Colleen McCullough was a prolific author, most famously for her novel The Thorn Birds, which has sold 30 million copies since it was published in 1977.
Colleen McCullough was so prolific that she left not one but two wills. In the first will, she left her entire estate to the Oklahoma University. In the second will, she left her entire estate to Ric Robinson, her husband of 30 years.
As in many of these situations, the existence of two wills can be traced to a 'domestic'. In this case, Colleen accused Ric of overspending, and on 24 June 2014 asked him to move out (which he did). Two weeks later, she signed a new will leaving her entire estate to Oklahoma University. To add insult to injury, she added a bequest letter in which she explained that she had cut Ric out of the will because she had made adequate provision for him during their marriage.
Shortly afterwards, Colleen and Ric reconciled, when Colleen asked him to return to look after her. He moved back into the house and cared for her until she died on 29 January 2015.
Before she died, in October 2014, Colleen asked her solicitor to reinstate Ric in her will to inherit her entire estate. Instead of preparing a whole new will, her solicitor prepared a fresh page which named Ric as the beneficiary, instead of the Oklahoma University - which Colleen signed. The old page was removed and the fresh page inserted into the Oklahoma Will.
After Colleen died, the Oklahoma University applied to the Probate Court to grant Probate of the will with the old page while Ric applied for probate of the will with the fresh page.
After 8 hearing days in court, which were estimated to have cost each side $400,000 in legal fees, the Probate Court decided that Ric's will was her last will and testament because Colleen had not been coerced into signing it.
That is why one will is more than enough!