Marvin Gaye's Family is Fighting Over $7.3 Million 'Blurred Lines' Settlement Money

Recently, the widow and children of the late Marvin Gaye won a landmark $7.3 million settlement after they sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copying parts of Marvin's "Got to Give it Up" for their song "Blurred Lines." (Pharrell and Robin have not yet paid the family the money, because they are appealing the verdict.) With that windfall of cash comes family members asking for a hand-out because, to them, they deserve it. Cue Marvin's sisters, Zeola and Jeanne Gaye. They have asked asked Janis Gaye (Marvin's widow, pictured above, right, with daughter Nona) for a "few million" dollars, but Janis (who they call "Jan") doesn't see them, so they sold their story to the Daily Mail.

The sisters and Jan Gaye have been repeatedly at odds since his death but the settlement earlier this month opened up fresh wounds. Zeola and Jan exchanged text messages last week after the federal jury ruled against Thicke and Williams. Although initially Zeola texted 'congratulations' on the verdict, it prompted an increasingly agitated exchange which ended with Jan writing to Zeola: 'Won't be disturbing you again.' The award to Marvin III, Nona and Frankie was the largest amount ever given in a copyright infringement case. Zeola, a retired book keeper, told Daily Mail Online: 'I am tired about the negativity. I am trying to be as positive as I can and trying to make some money for myself. There is nothing wrong with that. Marvin is in our blood and he loved us. But we have to do the 8am-5pm thing to keep going. Our heads are a little above water. It is hard to take when you know your brother's work is making a fortune and will for a very long time.' Zeola and Marvin's eldest sister Jeanne,78, live separately in modest apartments several miles apart. Zeola has built a shrine to her brother and photographs adorn the walls of the living area of her Las Vegas home. 'When our mother died from cancer, it was a struggle to pay the medical bills. Marvin would have been horrified by this situation because he cared for and loved his family,' Zeola said. 'I would just make sure my family was taken care off; my kids, my sister and her kids. 'I don’t want to be rich. I just want to be comfortable where I can be in a position to say "Come on guys, get your passports, we are going to London." 'I just want to be able to do things like that and not worry about the next pay check if any of us get sick.' At the center of the dispute are Zeola and Jan, who both performed on the original recording of the song 'Got to Give it Up'. Zeola said: 'My sister and I were not included in the law suit even though I feel so close to the song because that is me making all the party sounds on it. 'You hear me before you hear anything else on "Got to Give It Up". I was there when Marvin recorded it. It was always fun watching Marvin perform and record. 'He was tapping on a soda bottle and called me over and said "Hey Zee, just make a party sound."...Referring to the award, she said: 'I am getting a lot of congratulations on the law suit, but it was Marvin's children and not my two daughters.' [...] Her elder sister Jeanne, a pastor, said the dispute would have saddened their brother. 'Marvin loved his family and there was nothing more in his heart that he wished for than to see his family stay together. 'He was very much ahead of his time and I used to tell him: "You are in the next phase of life even though you live in this one."

source: Daily Mail

For some background: Zeola and Jeanne Gaye never got along with Janis. In fact, Zeola thought Janis was jealous of her and wrote a book, in which she said Janis cheated on Marvin with Rick James and Teddy Pendergrass AND she claimed Janis attempted to poison Marvin. Now she's looking for a handout. HA! Gurl, good night, gurl!!!