Don’t want people to fight over your belongings when you’re gone? Write a will. Will a “will” that was sent via email over 10 years ago hold up in court? We’re about to find out.

Anne Heche never wrote an official will, but she did write an email that she sent to her husband at the time, James Tupper. This was back in 2011. In the email, Heche explained that if she were to die, she wanted her assets to go to Tupper with the intention of him raising her two sons and dividing the assets between them equally when they were older. Since this email was sent, Heche and Tupper got divorced in 2018, but Heche never wrote any other will.

Heche has two sons. Homer Laffoon is currently 20, and his father is Heche’s ex-husband Coley Laffoon. Heche’s younger son is Atlas Tupper who is currently 13 years old, and his father is James Tupper.

Heche’s 2011 email was sent not only to Tupper but also to her entertainment attorney, Kevin Yorn, and his executive assistant, Melodie Moore. The subject of the email was simply “Will.”

In the email, Heche clearly explained her wishes were she to “die tomorrow and anyone asks.” She explained, “My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children. They will be divided equally among our children, currently Homer Heche Laffoon and Atlas Heche-Tupper, and their portion will be given to each when they are age 25. When the last child turns 25 any house or other properties owned may be sold and the money divided equally among our children.”

What complicates things is that last month Heche’s oldest son, Homer, claimed that his mother didn’t have a will and requested to be the special administrator of his mother’s estate.

Tupper submitted court documents including the email from Heche claiming that he should be the administrator of Heche’s estate as she wanted and not Homer.

He also added additional details about why he does not believe Homer is fit to be the administrator. For example, he explains that Atlas lived with his mother and was with his mother on the day she died. However, Atlas has been locked out of his home by his older brother who hasn’t even returned phone calls from Atlas or Tupper. Currently, Atlas is still unable to get to his belongings in his own home, including clothes and his computer.

The court document reads, “Despite the residence not being his but ATLAS’S and the DECEDENT’S, he changed the locks on the DECEDENT’S and ATLAS’S residence the day of her death and refused entry to ATLAS since then, and has not responded to ATLAS’S request for his clothing and computer at the DECEDENT’S residence.”

It addition, it seems that Homer claimed the residence was “vacant,” but according to Tupper, Heche’s home “was full of her furnishings, jewelry, valuables, files and records, and their removal was in no way authorized by this Court or the law.”