Tupac's Father Billy Garland Testifies in Court

Original: “Tupac Shakur’s father testifies” · Associated Press, reprinted in the Las Vegas Sun · no byline · August 6, 1997

“To pops, tell my family to come see me.” With this inscription on a photo, William “Billy” Garland appeared in a Los Angeles court in August 1997. In the dispute over Tupac’s estate, his biological father testified that Tupac had signed the picture for him in the days before his death. It was Garland’s central piece of evidence to claim a share of the estate.

Eighteen Years of Absence: Afeni Shakur Counters

Afeni Shakur countered: Garland had not seen his son for 18 years and deserved no share of the estate. Garland explained the long absence by saying Afeni had moved from place to place with the child like a “nomad.”

In the courthouse hallway, Afeni Shakur shouted at her lawyer. Afterward, she said a sentence that stuck: “I’m the only person in here who lost somebody.” Garland did not even know her son’s birthday. The proceedings were held without a jury and were scheduled to continue the following month.

99.97 Percent Paternity, but No Claim to the Estate

In December 1997, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled: no share for Garland. A DNA test had indeed confirmed his paternity at 99.97 percent, but his documented contributions to Tupac’s upbringing were meager. According to the Los Angeles Times, the hearing listed $820, a bag of peanuts, and a movie ticket to Rollerball. Estate administrator Richard Fischbein: “Being the designated sperm is not enough.” In October 1998, according to MTV, both sides agreed on a payment of $540,000 plus legal fees so that Garland could not market Tupac’s name.

Reunion in the Hospital: The 1994 Backstory

The story is more complicated than the trial made it appear. Billy Garland, formerly a member of the Black Panther Party himself, visited Tupac in the hospital in 1994 after the shooting at New York’s Quad Studios; after that, father and son were in touch again. More on that on his own page.

Correction to the archived text: Tupac died on September 13, 1996, six days after the shooting-not on September 15 after five days.