His family and ex-girlfriend were embroiled in a bitter struggle for custody of Emani Asghedom, one of his three young children after rapper Nipsey Hussle was murdered three years ago. We can see that this drama was played out in courtrooms and in tabloids. It highlighted the most costly mistake parents make when planning their estate.
Hussle was 34 years old at the time of his murder. His given name was Ermias Aghedom. He was shot and killed outside his South Los Angeles clothing shop on March 31, 2019. Eric Holder, his alleged murderer, was indicted in May 2019 and is awaiting judgment. The case remains open, even though Holder’s trial dates have been reset multiple times. Even more tragic was what happened to Hussle’s children. Hussle did not name legal guardians, so the court will decide who will raise his children, Emani (now 12 years old) and Kross (now four years). This mistake already has terrible consequences.
Hussle failed to name his children’s guardians and did not create a will. This makes their guardianship more contentious. Hussle’s estate value is over $4 million. California law states that without a will, this money must be divided equally among his two children.
Both children are minors and therefore cannot access their inheritance until they turn majority. This means the money will be governed by the person who wins guardianship.
Caught In the Middle
Hussle’s son Kross was given to Lauren London, his mother. London had been Hussle’s longtime girlfriend, and Kross lived with London when his father died. She petitioned the court to be Hussle’s guardian shortly after his death. There was little resistance.
It is unclear who was to be granted guardianship over Emani Hussle’s child.
Since the shooting, Samantha Smith, Hussle’s sister, had cared for Emani. Emani was still living with her father at the time. Smith applied to the court for Emani’s guardianship after Hussle was shot. However, Emani’s mother, Tanisha Foster, also applies for guardianship. She was a former girlfriend of Hussle.
Foster and Hussle had shared custody of Emani. However, Hussle’s ex-wife had not seen Emani in months. Foster claimed Emani was visiting her father when he died and that Smith and Hussle’s families are refusing her return.
Smith and Hussle claimed that Foster was unfit to care for the child because of her criminal history. Foster, who has a criminal history dating back to 2006 and was arrested at the time of the court battle for a DUI offense, had a warrant for her arrest.
Foster claimed her criminal record is irrelevant and Emani’s mother should be named guardian. Foster also claims Smith illegally took custody of her daughter the day Hussle was shot.
In October 2019, The court ruled that Hussle’s siblings Sam Asghedom and Samantha Smith should have custody of Emani, and Angelique Smith was given guardianship.
Do Not Leave Your Child’s Life In a Judge’s Hands
Hussle’s case shows that death can strike at any moment. It’s important to legally name guardians for minor children if you are the parent. Name guardians for your children should always be your top priority.
Another terrible error is the fact that Hussle did not create a will. When it comes to your children, all the money in this world is meaningless. We will, therefore, only focus on Hussle’s failure to name legal guardians and how easily it could have been avoided.
Hussle’s case showed that if the court names guardians for your children, it can cause conflict. Even good-hearted family members may fight over custody even though they are well-meaning. This can be not only costly but also very traumatizing for all involved, including your children.
Hussle’s case demonstrates how slow and frustrating this process can often be. Emani’s custody was the subject of numerous court hearings, beginning with her father’s March death and continuing through the October hearing. Hussle’s inability to name legal guardians has the tragic result that a judge will decide who is best qualified to care for his children.
Although we don’t know who Hussle would choose to raise Emani, we do know that he wouldn’t want a stranger to make the decision. But, because he didn’t take the time to document the legal guardians he wanted, this is exactly what will happen.