Michael Jackson’s Daughter Alleges Estate Fund Misuse by Lawyers

Paris Jackson has filed a lawsuit accusing a “closely-knit, highly-compensated” band of lawyers of skimming money from her late father Michael Jackson’s estate.

The details:

• Paris and her brothers Prince and Bigi are beneficiaries of their father’s estate.

• According to Digital Music News, the estate has been overseen by two executors: attorney John Branca and A&R executive John McClain.

• Paris is requesting they submit paperwork related to legal fees they requested be paid to third-party firms between 2019 and 2023.

• The motion states: “Executors’ profound delay in seeking Court approval for extraordinary fees and costs, and lack of oversight with regard to large non-contractual payments to Counsel bestowed upon themselves, is concerning.”

Push back:

• Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney for the estate, has released a statement denying the allegations.

• In part it reads: “The claims made by this new set of attorneys for [Paris] – who have no meaningful experience representing clients in the entertainment industry – are both baseless and defamatory.”

• In July executors of Jackson’s estate revealed they’d had to deal with “issues” relating to one of his ex-wives.

• Their lawyers claim this was one of the reasons behind the legal fees listed in Paris’s motion.