Singer Prince's siblings named heirs

A Minnesota judge has ruled that Prince’s six siblings are the heirs to his estate, more than a year after the pop superstar died of a drug overdose.

In a ruling made public Friday, Carver County district judge Kevin Eide declared that Prince died without a will and that his heirs are his sister, Tyka Nelson, and five half-siblings – Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jacksonm .

Some appeals are still pending from people whose claims of heirship were rejected earlier, the Guardian reports.

More than 45 people filed claims to be Prince’s wife, children, siblings or other relatives in the wake of his death. Eide said if appellate courts send any rejected claimants back to him, he will consider them.

Eide also said Prince’s assets won’t be distributed without a formal court order and that nothing will be distributed that might adversely affect the claims of those with pending appeals.

Eide previously said he wouldn’t declare the siblings as heirs until those appeals had been decided. But lawyers for Prince’s siblings didn’t want to wait, saying further delays would have increased costs to the estate and impede its efficient administration. The siblings’ attorneys didn’t immediately reply to phone calls seeking comment.