Muhammad Ali poses with his children. (HanaAli/Instagram)
Since boxing legend Muhammad Ali died last June, reports have surfaced alleging his nine surviving children are fighting over their inheritance after it was reported Ali’s widow was due to receive double their amount. But one of Ali’s daughters is now setting the record straight.
Maryum “May May” Ali spoke to the DailyMail.com Thursday, Jan. 5, and put the rumors to rest. She said talks of a dispute in the family over money is “unfortunate” and “untrue.”
“My father raised me and my siblings to love each other and that is exactly who we are,” she said. “Very loving people. We are not in any feuds with each other or with our stepmother, Lonnie [Ali].”
After pointing out that the siblings “simply want to live beautiful lives,” Maryum Ali simply stated, “the terms of the trust are confidential and not the business of the public.”
On Jan. 3, an insider told the UK’s Daily Mirror that the late activist’s children were feigning a truce to ensure their portion of their father’s $80-million estate was not at risk. However, upon learning Lonnie Ali would earn $12 million compared to her stepchildren’s $6-million inheritance, that’s reportedly when the fuming began.
“They didn’t like her before their dad passed away, accusing her of preventing them from seeing him,” the source said. “When he died, some sucked up to Lonnie just to get as much as they can, but the truth is that they all did it, then accused the other siblings of doing it.
“Once [the] money is in the bank, it looks like they will cut all ties with each other but not before their true feelings are aired,” the insider continued. The source added that a dispute over Muhammad Ali’s pallbearers also was brought up since Muslim tradition calls for the sons to perform the role but it was carried out by Will Smith and Mike Tyson. In addition, the 74-year-old was not buried within 48 hours of his death.
Yet, Maryum Ali denounced that accusation and said the brothers and sisters “loved the beautiful funeral and memorial services” held for their father. “It is painfully obvious to all of us that there are some people out there who are very obsessed with feeding the media false stories about our family,” she told the DailyMail.com.
