Paris Jackson Promises to Pursue Ongoing Legal Fight for Father’s Estate
Paris, the daughter of Michael Jackson, has pledged to persist in her legal fight against the executors of her late father’s estate after a judge dismissed her petition concerning estate payments.
At 27, Paris expressed her worries about “irregular payments” made by her dad’s estate executors, John Branca and John McClain, last July and subsequently filed a petition against them. On Monday, November 10, Los Angeles Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff dismissed most of her petition.
According to People, the dismissal was due to procedural problems in Paris’ petition. It was determined that her claims could not legally challenge the estate’s court filings, protected under California’s anti-SLAPP statute.
On Thursday, November 13, a representative for Paris informed Us Weekly that she and her legal team will persist in their efforts to contest the estate executors despite this setback.
“This ruling only addresses minor procedural aspects and does not alter the facts: the behavior exhibited by the executors and their attorneys raises serious concerns, and Paris will continue to ensure her family is treated justly,” the spokesperson stated to Us. “We will be submitting an updated filing soon.”
Earlier this year, Paris accused a select group of attorneys of taking advantage of her father’s estate by misappropriating funds “in plain view,” as revealed in documents obtained by Us in August. A representative for the estate has firmly denied these allegations.
As executors of the late pop icon’s estate, Branca and McClain oversee all aspects of Michael’s finances, business agreements, and family payments. The beneficiaries of the estate include Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi.
The Jackson 5 star passed away at the age of 50 in 2009 from cardiac arrest linked to an overdose of propofol, a potent sedative. After his death, Michael’s doctor, Conrad Murray, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
In her petition, Paris expressed worries about the fund usage and requested the judge to compel the executors to provide documentation for legal fees paid to third-party firms from 2019 to 2023, allowing her to examine the payments made. Additionally, she seeks a ruling that executors can only make partial payments pending court approval of invoices.
She stated that her petition was filed “to protect the rights and interests” of herself and the other beneficiaries.
In the petition, Paris’ lawyer raised alarms about substantial sums labeled as “gifts to Counsel.”
“The executors’ significant delays in seeking Court approval for extraordinary fees and costs, along with the lack of oversight concerning large non-contractual payments made to Counsel, are alarming,” said the lawyer. “The ongoing five-year delay impedes effective oversight by the Court and the beneficiaries. Most troubling is that this delay concealed non-contractual gifts to Counsel of $125,000 and $250,000.”
Paris’ attorney further asserted, “No client would make such gifts to her attorneys from her own funds. Even more concerning, Counsel made these payments despite knowing that the beneficiaries opposed these practices and were less than transparent in their delayed disclosures.”
Paris remarked that “at the very least, these gratuities, along with Counsel’s absurd justifications for them, raise significant concerns.”
According to People, the executors denied any mismanagement of funds in their own response, claiming they transformed the estate into “a powerhouse and a force in the music industry today” after taking over an estate “burdened with hundreds of millions in debt.” They asserted that Paris “received roughly $65 million” in benefits.
“Few have gained more from the Executors’ business acumen than the Petitioner herself,” the response claimed. “She would have received none of this had the Executors followed a conventional strategy for an estate such as this one in July 2009.”
