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Paris Jackson just won a major victory in her ongoing battle with her dad’s estate’s executors. A judge has ordered John Branca and John McClain to pay back $625,000 to the estate. The two had previously withdrawn the money as bonus payments to third-party law firms. She is also entitled to attorneys’ fees and costs. “After years of delay, the Jackson family will finally get the transparency and accountability measures Paris has fought for,” a spokesperson for Paris to People.
Attorneys for the estate told People that although they “disagree with the decision, we fully respect it and plan to move forward accordingly.” They also argue the ruling was actually business as usual: “While the Court has previously approved several other bonuses to outside counsel over the years for their extraordinary services, and this was the first time they were the subject of objections, the executors have always understood that legal fees are subject to court approval and have always required outside counsel to agree to return any funds to the estate if the payments were not approved.” They add that none of the $625,000 went to Branca or McClain.
Paris Jackson has been beefing with Branca and McClain for a while now. She claims the two men have abused their position, withdrawing funds while operating without transparency about where that money is going. “The Jackson estate is supposed to be a prudent, fiscally responsible entity that supports the Jackson family,” the spokesperson told people, “not a slush fund to help John Branca live out his Hollywood mogul fantasies.” This is in reference to Branca’s involvement (and portrayal by Miles Teller) in Michael. Paris Jackson has been opposed to the film since its first cut. “They’re going to make whatever they’re going to make,” she said ahead of the film’s release. “A big reason why I haven’t said anything up until this point is because I know a lot of you guys are gonna be happy with it. A big section of the film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy, and they’re gonna be happy with it.”
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