Nina Simone’s grandaughter, RéAnna Simone Kelly, has tweeted about the 2013 court case between the Simone Estate and then-Attorney General of California Kalama Harris, accusing Harris of bullying her family handing it over the estate and its royalties to “white people.”
In a series of tweets, Kelly brought to light the case between Simone’s estate and the Harris. Simone, who was born and died in France in 2003, had her estate established abroad. “While we were in France,” wrote granddaughter Kelly, “setting up and renovating Grandma’s house in Carry Le Rouet, we were told that Kamala Harris was coming after us.. for no good reason.”
Simone’s daughter and Kelly’s mother, Lisa Simone Kelly, was accused of misappropriating funds and “breaching her fiduciary duty” when she allegedly drained the estate of money and deposited it into a personal account.
In response, Kelly wrote, “[Harris] and her office put out stories about funds being misappropriated which of course, turned out to be totally false as the money she was talking about was used to pay attorneys, accountants and to protect and run the estate.”
Kelly went on to accuse Harris of bullying her mother, to the point of depression and stated that Harris has no “had no jurisdiction over the estate because it is not an American estate. It is a French estate and should have been filed in France.”
Simone Kelly has responded to her daughter’s allegations on Instagram, seeming to confirm the charges. “While I may not be able to speak on certain things, those close to me who witnessed the happenings firsthand are choosing to step forward with the Truth,” she wrote.
Harris has not responded to the claims.
