John Lennon's son Sean reveals surprising truth about his and brother Julian's inheritance


John Lennon welcomed his eldest son Julian in 1963 with Cynthia Lennon, and his youngest son Sean in 1975 with Yoko Ono


julian sean lennon© Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
Faye James
Faye JamesSenior Editor
54 minutes ago

Sean Lennon got candid about the inheritance that his late father, John Lennon, left for his sons before he was killed outside his apartment in New York City on December 8, 1980.

The 51-year-old, whom John welcomed with his second wife, Yoko Ono, took to X on Monday to clear up a misconception that another user had touted about how much money Sean received compared to his older brother. John's eldest son, Julian Lennon, was born in 1963 to the musician and his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. 

julian sean lennon in a field© X
Sean and Julian spent the day together

Sean shared a sweet photo with Julian the day prior, writing: "Had a great bday with my brother…@JulianLennon", to which a commenter replied: "One guy inherited most of the estate, the other largely cut out and forced to engage in decades-long litigation in pursuit of a comparatively small share of it.”

Sean quickly cleared up the misconception, writing: "Julian and I inherited the same amount from our dad. Our trusts were equal. Although his was slightly more, but negligibly so."

Julian and Sean's close bond

julian sean lennon get back premiere© Getty Images for Disney
The brothers have formed a close bond in the years since their father passed

After John's death, Yoko was left in control of the former Beatles star's estate, and Julian entered into a 16-year court battle to fight for his inheritance after largely being left out of the will. He was 17 when John was killed, and Sean was just five.

A settlement was reached in 1996, and Sean and Julian have created a close brotherly bond in the years since. "Julian and I have always been close. He was my hero when I was young," the singer told Vanity Fair. 

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"He taught me to play guitar. He had a number one record when I was a tween, so he was literally one of the reasons I started playing music."

"And this idea that we were ever fighting is…it's almost like the 'Yoko broke up the Beatles' thing. No matter how many times I say it's not true, no matter how many photos people see of us laughing and hanging out, they always say, 'Oh, you should hang out with your brother.' I'm like, 'We do. I love him.' It's never been a problem. Ever," he concluded.

John's absence 

Julian had a fractured relationship with his father growing up, as his parents divorced when he was just five, and the musician rarely spoke to his son afterwards. 

"Suddenly my dad literally disappeared off the face of the planet. At least, that's how it seemed to me. He and Yoko Ono were deeply and publicly in love. And I felt as if my mom and I had been cast aside," he told The Guardian.

john lennon son julian© Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
John largely disappeared from Julian's life after he divorced Cynthia

"Maybe 10 years passed during which my dad and I barely spoke. I was very angry about how he left the family," Julian recalled. 

"It was thanks to my mom that we started having conversations again. She was such a gentle soul, never vindictive in any way, shape or form. She always wanted me to have a relationship with him."  

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