Paris Jackson Fights Estate Executor Over $109 Million Fee Request
Paris Jackson is asking a judge to reject a nearly $110 million fee request from John Branca, the executor of her late father’s estate, while accusing him of persistent incompetence in a new 12-page court motion filed Friday and obtained by Rolling Stone.
The $109 Million Fee Request and Missing Accountings
Michael Jackson’s only daughter is challenging a combined compensation request totaling $109,219,648 for Branca, his lawyers, and the late co-executor John McClain, who died in May at age 71, according to rollingstone.com. In her court filing, Paris Jackson states that Branca missed his own self-selected September 15 deadline to submit complete financial accountings for 2023 and 2024. Instead of detailed financials, the motion claims the estate filed documents that were incomplete or served as mere placeholders.
It is unclear how executor could calculate and distribute such an amount with any confidence and yet be unable to file complete and accurate accountings years later,
the motion reads. Paris Jackson describes the massive compensation demand as particularly offensive given the delinquent state of the financial filings.
Beneficiary Seeks Retroactive Cut to Branca Compensation
The 28-year-old beneficiary is asking the court to slash Branca’s compensation from 15 percent to 10 percent of the estate’s gross entertainment-related income. She wants this reduction applied retroactively to 2003 and maintained until complete and accurate accountings are submitted through 2006.
Representatives for the estate strongly rejected the claims. It is an understatement to say that this motion is completely without merit,
a spokesperson for the Branca-led estate said in a statement shared with Rolling Stone, noting that executors waived standard compensation from the beginning and instead receive a separate court-ordered management fee for operating the business. Branca took over following Michael Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, from an accidental overdose of propofol at a rented Los Angeles mansion, ultimately guiding the enterprise from more than $500 million in debt to a valuation around $2 billion.
Prior Legal Battles Over Estate Bonuses
This latest filing arrives roughly six months after Paris Jackson succeeded in a separate legal challenge concerning estate payouts. In an April 29 ruling cited by hollywood411news.com, retired Judge Mitchell Beckloff ordered three estate lawyers to return $625,000 in bonuses authorized by Branca. Beckloff found that the estate failed to prove the payments were just and reasonable, writing that the bonus amounts appeared arbitrary and based strictly on what Branca deemed appropriate.
Paris Jackson shares the estate with her brothers, Prince and Bigi. Her legal team noted in separate filings that the ongoing legal confrontation is a painful distraction from her own life and career, which she did not undertake lightly.