Days after Toni Braxton publicly discussed her younger sister Traci Braxton’s passing on “The Tamron Hall Show,” it is alleged that the Braxton family claimed Traci’s husband Kevin Surratt and former manager are exploiting her death.
Traci succumbed to her private battle of esophageal cancer on March 12, at the age of 50. Following her passing, it was reported that Traci had been undergoing treatment for the disease for about a year.
Exploitation allegations began surfacing after an upload was shared from Traci’s Instagram account on March 30. The said post, that included a fan-made collage of Traci, provided details and a link for the public memorial service, which was ultimately held the next day on March 31.
A source allegedly close to the Braxton family expressed to Page Six how the public memorial went against Traci’s final wishes. They told the publication, “Traci did not want a funeral or wake. She did not want people looking all over her body. She specifically requested to be immediately cremated.”
The unnamed individual added by saying that there was a Zoom meeting held to finalize Traci’s funeral plans. “There was a Zoom meeting that made it clear about what she wanted, and now her husband is trying to cash in on her name.”
The outlet also reported that Surratt had held another viewing for his wife sometime last week. While Traci’s father, Michael Braxton, attended, the singer’s sisters declined the invitation. During the services, it was alleged that Michael was turned away because he “wasn’t on the list.”
The Braxton insider claimed that he was allowed entry because someone from the church recognized him. That person said, “He was so upset that he wasn’t on the list. Someone from the church recognized him and let him in and he had to sit in the fourth row.”
Since then, Surratt has denied the allegations and told Page Six that his father-in-law and brother-in-law briefly attended the service. When addressing Traci’s sisters’ absence, Surratt insisted he invited them, but they opted not to attend. Surratt also claimed that he honored his wife’s wishes.
Despite the conflict, the Braxton source did confirm to Page Six that Traci has been cremated, and the family plans to hold a private memorial on April 2, on what would have been the “Last Call” singer’s 51st birthday.
No additional details have been released at this time.
