The long and drawn-out legal battle between Paris Jackson and the executors of the estate of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson has reached a whole new level of intensity. In a scathing court document filed in Los Angeles on February 26, the 27-year-old model and musician accused the handlers of the estate of intentionally squandering estate funds in order to make the case as "expensive and time-consuming as possible."
This is the latest in the long series of legal actions and counter-actions in the long and drawn-out case that has seen Paris Jackson and the executors of the Michael Jackson estate at odds for quite some time. In fact, the case was given a major boost in November 2025 when the executors of the estate, namely John Branca and John McClain, filed an anti-SLAPP motion. Even though the court granted the anti-SLAPP motion, Paris Jackson’s legal team has accused the estate of doing this purely in order to delay Paris Jackson’s petition for estate reform with respect to the handling of legal fees. Her attorneys claim the motion had zero impact on the litigation other than causing unnecessary delays.
Dispute over six-figures
The crux of the present controversy stems from the executors’ bid to recover over $115,000 in attorneys’ fees associated with the anti-SLAPP motion. Paris is fighting the executors’ bid tooth and nail, with her attorneys calling the expense a "waste of resources" that the executors had an obligation to prevent.
According to the filing, the executors utilised the very same law firms that received the "improper payments" against Paris. The executors essentially conceded that their anti-SLAPP motion was merely a "procedural" objection that could have been avoided simply by filing the same pleading under a different name.
A plea for transparency
This controversy represents part of the larger, long-standing controversy over the management of the King of Pop’s vast fortune. While the estate has publicly disclosed that Paris has received approximately $65 million in benefits, she continues to press for greater transparency. Paris is particularly interested in "premium payouts" and bonuses that the estate reportedly doled out in 2018.
In her bid to challenge the executors’ management, Paris continues to push for greater accountability in the management of her father’s legacy. As the court weighs the request for the additional $115,000 in fees, the tension between the global star and the men overseeing her inheritance shows no signs of thawing.
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