Paris Jackson has won big in her legal battle against the executors of her father Michael Jackson’s estate.
A Los Angeles judge has ruled in favor of the 28-year-old daughter of the late pop star after she raised concerns last year over $625,000 in bonuses that were paid by executors John Branca and John McClain to third-party law firms in 2018. Paris became one of the beneficiaries of Michael’s estate after his death in 2009, along with her brothers Prince and Bigi.
Now, the money will have to be returned to the estate in a new ruling demanding transparency in the way that the Jackson family’s money is spent.
“Paris has always been focused on what’s best for her family and this ruling is a massive win for them,” a spokesperson for Paris said in a statement shared with The Independent.
“After years of delay, the Jackson family will finally get the transparency and accountability measures Paris has fought for. The Jackson Estate is supposed to be a prudent, fiscally responsible entity that supports the Jackson family – not a slush fund to help John Branca live out his Hollywood mogul fantasies.”
The statement’s reference to Branca’s “Hollywood mogul fantasies” might point to the recent Michael Jackson biopic, which Paris publicly opposed despite the involvement of several of her family members. Branca was portrayed in the film by actor Miles Teller.
Paris’s spokesperson continued: “After months of engaging in sexist, scorched-earth tactics against a beneficiary, it’s time for John Branca to acknowledge his many missteps and act in the best interest of the family he has a fiduciary duty to protect.”
Next, the attorneys are expected to file their accountings so that their estate attorneys’ fees from 2019 to 2024 can be approved. The filings are expected to be submitted by September 15.
When approached for comment, the estate executors pointed out that the judge acknowledged their “exceptional service to the estate” in the ruling.
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“We are gratified that the Court itself recognized and praised the work of the Executors and its outside counsel in today’s decision,” Branca and McClain said in a statement shared with The Independent.
“While the Court has previously approved several other bonuses to outside counsel over the years for their extraordinary services, and this was the first time they were the subject of objections, the Executors have always understood that legal fees are subject to court approval and have always required outside counsel to agree to return any funds to the estate if the payments were not approved.”
The executors also made it clear that none of the $625,000 in bonuses were paid to them, and that there were no inappropriate payments that benefited them.
“Ultimately, while we disagree with the decision, we fully respect it and plan to move forward accordingly,” the estate executors said.
Last month, the actor accused Branca and McClain of attempting to mock and belittle her in the eyes of the public after she called them out for skimming money from her father’s estate.
“This overlitigation is waste,” Paris’ April 6 filing said. “At nearly every hearing… Executors try to avoid the merits by characterizing Paris’s concerns as lawyer-driven or in service of some purported desire for media attention. Neither is true.”
The court documents continued: “This litigation is painful for Paris. It is a distraction from her own life and her own career. She would rather there be no press coverage of it whatsoever.”
Paris’s attorneys went on to allege that Branca and McClain “have used her father’s money to attack her in the media.”
“These attacks may serve Mr. Branca’s personal interest in attempting to bully Paris into submission, but they have nothing to do with the merits of the litigation and are not in the interests of the Estate,” the filing said. “The fact that Michael Jackson’s money is paying for these attacks makes them even more offensive.”