Prince, Whitney Houston items up for auction, but her Emmy Award in dispute

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — From costumes to instruments, a selection of music memorabilia will go under the hammer in Beverly Hills this week, including items belonging to late singers Whitney Houston and Prince.

Heritage Auctions is offering a selection of belongings of Houston, who was found dead at age 48 in a hotel room in Beverly Hills, California, on the eve of the 2012 Grammys. It will include clothes, awards and earrings as well as personal documents at the June 24-25 sale.

Also up for grabs is Prince’s Yellow Cloud electric guitar, which has an opening bid of $30,000. Prince died in April of an accidental, self-administered overdose of an opioid painkiller.

HOUSTON’S EMMY AWARD

However, an Emmy Award won by Houston 30 years ago is the focus of a legal battle between the auction house and Emmy organizers seeking to block the trophy’s sale.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences filed a lawsuit Wednesday in federal court against Heritage Auctions and the late pop star’s estate, saying the sale would violate academy rules.

Houston won the award in 1986 for her Grammy ceremony performance of “Saving All My Love for You.”

In its lawsuit, the academy says Houston won her trophy when the Emmys carried a label stipulating they were academy property and that an heir seeking to dispose of an award must return it to the academy for storage in “memory of the recipient.”

The lawsuit, which includes copyright infringement among its allegations, asks for a court order returning Houston’s statuette to the academy and seeks a jury trial for unspecified damages.

The academy also is seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the trophy’s sale. It’s included in an auction of Houston memorabilia that, according to Heritage’s website, is set for Friday and Saturday in Beverly Hills, California.

Greg Rohan, the auction house’s president, said that the lawsuit is without merit and the academy has refused requests for proof that Houston signed an agreement barring its sale.

The Emmy was consigned by Houston’s family and has a starting bid of $10,000, Rohan said. He said the academy has failed to intervene in the sale of several dozen other Emmys in the past decade.

“The academy has let slide … almost 40 sales and auctions. Why are they taking on the Houstons?” he said.

The academy declined comment Wednesday on the pending litigation, a spokesman said.

COLORADO INMATE NOT PRINCE’S SON

DNA test results show a Colorado prison inmate is not Prince’s son, a person who has seen a sealed document said Wednesday.

The finding means that Carlin Q. Williams is not entitled to inherit a fortune worth up to $300 million.

The person who spoke to The Associated Press was not authorized to release the finding and therefore requested anonymity.

TMZ, citing unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the case, first reported the DNA results.

Attorneys for Bremer Trust, the special administrator for the estate, filed the results Wednesday in Carver County District Court.

Prince, who died on April 21 and left no will, had no known surviving children although a few other people besides Williams have filed documents claiming Prince was or might have been their father.

Williams claimed that his mother had unprotected sex with Prince at a Kansas City, Missouri, hotel in 1976. Williams, a 39-year-old Kansas City man whose long criminal record includes drug and domestic violence charges, is serving nearly eight years in federal prison for unlawfully transporting a firearm in a stolen vehicle.

Williams’ mother, Marsha Henson, said she didn’t believe that the DNA results show their claim is false. She told the AP she was unaware of the results.

“I don’t believe that. I think they’re positive,” she said before ending the conversation and referring additional questions to their attorney. She declined repeated requests to elaborate.

Under Minnesota law, Prince’s sister, Tyka Nelson, several half-siblings, and a possible niece and grandniece currently stand to inherit shares of the estate.