The legal battle over Michael Jackson‘s estate continues, this time centering around the estate executor’s attorneys.
The attorneys seek owed fees amid their ongoing battle with Paris Jackson over the pop star’s estate, with several new motions filed. Keep reading to learn more.
Owed Fees
The attorneys for state executors John McClain and John Branca filed documents last Friday in court. The document lists out all the costs and fees their clients are owed.
This is directly connected to the anti-SLAPP motion against Paris that went through last November.
According to the document, the motion was created to “account for the fees and costs incurred by the Executors in connection with the anti-SLAPP motion so that the Court can determine the amount of the award.”
Since the motion was granted, they are entitled to reimbursement. The amount requested? Branca and McClain are seeking $93,924.63 in fees and $1,238.39 costs for the anti-SLAPP motion.
Using an Anti-SLAPP Motion
The anti-SLAPP motion was filed last year and granted in November. Other costs and fees relating to recovering funds were listed, too. The motion, granted by Los Angeles Referee Mitchell L. Beckloff, strikes down several portions of Paris’s July petition because it was composed of the estate’s own filings.
The anti-SLAPP law not only allows for the filing to pass, but also includes protections against retaliatory legal action.
Paris’ Fight
However, Paris is still fighting back. A spokesperson for Paris suggested the filing was another way for Branca and McClain to “take even more money” from the Jackson family.
“For months, Paris Jackson has worked to address what appear to be troubling discrepancies and financial irregularities in the administration of her father’s estate,” the spokesperson stated. “It’s no surprise the executors and their lawyers are using every tool at their disposal to take even more money from the Jackson family and use it to line their own pockets.”
The insider finished with this comment: “Paris remains undeterred and will continue fighting for transparency, accountability and fairness for her family.”
Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi, are all beneficiaries of the Jackson estate. The actress has taken legal action against Branca and McClain several times in recent months.
Paris originally sued the executors in August 2024 for making “lavish gratuities” to “already over-compensated counsel.” She also alleged a “small circle of highly-paid attorneys may be taking advantage” to siphon money away from the estate.
Later, she accused them in November of taking advantage of their roles as executors, again to put money in their own pockets.
The Jackson Estate
Paris isn’t the only one who thinks someone is taking money from the estate.
Branca and McClain filed an October motion. They claimed Paris has received $65 million in benefits from Jackson’s estate over the years.
It’s also important to note that Jackson was over $500 million in debt when he died in 2009. In that same filing, the executors claim to have taken the struggling estate and transformed it into a “powerhouse and a force in the music business.”
One thing is for sure: this legal battle is far from over.