The legal fight over Michael Jackson’s estate just took another dramatic turn. In a new court filing submitted in Los Angeles, attorneys representing the estate’s executors say they are owed more than $115,000 in legal costs and attorneys’ fees after successfully defeating a lawsuit brought by Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson.
This latest development adds another high-stakes chapter to a probate battle that has already reshaped how one of the most valuable celebrity estates in the world is run.
© Getty Images for Vanity FairAt the center of the dispute are John Branca and John McClain, the longtime executors of Michael Jackson’s estate. Their lawyers filed documents on Friday, Jan. 9, detailing what they say the estate is legally required to reimburse after the court granted their anti-SLAPP motion last November.
An anti-SLAPP motion is a legal tool designed to shut down lawsuits that target someone for exercising their right to free speech. In this case, it was used to strike down claims Paris Jackson made in a July court filing that accused the executors of misconduct.
Because Branca and McClain won that motion, California law allows them to recover the money they spent defending themselves. And that bill is not small.
Breaking Down the $115,000 Legal Bill
According to the filings obtained by PEOPLE, the executors’ attorneys are asking the court to award them $93,924.63 in attorneys’ fees and $1,238.39 in direct costs tied specifically to the anti-SLAPP motion. Additional fees and expenses are also being sought for the work required to secure payment of those funds, bringing the total request to more than $115,000.
The court filing explains that the purpose of the January 9 submission is simply to allow the judge to calculate the exact reimbursement amount after the executors prevailed in November.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupLegally speaking, this is routine. When an anti-SLAPP motion is granted, the winning party is entitled to have the losing side cover the legal tab. But emotionally and politically, the move pours gasoline on an already volatile family conflict.
Paris Jackson Pushes Back
Paris Jackson’s camp is not taking the filing quietly. In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Paris framed the request as yet another example of the executors using the estate to enrich themselves at the family’s expense.
The spokesperson said Paris has been working for months to uncover what she believes are financial irregularities in the handling of her father’s legacy and suggested that the executors and their lawyers are exploiting the legal system to drain even more money from the Jackson family.
© TheStewartofNY"For months, Paris Jackson has worked to address what appear to be troubling discrepancies and financial irregularities in the administration of her father's estate,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Paris, now 27, has made it clear that she plans to keep pressing for transparency and accountability, even as legal costs continue to climb. “It's no surprise the executors and their lawyers are using every tool at their disposal to take even more money from the Jackson family and use it to line their own pockets. Paris remains undeterred and will continue fighting for transparency, accountability, and fairness for her family."
Why Paris Is Challenging the Executors
Paris, along with her brothers Prince, 28, and Bigi, 23, is a beneficiary of Michael Jackson’s estate. While the estate is now a massive financial powerhouse, it was drowning in debt when Jackson died in 2009.
© Dave BenettThe executors have long argued that Branca and McClain deserve credit for transforming a deeply troubled estate into one of the most profitable in entertainment history. In their filings, they describe the estate today as a dominant force in the music business, far removed from the more than $500 million in debt Jackson left behind.
Paris sees it differently.
In November, she filed a new legal document alleging that the executors abused their positions to pad their own compensation. One of her most explosive claims was that in 2021 alone, Branca and McClain took home more than $10 million in fees from the estate. According to her filing, that amount was more than double what any beneficiary received from the family allowance in that same period.
The Executors’ Defense
The executors have responded by pointing to how much Paris herself has received. In a motion filed in October, they claimed that she has collected roughly $65 million in benefits from the estate over time.
From their perspective, the anti-SLAPP victory is proof that her earlier legal claims lacked merit. The $115,000 fee request, they argue, is not a money grab. It is what the law requires after they successfully defend themselves.
What This Means for the Michael Jackson Estate
This fight is about far more than a six-figure legal bill. It is about who controls one of the most lucrative celebrity estates ever created.
© WireImageThe legal battle is far from over. Paris’s newer allegations about excessive compensation and abuse of power are still alive, and those claims could lead to even deeper financial scrutiny.
For now, the immediate question before the judge is narrow. The court must decide how much Branca and McClain’s attorneys should be reimbursed for winning the anti-SLAPP motion.
