Two Settlements: Estate Settles with Billy Garland and Jacquelyn McNealey

On October 19, 1998, estate attorney Donald David confirmed to MTV News that two legal proceedings over Tupac’s estate had been settled or were close to resolution. Billy Garland, Tupac’s biological father, withdrew his appeal. A court had dismissed his claim to half of the estate in December 1997. Instead of continuing the legal battle, he received 540,000 dollars, plus a good 350,000 dollars in legal fees.

Why Afeni Shakur Paid

According to David, the main concern was preventing Garland from commercially exploiting Tupac’s name; under California law, he might have had a legal claim to do so. Afeni Shakur reportedly could not bear the thought.

In the second case, Jacquelyn McNealey tentatively agreed to a settlement of two million dollars. She had been struck by a stray bullet at a 1993 concert in Arkansas; a California court had overturned the 16.6 million dollar default judgment during the summer. If a settlement could be reached for less than ten percent of the original sum, further litigation was not worth it, David said. Both agreements were scheduled to become final on November 4. He estimated the remaining estate at eight to ten million dollars. The background: 16.6 Million Dollars: Default Judgment Against Tupac’s Estate.