A Los Angeles judge ruled the bonus payments made to third-party law firms were not approved — handing Paris a significant victory in her ongoing fight for estate accountability
Paris Jackson has scored a major legal victory in her battle over the finances of her late father Michael Jackson’s estate. A Los Angeles judge has ruled that $625,000 in bonus payments made by estate executors John Branca and John McClain to third-party law firms must be returned to the estate — and that Paris is entitled to attorneys’ fees and costs for her successful challenge.
“Ms. Jackson’s objection to the $625,000 of bonus payments made in the second six months of 2018 is sustained,” retired judge and current referee Mitchell Beckloff wrote in his April 29 order. “The bonus payments are not approved; they are disallowed. The payments shall be returned to the estate.”
The ruling also imposes new financial guardrails on the estate going forward, requiring that executors obtain written consent from all beneficiaries — or a court order — before making any bonus payments to attorneys. Additionally, outside counsel will now only be paid 70% of approved fees on an ongoing basis, with the remaining 30% held until formally approved by the court.
A spokesperson for Paris, 28, called the decision “a massive win” for the Jackson family. “After years of delay, the Jackson family will finally get the transparency and accountability measures Paris has fought for,” the statement read, adding pointed criticism of executor John Branca: “The Jackson estate is supposed to be a prudent, fiscally responsible entity that supports the Jackson family — not a slush fund to help John Branca live out his Hollywood mogul fantasies.”
Attorneys for the estate pushed back on the characterization while accepting the ruling. In a statement, they emphasized that the court praised the executors for providing “exceptional services” over the years, noting that since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 — when the estate carried over $500 million in debt — Branca and McClain have transformed it into a financial powerhouse generating “real and substantial generational wealth” for its beneficiaries. The estate also stressed that none of the $625,000 in bonuses were paid to the executors themselves, but rather to outside law firms. “Ultimately, while we disagree with the decision, we fully respect it and plan to move forward accordingly,” their statement read.
Paris, along with her brothers Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24, is a beneficiary of the estate. She has spent years accusing Branca and McClain of operating without adequate transparency and oversight, alleging in past filings that executors pocketed more than $10 million in compensation in 2021 alone — more than double the amount distributed to any single beneficiary. The executors have denied any wrongdoing.
The ruling also sets a new filing schedule, requiring executors to submit attorneys’ fees petitions covering six years of services — 2019 through 2024 — by September 15, 2026, as scrutiny of the estate’s spending continues to intensify.
The legal battle plays out against a broader backdrop of controversy surrounding the Jackson estate, including disputes over the recently released biographical film Michael, which has grossed over $584 million globally but has drawn criticism from Paris, who called the final result “sugar-coated” and “dishonest.”