Robin Gibb, the late Bee Gees legend, left behind a £26 million fortune to ensure his widow and children would be well provided for. However, the story takes a different turn for the singer’s love child, Snow Robin, who has been excluded from his inheritance, according to newly released details of his will.
Robin Gibb, who passed away in May 2012 at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer, was survived by his second wife, Dwina, their son Robin-John (RJ), and his two children from his first marriage, Spencer and Melissa. Additionally, he fathered a daughter, Snow Robin, with his live-in housekeeper Claire Yang in 2008. However, Snow Robin, now four, will not inherit anything from Gibb’s estate, as per the provisions in his will.
Gibb’s £25.8 million fortune, after taxes, includes UK assets but excludes properties in America and those jointly owned with his wife. The wealth has been placed in a trust fund, with Dwina set to receive all profits until her death. She will also inherit her husband’s personal belongings and the music rights to the Bee Gees’ extensive catalogue, which includes classics like Stayin’ Alive and How Deep Is Your Love. Spencer and Melissa will receive £500,000 each immediately, and the rest of the estate will be split between them and RJ upon Dwina’s death.
Claire Yang, Snow Robin’s mother, has been allowed to retain the £850,000 house that Gibb bought for her, but her daughter did not receive any inheritance. The will, drawn up in August 2011, nine months before Gibb’s passing, states that he was “in the process of making reasonable financial provision for Snow” and requested that his trustees provide for her if he failed to do so before his death. No specific provision for Snow was made in the will itself, and reports suggest Gibb may have given Yang £5 million prior to his passing.
Despite their affair, which became public in 2009 after Snow’s birth, Mrs. Gibb maintained that she and her husband had a trusting and happy relationship, even with the unconventional arrangement. She emphasized that the freedom to be creative and the absence of jealousy were essential for their marriage.
Snow Robin, who was born in February 2009, was not mentioned in the final will. However, Gibb’s total fortune was estimated at £93 million in 2012, significantly more than what was bequeathed in his will. Much of this fortune is believed to be tied up in overseas assets and jointly owned properties with his wife, which will pass directly to her.
It remains uncertain whether Claire Yang will contest the will. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, children can contest a will if they are excluded or if it is deemed unfair.
This complicated family situation highlights the tension between Robin Gibb’s private relationships and the legal implications surrounding his estate.
