The legal battle surrounding Michael Jackson’s estate shows no signs of slowing down. In a new court filing, attorneys representing the estate’s executors have requested a Los Angeles judge to approve more than $115,000 in legal fees following their recent courtroom victory against a challenge filed by Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson.
The documents, submitted on January 9, outline the costs incurred after executors John Branca and John McClain successfully won an anti-SLAPP motion last year. The motion, granted by the court in November, dismissed claims raised by Paris in a petition she filed in July. According to People, the executors’ legal team has now submitted a detailed breakdown of fees, seeking reimbursement for the expenses linked to that win.
The filing requests $93,924.63 in attorney fees and $1,238.39 in related legal costs directly associated with the anti-SLAPP motion. Additional expenses have also been included for the effort involved in recovering these funds, bringing the total request to over $115,000. The executors argue that since they prevailed in the motion, they are legally entitled to have these costs reimbursed by the estate.
In their filing, the attorneys stated that the submission aims to “account for the fees and costs incurred by the Executors… so that the Court can determine the appropriate amount of the award.” Essentially, they want the judge to formally sign off on the payment.
However, Paris Jackson’s camp sees the move as another attempt by the executors to benefit financially at the expense of the family. Her spokesperson released a strong statement claiming Paris has been working to investigate what she believes are “troubling discrepancies and financial irregularities” in the handling of her father’s estate. The statement further accused the executors and their legal team of using court proceedings to “line their own pockets,” adding that Paris remains determined to fight for transparency, accountability, and fairness.
Paris, along with her brothers Prince, 28, and Bigi, 23, are beneficiaries of Michael Jackson’s estate. The current legal clash is part of a wider dispute that has been unfolding for months. In November, Paris filed another legal petition alleging that Branca and McClain abused their positions to enrich themselves. She claimed that in 2021 alone, they collected over $10 million in compensation — an amount she says exceeded what any Jackson family beneficiary received from the estate’s family allowance.
The executors have firmly denied these allegations. In an earlier filing, they stated that Paris has received approximately $65 million in benefits from the estate. They also defended their management record, pointing out that when Michael Jackson died in 2009, his estate was burdened with more than $500 million in debt. Since then, they claim to have transformed it into a profitable and powerful business force in the global music industry.
The judge must now decide whether to approve the $115,000 legal fee request — a decision that could further intensify the ongoing family feud.
