Paris Jackson has asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to reduce the compensation paid to Michael Jackson estate executor John Branca, alleging that he missed multiple deadlines for submitting financial statements covering 2023 and 2024.
In a filing submitted Friday and reviewed by The Daily Mail, attorneys for the 28-year-old argued that “the gap between executor’s level of compensation and his persistent incompetence is intolerable.”
Paris’s legal team said the most effective way to influence Branca’s conduct would be to reduce his compensation for 2023 and 2024 incrementally, from 15 percent to 10 percent of the estate’s gross entertainment-related income.
Her attorneys also accused Branca of a “longstanding refusal, for the better part of a decade, to prioritize timely and complete reporting” on the estate’s finances.
They claimed the alleged mismanagement had left the estate entangled in “time-consuming litigation,” while Paris had been forced to spend her own time and money trying to persuade Branca to meet what they described as his most basic responsibilities.
According to the filing, Branca missed specific deadlines established by the court. Paris’s attorneys also alleged that he is seeking approval for a payment of $109,219,648.27 in compensation for himself, his late co-executor John McClain and his law firm for the two years in question.
Paris Jackson, 28, has asked a court to cut the pay of Michael Jackson estate executor John Branca, citing what she says were missed deadlines. She is pictured in France earlier this month
Branca’s team has previously said that, under his management, Michael Jackson’s estate grew from $500 million in debt to a value of more than $2 billion. Branca is pictured in New York City in 2023
Paris is also asking the court to award her attorneys’ fees and costs, arguing that her efforts ultimately benefit the estate.
A spokesperson for Paris Jackson told The Daily Mail on Wednesday: “Enough of the smoke and mirrors — Paris is asking to reduce the management fee.”
The spokesperson added that Branca “has repeatedly failed to meet deadlines ordered by the judge that are in place to provide Paris and her siblings visibility about how the estate is being run.”
“Since money is what motivates executor Branca, this is the only way to enforce the timeline he agreed to.”
A spokesperson for Michael Jackson’s estate told The Daily Mail on Wednesday that it was “an understatement to say that this motion is completely without merit, nor is it argued on facts.”
The estate said that although Paris’s attorneys had filed a motion seeking to reduce executor compensation, the executors had waived that compensation from the beginning and had never received it.
“They are paid a separate, court-ordered management fee for operating the hugely successful Michael Jackson business,” the estate said.
The estate called it “nonsensical” for the motion to seek penalties related to the 2023 and 2024 accountings, which it said had already been filed, or the 2025 and 2026 accountings, which are not due for another six and 14 months, respectively.
NEXT UP: Today Show Intruder Accused of Racially Abusing Host Craig Melvin Appears in Court
Paris is asking the court to award her attorneys’ fees and costs, arguing that her actions are ultimately in the estate’s best interests. She is pictured in France earlier this month
Jackson maintained a low profile in the years before his death in 2009, when he was preparing for a comeback run of shows at London’s O2 Arena. He is pictured in March 2009 in London
Branca’s team has previously said that the estate’s value rose from $500 million in debt to more than $2 billion under his management.
Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009, after suffering cardiac arrest at the Los Angeles mansion where he was living. In February 2010, authorities determined that his death resulted from acute propofol intoxication.
The powerful drug had been administered by his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. Investigators were told that Jackson referred to the substance, which he received through an IV drip, as “milk” and said he needed it to sleep.
Jackson’s death prompted an extraordinary wave of tributes from fans around the world, both in person and across emerging social media platforms.
His family, including his three children—who had not previously been seen in public without masks—attended a widely watched memorial service on July 7, 2009, at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, then known as the Staples Center.
“I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine—and I just wanted to say I love him so much,” Paris, then 11, said during the emotional service.
A private funeral for Jackson’s family and friends later took place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Murray’s treatment of Jackson came under scrutiny after the singer’s death, with questions raised about his decision to administer propofol in particular doses and whether proper safety precautions had been followed.
Police cars blocked the entrance to the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner, where Michael Jackson’s body was taken after his death on June 25, 2009
(L-R) Janet Jackson, Paris Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Jermaine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson attend his July 7, 2009 memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles
Investigators ultimately classified Jackson’s death as a homicide. In November 2011, more than two years after the singer died, Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.
Jackson enjoyed an unprecedented music career and remains one of the best-selling artists of all time. He won 13 Grammy Awards from 38 nominations.
His honors included Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” in 1980, Album of the Year for Thriller in 1984 and Record of the Year for “Beat It” that same year.
He received the Grammy Legend Award in 1993 and was posthumously honored with The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. Jackson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
