The New York Posthas exclusively learned that a Georgia woman named Raven Barmer-Simmons contacted DMX’s other adult children in the past few weeks. She and the fellow 14 alleged children of the late rapper will all be DNA tested to confirm their paternityDMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, died in early April aged 50 following a cocaine-induced heart attack, leaving no will and few liquid assets.The development comes as the battle over DMX’s estate and all future earnings from his music takes a new turn.On Friday, Judge Helen Blackwood appointed DMX’s three sons Xavier, Tacoma and Sean Simmons from his 16-year marriage to Tashera Simmons as the temporary administrators of the estate of their late father.The late rapper’s fiancee Desiree Lindstrom, who is the mother to his 5-year-old son, Exodus, had applied to the court to be legally declared his “common-law wife,” but the judge shot her down.Lindstrom had also petitioned the court to be an administrator of his estate — estimated to be worth around $US1 million ($A1.3 million)— as had the late rapper’s older daughters, Sasha Simmons and Jada Oden.Herbert Nass, the trusts and estates lawyer for Xavier, Tacoma and Sean Simmons, said, “Judge Blackwood appointed Xavier, Tacoma and Sean as the temporary administrators of the estate.“The next big thing is to determine who are the rightful heirs. The estate is going to ask everyone to prove paternity through DNA testing. All the legal children of DMX will be entitled to an equal share of his estate.”Despite selling more than 74 million albums and building a successful career in both music and movies, DMX left behind an estate estimated to be in debt.Nass continued, “We need to collect assets and pay debts and administration costs. We don’t have a lot of information about his income streams, but now the temporary administrators have been appointed, we can ask questions and expect answers.”Nass said the lack of a will from DMX had further complicated setting up the estate. “I want to point out that when a person dies without a will, a surety bond needs to be posted, and obtaining a bond is difficult.“We spoke to a number of surety companies and it was only Thomas Whittemore at Executive Bond who was able to get it done.”This article originally appeared on the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission
Source: Sun Herald
