclays Center on May 06, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story premiered on Lifetime, on Thursday night. The film follows Cole’s life and music career with a focus on her relationship with her mother, Frankie Lons, who passed away in October 2021 after a drug overdose. Elsewhere in her message after the premiere, Cole dedicated the movie to Lons.
“Mommy this movie is for you,” she stated. “I’ve seen the film five times, so I’ve done a lot of crying and reflecting. For the most part, it’s a reflection of my life and my love I have for my mom. Hate that it ended the way that it did. But the truth is, this is my life.”
Keyshia Cole’s New Biopic
Cole also spoke about how the film came together, revealing that Lifetime reached out to her. “Lifetime was calling for a little while,” she said. “When I did the VERZUZ, they were reaching out about doing the movie. We didn’t do it at that time. Shortly after, my mom had passed. They reached back out like, ‘Yo, this is some things that’s happened.’ My dad passed after that, then my dog 14 years passed. Okay, my best friend too? Gotcha. We decided to capture that during that time, but we were trying to do the movies when I first got signed to Interscope.”
The cocaine saga Snowfall debuted on television screens in July 2017. Although its viciousness doesn’t provide the average viewer with exciting thrills, it serves as an astringent reminder of morality. The show indulges its audience through its nostalgic portrayal of Los Angeles in the mid-1980s and pays homage to John Singleton’s vision of the city. Set against the beginning of the crack cocaine epidemic and its transformative impact on culture, the story follows a selection of characters headed for a violent rendezvous. Here are the best seasons of Snowfall.
6. Season 5
The fifth season of Snowfall delves into the demise of Len Bias, an athlete who tragically succumbed to a heart attack due to cocaine abuse. The story, focusing on the main character Franklin and his thriving illegal drug business, has him navigating a new market, one saturated with competition. As he strives to remain at the forefront of this industry, the season examines the impacts of cocaine in all its facets. From underworld dealings to personal losses, viewers watch Franklin’s progress as he battles the changing dynamics of the illicit cocaine trade.
5. Season 6
Battles for power, dominion, and riches have reached an irreversible climax in the sixth and final season. However, the battle that matters most is the one for Franklin Saint’s soul. His wit has enabled him to evade crisis after calamity but with a dreadful price. Since beginning his journey, he has developed an entire empire underscoring wealth yet destroying the lives of countless others. Unwinding his narrative is an American story full of sharp contrasts and brutality entwined together, making escape impossible.
In these opening two episodes, this plotline comes into focus. Despite trying to flee from his past life, which is already an impossible task due to what he has caused, it is looking less and less unlikely. He takes on everyone around him: Uncle Jerome (Amin Joseph) and Aunt Louie (Angela Lewis); and his ex-CIA “companion’ Teddy McDonald (Carter Hudson). This was all in pursuit of regaining the money he lost.
4. Season 1
Franklin gives viewers a ray of hope as they follow his journey through South Central Los Angeles. His uncle Jerome (Amin Joseph) and aunt Louise (Angela Lewis) welcome him into the family business of marijuana dealing. Franklin uses his newfound connections from an upscale, predominantly white high school in the valley to bring even more money into the trade.
The young man has a relaxed demeanor, so much so that when a pal from the valley asks Franklin to help with a cocaine deal, he replies jokingly, “Sure, I’ll be the Black guy—I always am!” Damson Idris puts on a masterful performance here, conveying his character’s forceful attitude and a good sense of humor. Behind all this hilarity lies Snowfall’s subtle irony: Cocaine is just around the corner, and no one has any idea how it will affect things.
3. Season 4
Many decried the third-season finale of Snowfall for permitting Franklin too easy an escape. After weeks of anticipation to witness him face the consequences of killing Officer Wright (Marcus Henderson), the show resorted to a contrived “it was all a dream” angle with Franklin evading Mel’s (Reign Edwards) offensive. Such criticism is truthful yet overlooks that this narrative needs to keep advancing. Franklin’s knack for dodging trouble drives him further into this realm.
Gustavo and Teddy face a dangerous new enemy in the drug trade, while Franklin climbs to the upper echelons of the criminal underworld. An investigative reporter from LA is getting closer to uncovering the truth about Officer Wright’s murder. Meanwhile, Leon seeks independence, as Cissy and Alton are trapped in the middle of the destructive crack cocaine war. These gripping first four episodes of Snowfall demonstrate that it remains an impressive, compelling show.
