Paris Jackson has stepped in to request a drastic reduction in executor payments involving the estate of her late father, Michael Jackson.
In documents filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, as obtained by Complex, the actress and singer asked a judge to cut executor John Branca's compensation from 15% to 10% of the estate's gross entertainment-related income. The cut would cover 2023, 2024, and every year after that until a “complete and accurate” 2026 accounting is filed. Paris accuses Branca, who has been executor of the estate since 2009 (co-executor John McClain died in May of this year), of "persistent incompetence" in getting financial statements filed on time.
Her filing describes Branca’s alleged failure to handle basic executor duties as "intolerable," and the 28-year-old also seeks attorneys' fees and costs on the argument on behalf of Jackson’s estate.
A representative of the estate pushed back, saying that the “motion is completely without merit.” “Plaintiff's attorneys have motioned for a reduction in executor compensation, when in fact the executors waived that from the estate's beginning, and have never taken any executor compensation," the rep told TMZ. "They are paid a separate, court-ordered management fee for operating the hugely successful Michael Jackson business."
The rep also called the requested penalties "nonsensical," calling out the 2023 and 2024 accountings as already having been filed while the 2025 and 2026 reports are not due for another six and 14 months.
A spokesperson for Jackson responded to the estate’s statement.
“Enough of the smoke and mirrors — Paris is asking to reduce the management fee,” the spokesperson said. “Executor 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.”
Branca was named co-executor in Jackson's will, signed July 7, 2002, alongside music executive John McClain, who died on May 26. A judge confirmed the pair in July 2009, one month after Jackson’s death at 50 years old. Branca and McClain oversaw the estate, now estimated at roughly $2 billion value, with Paris, along with her brothers Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24, as beneficiaries of the Michael Jackson Family Trust.
In May, Paris requested $463,752 in accrued interest from the estate’s executors after it was ruled that $625,000 be returned to the estate after being paid to outside counsel. Paris also battled with her father’s estate over their involvement in the musical biopic Michael.
