The Curious Case of Tammy Wynette’s Estate — Who Inherited Her Money?

Over the years, the country music scene has seen artists come and go, but few were as prolific as Mississippi-born country singer Tammy Wynette.

The Grammy-winning actress made her musical debut in 1971 with her debut studio album, Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad, which dominated the charts and catapulted her into the spotlight.

At the height of her career, Tammy was crowned the First Lady of Country Music. However, behind the scenes, the singer was fighting a silent battle with substance abuse.

The tale of Tammy’s life, whirlwind romance with George Jones, and tragic death was depicted in Showtime’s George & Tammy. Following the 2022 series' debut, many viewers were left with more questions than answers about Tammy’s tragic tale. One of the biggest mysteries of all is — who inherited Tammy’s money after she died?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Tammy was worth $900,000 when she died.

Tammy’s fifth and final husband, George Richey, was given control of Tammy’s estate following her death. Each of her grandchildren was left $10,000 while her daughters inherited nothing.

However, George & Tammy suggests that the money went to George against Tammy’s wishes. The Showtime series featured a scene where George purposefully destroys the notepad where Tammy wrote her real will.

Not long after the series aired, George’s family attempted to set the record straight.

After George & Tammy, the Richey family followed up with a lawsuit against Showtime in January 2024 that alleged a breach of contract.

According to the suit, Tammy’s daughter Georgette Jones — who was a consulting producer for George & Tammy — violated a 2015 settlement agreement between the parties that barred her from making “disparaging” comments about Richey.

George’s second wife, Sheila Slaughter Richey, and their child, Tatum Keys Richey, alleged that he was villainized in George & Tammy (per Variety).

“George Richey inherited the vast majority of her estate," the suit said.

"Tammy’s yellow notepads [in which she left significant money to her daughters] were never found. The obvious implication is that Richey destroyed the yellow notepads that contained Wynette’s will."

Later, Showtime released a statement that called the family’s bluff. The network published a statement that said: “We see no plausible basis for any claim against Showtime.”

That isn’t the only legal trouble that the Richey family has seen over the years.

George & Tammy fueled speculation that it was George who got Tammy hooked on drugs, which led to her untimely death, but that wasn't the first time those claims had been made. It was that allegation that led police to exhume Tammy’s body in 1999.

In a $50 million wrongful death suit, Tammy’s four daughters alleged that George gave her the drugs that killed her. Later, a medical examiner concluded that she died of natural causes as the autopsy confirmed symptoms of heart failure.

With the legal drama surrounding George & Tammy, it seems unlikely that the singer will have a chance to rest in peace anytime soon.