2. Season 2
Snowfall’s second season began with a shift in its narrative. It had become darker and more intense, packed with sudden decisions that spoke volumes. Even the show’s four intertwined stories came together more cohesively than before. Snowfall’s second season reveals power in many guises: bold action, scheming politics, financial clout, and audacity. Having proved its characters’ ambitions, Season 2 expands on them. But something is missing.
After four months, the series resumes with crack cocaine beginning to spread in the streets due to several conditions that early episodes explain. Franklin has been able to convert powder cocaine into profitable crack. Teddy has created both north- and south-bound networks for a CIA-sponsored illegal Contra cocaine venture. And Lucia, after assassinating her uncle, has become the family’s drug trade leader and determinedly seeks more success.
1. Season 3
Ranked as one of the best seasons of Snowfall, the third season begins with something familiar. The landscape encases the whole image; the blazing sun, and bright azure skies are filled with trees here and there. It reminds us of the first episode, where the wide-open sky clashed with the harsh heat of the street below, presaging a tragedy like the one in Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing. But times have changed now. As Officer Andre rolls through in his patrol car, he perceives composed people strolling around and talking jovially.
He is puzzled by this novel atmosphere or maybe just marveling at how places evolve. At once, in a corner, a woman leaps into a vehicle to take hold of crack cocaine. When the driver views Andre, he takes off abruptly, but the woman hangs on tightly and finally grabs a stone. Suddenly letting go of the door, she tumbles to the ground and thuds down. Andre strides over apprehensively, yet shockingly, she rolls onto her back, swallows a hit, and reclines onto the asphalt. Nothing surpasses the hit. Although their surroundings have shifted, not all the changes are positive.
As a cinephile, you may have encountered multiple films, but none quite as remarkable as that of John Singleton. This African-American director, producer, and screenwriter made an impression on Hollywood and movie lovers worldwide. Singleton co-conceived the FX drug drama Snowfall to immense critical acclaim. He also helmed individual Billions, Empire, and American Crime Story episodes. Additionally, throughout his career, Singleton directed a total of nine films.
Mourning broke out among filmgoers in April 2019 with the passing of the acclaimed filmmaker. When he was 24, Singleton had already achieved a great honor—a nomination for Best Director at the Academy Awards in 1991. It made him the youngest person ever nominated for the award. He truly left an indelible mark on cinema. From his early endeavors to his ultimate works, we’ll examine Singleton’s career and provide an understanding of what makes each feature film a must-see—or a pass. If you are a devoted Singleton enthusiast or just exploring your next picks for movie evenings, we’ve got you taken care of.
9. Abduction (2011)
Stepping out of his wheelhouse, Singleton created a conspiracy story. Yet, the outcome was far from what he had anticipated. Taylor Lautner, famed for his Twilight saga, plays Nathan Hapner, a youth with an uncomfortable suspicion that he is living someone else’s life. Unfortunately, many critics deemed the screenplay unacceptable, and Singleton himself didn’t even craft it.
8. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
An ex-cop, Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), moves from Los Angeles to Miami for a fresh start. He soon immerses himself in the world of street racing, becoming friends with Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Suki (Devon Aoki). But his days suddenly turn when the FBI captures him, demanding he enters a deal. Partnering with Roman Pearce (Tyrese), Brian embarks on the dangerous task of bringing down a notorious drug lord.
7. Poetic Justice (1993)
In the sorrowful aftermath of her boyfriend’s murder, Justice, a hairdresser (Janet Jackson), uses poetry to cope with her grief. Stranded without her car, she and her friend Iesha (Regina King)—along with Iesha’s postal worker boyfriend Chicago (Joe Torry) and his colleague Lucky (Tupac Shakur)—travel to Oakland to attend a convention. Justice must confront the idea of opening her heart again when she finds herself drawn to Lucky. Raw and captivating, Poetic Justice gives us a unique insight into a dilemma that often goes unseen. John Singleton brings together violence, humor, anger, romance, and poetry in one remarkable package.
6. Higher Learning (1994)
Stylish and clever, Singleton artfully wove together the multitude of social strata within college campuses, showcasing their complex blend of intertwining desire for integration and separatism. Malik, disregarding academics, hopes to utilize his sports expertise to survive college. But Fudge, who has an extended stay at the university, befriends Malik and pushes him to consider life from alternate perspectives. Laurence Fishburne stars as Professor Phipps—a strict educator wishing for Malik’s academic achievement. Tyra Banks also appears in her role as Deja, Malik’s girlfriend.
Ice Cube was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his act as Fudge. Fishburne was also honored with the same recognition. Veteran film critic Roger Ebert applauded Singleton’s eye for detail.
