Paris Jackson criticized the executors of her late father Michael Jackson's estate in an ongoing legal battle, calling one of their recent court motions, and the more than $115,000 in legal fees tied to it, "a waste of resources."
The dispute centers on a request filed Jan. 9 by estate executors John Branca and John McClain asking the court to approve payment for legal work connected to a motion they filed in November 2025.
According to court documents cited by People, the executors' attorneys are seeking $93,924.63 in fees and $1,238.39 in costs related to that motion, along with other expenses tied to recovering the funds.
Paris Jackson, who is one of the beneficiaries of her father's estate, pushed back in a Feb. 26 filing in Los Angeles court. Her lawyers argue the earlier motion did little to affect the case and instead delayed the legal process.
In the filing, her attorneys say the executors' move "could not, and did not, have any impact on the litigation other than to cause delay" while also making the case more expensive.
Paris Jackson's attorneys claim the motion was meant to "make it as expensive and time-consuming as possible for Paris."
The legal fight stems from a petition Paris Jackson previously filed asking the court to change how the estate's executors request payment of their legal fees from estate funds.
The executors responded with an anti-SLAPP motion, a legal tool meant to quickly dismiss lawsuits seen as limiting free speech. The court granted that motion in November.
According to the document, the executors "admitted that the [anti-SLAPP] motion was merely a 'procedural' objection, and its minimal effects were entirely overcome simply by filing a functionally identical pleading styled as a 'motion' rather than as a 'petition.'"
Her attorneys also say the motion did not remove any part of Paris Jackson's legal challenge.
The filing states it "did not achieve dismissal of any cause of action, as Paris' requested relief in the Petition to Rescind remained unimpacted by Executors' SLAPP Motion."
Paris Jackson's legal team also questioned the amount spent, alleging, "Executors allowed two of the same law firms who received improper payments to attack Paris … For this self-interested work, Executors paid these law firms an additional $115,355.52 in attorneys' fees and costs."
Her legal team concluded, "The SLAPP [lawsuit] was a waste of resources that executors had a duty to avoid and likely could have avoided."
The legal dispute comes as Paris Jackson challenges aspects of how the estate is managed and whether there has been enough transparency around certain financial decisions, including alleged bonuses and "premium payouts" made in 2018.
Michael Jackson's estate assumed responsibility for major debts after his death in 2009.
At the time he died at age 50 of apparent cardiac arrest, the pop star was more than $500 million in debt. Court documents obtained by People in June 2024 show he owed money to more than 65 creditors.
Much of that debt had accumulated in the years leading up to his death. According to reports, Michael Jackson had been taking on roughly $30 million in additional debt each year.
After his death, responsibility for managing both his assets and debts transferred to his estate. His three children, Paris, Prince, and Bigi Jackson, are beneficiaries of the late pop star's estate.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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