Toby Keith’s Will Filing Reveals How He Kept His Family Safe

Toby Keith went to extraordinary lengths to keep his family safe during his lifetime, and his wife has asked a court to extend those protections by keeping certain aspects of his will private.

In Touch has obtained court documents that show Keith's wife, Tricia Covel, filed papers asking the Oklahoma Court to name her as the administrator of his estate on Feb. 20, 15 days after his death.

Keith's full legal name was Toby Keith Covel, and Tricia said she already served as the Trustee of The Toby Keith Covel Revocable Trust, which dates back to Dec. 15, 2022.

Tricia also filed the will under seal, asking the court to keep certain information private as a matter of security for her family.

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In addition to Tricia, Keith's will names their three adult children — Rashelle Lashawn Covel, Krystal LaDawn Sandubrae and Stelen Keith Covel — as his survivors and heirs, and the filing reveals the steps Keith took to shield his family from any potential blowback because of his fame and financial success.

“The Consents signed by each heir, together with a list of the LLC Interests, contain confidential information regarding not only the heirs but also the business interests of Toby at the time of his death. This information, if known to the public, would likely increase the threat to the safety and security of the Personal Representative and the heirs," Covel's lawyers argue in their filing.

Keith's financial interests extended well beyond his extensive catalog of hit songs and concerts. His vast holdings included a chain of restaurants, his Wild Shot Mezcal brand, his own record label, a stake in Big Machine Records, a horse farm, a golf course, a line of cannabis and much more.

Forbes dubbed him "country's $500 million man" in 2013, noting that his personal wealth was more than half a billion dollars. He took unusual steps to keep his family safe, including:

• Obtaining a court order to keep his home address and homestead deed sealed from the public.
• Using aliases for himself, his wife and their children.
• Hiring personal security for himself and his family members "at all times of the day and night, week and year.”

According to Covel's filing, Keith executed his will on Dec. 15, 2022, just months after he revealed his stomach cancer diagnosis in June. A judge granted her request to seal the will, and the probate case is still underway.

Keith died on Feb. 5, 2024, at the age of 62, and his daughter Krystal and son Stelen both turned to social media to mark what would have been his 63rd birthday on July 8.

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Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He's interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.