5. Four Brothers (2005)
Four Brothers experienced success at the box office, grossing roughly $92 million with a budget of only $30 million. Additionally, critical reception praised the chemistry shared between the four leading stars. The movie was captivated by ultra-violent scenes that generated vigilantism and meandered through multiple underdeveloped themes. In the film, the brothers took a few moments to evoke nostalgia, then quickly launched into a fervent quest for vengeance. Although prospects for a sequel were originally in the works, ultimately, nothing materialized.
4. Shaft (2000)
John Shaft is a determined New York City detective played by Samuel L. Jackson. Shaft sets out to seek justice for the racially motivated murder of Walter Wade Jr., son of a powerful real estate magnate. In true Singleton fashion, there is more to Shaft than simply a murder investigation. It serves as an indictment of the inequities of society’s legal system, which too often favors the privileged few. The amazing cast, including Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Toni Collette, and Mekhi Phifer, brings the story to life.
3. Baby Boy (2001)
In 2001, Baby Boy brought a compelling look at Jody’s (Tyrese Gibson) journey as he grappled with becoming an adult. Singleton insisted on realism instead of the hollow promises politicians and newsmakers often turn to in order to avoid unrest. Rather than following clichés about the life of a 20-year-old African American, Singleton crafted a sensitive and perceptive interpretation that subverted expectations.
2. Rosewood (1997)
The town of Rosewood, Florida, was the tragic setting for an incident in the early 1920s. Racial tensions had been reaching a fever pitch, and the town’s African American population became the target of white supremacists from a nearby area. Suspecting that a Black man had assaulted a white woman, they took swift and brutal action by burning Rosewood to the ground. Director John Singleton captures this inhumanity in his film, Rosewood, packing an emotional punch and delivering a powerful message about racial violence. With an all-star cast boasting Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, and Don Cheadle, the movie is a tour de force that leaves audiences shaken by its raw intensity.
1. Boyz N The Hood (1991)
Well-crafted Boyz N the Hood provides an unrivaled glimpse into the lives of a group of friends coming of age in a marginalized community. With its soaring fluency and dramatic shooting, it’s a vivid portrait of life among violence—where people are accustomed to the sound of gunshots echoing in the air and helicopters hovering above. Acclaimed for its emotive direction and screenplay, it earned Singleton two Academy Award nominations. One was for Best Director and the other for Best Original Screenplay.
The things that go on behind the scenes in the industry make for interesting stories, and Damson Idris shares a tale about John Singleton. The praised filmmaker passed away in 2019, and his creative efforts continue to be imprinted in the minds of millions of fans. He gave us movies like Baby Boy, Boyz n The Hood, Poetic Justice, and more. Singleton was also responsible for giving the world Snowfall, the series that stars Idris. The actor recently visited Drew Barrymore’s talk show and shared the story of Singleton dropping him off in South Central, Los Angeles, to work on his accent.
“By audition No. 8, Singleton took me to South Central, opened the car door, and said, ‘If you survive, you’ve got the role,” the British actor said with a laugh. “And it really was an experience. I was walking around South Central, I had to stay in character. So, I wasn’t allowed to be British. And I said to his mother, ‘Oh, how lovely your hair looks today. I’m just gonna go, and you know, put this in a bin.’ And she goes, ‘John! He ain’t from here, huh?!”
Damson Idris Jokes About Friendship With Beyoncé & Jay-Z
Director and Producer John Singleton and actor Damson Idris (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Idris joked that he “nearly lost the part.” The actor added, “Hey, six seasons later. Here we are.” Barrymore enjoyed the story, but she quickly moved on to rumors that Damson is friends with Jay-Z and Beyoncé. “I’ve been around them many times,” he answered. Drew called Hov almost “paternal” in how he deals with people. Idris responded, “Yeah, I’ll be in Miami,m it’s late. I’ll call them up, and I’ll be like, ‘Hey, I can’t get reservations at Carbone.’” He couldn’t help but laugh before giving his best Jay-Z impression.
Idris claims the Roc Nation mogul told him to win a few more Emmys before having that clout. It was all in good fun, and the actor called Bey and Jay “the sweetest.” He said, “We connected in many ways, but the Super Bowl was really great because it was kind of the first time I really connected with B. I had just walked for Prada… Such a huge moment for me.”
More Laughs During The Interview
Snowfall is coming to an end with its final season, and Damson Idris’s fans await more from the actor. Off-screen, his relationship with Lori Harvey is heating up. Check out Damson Idris on The Drew Barrymore Show above.
