Paris Jackson has filed a lawsuit claiming that her inheritance from father Michael Jackson has been “mismanaged”, and executors have pocketed $10million.
Paris, now aged 27, is one of the music icon’s three children with second wife Debbie Rowe, with siblings Prince (28) and Bigi (formerly Blanket, aged 23). The singer died in 2009, aged 50, and his estate was managed by executors given that his kids were children at the time.
Paris has now filed a lawsuit at a Los Angeles court, alleging that her inheritance has been mismanaged.
Filed on November 18, she claims that roughly $464 million (£353million) has still not yet been invested by co-executors John Branca and John McClain, with it having a gain of under 0.1 per cent. If it were invested properly, she claims, that money could have generated profits of $41million (£31.3million).
She also accuses the two executors of using the estate as a “vehicle for John Branca to enrich and aggrandise himself, rather than serve the beneficiaries” – also claiming that 2021 alone saw the two of them pocket more than $10million ($7.6million) in compensation. That sum is allegedly over “double the amount distributed to any beneficiary” (via Metro).
The filing also alleges that the total compensation pocketed by Branca and McClain that year could be up to $148.2million (£113million), which “dwarfs” the amount shared with Jackson’s children.
Outlets including Metro and People also report that Paris has accused the two executors of buying time before sharing the accounting for the period of 2022-2025 so that they can keep the estate open and invest in high-risk projects “indefinitely”. These projects include Branca being involved in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, and taking on a role as executive producer and casting Miles Teller as himself, despite allegedly not having any experience in that field before.
The biopic, titled simply Michael, is currently scheduled to release in April next year and is directed by Antoine Fuqua, with Michael’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson playing the King of Pop. Oscar nominee and Euphoria star Colman Domingo will play Michael’s father Joe Jackson. Paris has previously clarified that she has no involvement with the project.
“This order is limited to minor procedural issues and does not change the facts: the pattern of behaviour displayed by the executors and their attorneys raises significant red flags, and Paris will continue working to ensure her family is treated fairly,” a spokesperson for Paris told the Daily Mail.
“We will be submitting an updated filing shortly. All the beneficiaries are well taken care of by the Estate. This is a weak attempt to change the narrative of their loss.”
Metro reports that both executors previously pushed back at other claims made by Paris that accused them of giving $625,000 (£476,750) worth of gifts to law firms. Dismissing it as “false”, they claimed that Paris has been given roughly $65million (£49.6million) in benefits from her father’s estate.
Earlier this month, Paris, who works as a singer, model, and actor, continued to be open with fans about her struggle with drugs and mental health over the years, taking to social media and revealing that drug use has “ruined her life” and left her with a perforated septum.
That announcement came shortly after she celebrated her five years of sobriety on Instagram, and expressed the joy she has felt since recovering from being “an alcoholic and a heroin addict”. Before then, Jackson spoke candidly in 2017 about an attempted suicide, and told Willow Smith in 2021 that she was “really grateful that it didn’t [work out]” because since then, “things have gotten better”.
