Musicians Who Cut Their Kids Out Of Their Wills

Musicians Who Cut Their Kids Out Of Their Wills

In the 1970s, John Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono was extremely controversial. Ono was blamed for breaking apart the Beatles and for destroying Lennon's family with his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. John abandoned his wife as well as his eldest son, Julian Lennon, when he was just 5 years old. In life and in death, Lennon came to favor his child by Ono, Sean Lennon. By the time Lennon was assassinated in 1980, Julian had reportedly been cut out of Lennon's will entirely.

Ono was ultimately made executor of Lennon's £220 million estate, but Julian, who Ono once considered too immature to handle a fortune, was not shut out in the cold forever. Around 16 years after the will was originally executed, Ono allowed Julian a share of his father's estate. It is believed he got around £20 million from a settlement deal.


Although in the past Julian has spoken bitterly about his father's behavior (Lennon once told Julian that he was the product of whiskey, his other son the product of love), in 2009, he told CBS News that he has finally forgiven his father. "I realized if I continued to feel that anger and bitterness towards my dad, I would have a constant cloud hanging over my head my whole life."