FX’s Snowfall held a black carpet event for the sixth and final season premiere on Wednesday Night. The cast went to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to view a screening of the first episode. Michael Hyatt (Cissy Saint) and Carter Hudson (Teddy McDonald) reflected on the legacy of the series’ co-creator, John Singleton. Singleton passed away from a stroke in April 2019 at the age of 51. He was the first Black writer-director to score an Oscar nomination for best director with Boyz n the Hood.
Historically, Hyatt started playing Cissy Saint during Season 1 of the show. Cissy is the mother of Franklin Saint, one of Los Angeles’ to-be-famous drug dealers. Hyatt’s character is a maternal figure on the show. She wants to save her neighborhood from the 1980s chaos of drugs and gang violence. She focuses on protecting her son. In an emotional interview with Variety, Hyatt said, “John taught me to use my voice in ways that I had not given myself permission to use my voice in my career, in my life. Because of his presence in my life and the time that I had to spend with him, he empowered me to use that voice. And even though he’s dead, when I come to work, I make sure that what I’m saying represents him.”
John Singleton Remembered
Director John Singleton attends the 69th annual Directors Guild of America Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 4, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
According to Hudson, the cast did “acts of conjuring” to “keep him alive” in their hearts. For instance, they left his director’s chair in the room and continued the series with his goals in mind. Hudson went on that, “He used to always say that you wanted this show to end on the day that ‘Boyz n the Hood’ started and that he always kind of saw this in his mind as a prequel to that. It feels like you were part of a bigger story that he was working on telling.” The show is honoring Singleton’s memory in the series finale, which is dedicated to him. At the event, FX president John Landgraf also announced that a room in the network’s office will be named after Singleton.
Hudson continued, saying that “The world that he was trying to talk about was a world that, when he started, hadn’t been shown. He pioneered that, and this is about saying, ‘How did that world come to be?’ It really works to answer these bigger questions about how the whole globe played a part in what happened in one neighborhood and the lives that were being lived there.” Additionally, he said that Singleton and the show’s legacy is about “giving that neighborhood a context within history and geopolitics.” He insisted, “We talked about him. He’s present. He didn’t leave us.” Snowfall returns for its final season on February 22, 2023.
A painting of Tupac Shakur from the 2001 film BabyBoy costs $75,000, which the late John Singleton left behind. Moreover, Radar Online obtained court documents from his estate on Wednesday (February 1) with an updated list of his assets. If you recall, the director passed away in 2019. However, that Tupac painting isn’t all the film memorabilia in his collection you may recognize. In fact, his estate valued his slew of items and collections at an estimated $156,700.
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 1991: Director John Singleton poses for a portrait in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images)
Furthermore, Singleton also owned Baby Boy‘s iconic lowrider bike, worth around $50,000. Also, the estate, run by his mother Sheila Ward, listed an original Boyz n The Hood poster worth $700. In addition, Singleton had 13 director script binders valued at $6,500. Moreover, these include scripts for classics like Poetic Justice, Shaft, Black Snake Moan, and Hustle & Flow. Overall, these items all contribute to the estate’s heft value. However, the collection also includes heaps of classic comic books and seven personal journals. According to the estate, he wrote in these journals during his time producing various movies.
Nothing like a ‘hood 100m dash Tupac and John Singleton racing in Washington, DC on a July 1993 episode of ‘Rap City’ (: 80s.90sera/IG) pic.twitter.com/LKh2NNOrGM
When they valued them at $3,500, the filing indicated the reasoning and history behind that price tag. “[John was] a famous movie director, who had a major impact on the movie industry and movie history,” the filing read. Singleton passed unexpectedly at age 51 in April of 2019 after he suffered numerous strokes. Not only was he the first African-American nominee for Best Director at the Academy Awards, but he was also the youngest. Moreover, the Oscars nominated him for Boyz n The Hood when he was just 24 years old.
“There is not enough that can be said about John Singleton and the profound impact he made in his 51 years of life,” Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson Jr. stated in a press release. “In a time and in an industry where all the odds were stacked against him, John overcame and became the best at his craft. And more than maybe anyone, he opened people’s eyes to a reality and an experience of South Los Angeles that had been overlooked by society.”
Snowfall star Isaiah John sat down with SOHH for an interview in which he discussed his (not) Atlanta roots, his love for photography and how, like Kanye West, he wants to keep his children away from social media. Isaiah John stars as Leon Simmons on Snowfall, now in its 5th season on FX. The […]
: 80s.90sera/IG) 