Paris Jackson has secured a significant legal victory against the executors of her father Michael Jackson's estate, with a retired judge ordering the return of over half a million dollars in disputed bonus payments. The ruling, made public on Wednesday, marks a turning point in the 28-year-old's ongoing fight for greater transparency and accountability over the late singer's multi-billion-dollar estate.
Retired probate judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled that $625,000 in bonuses paid to estate lawyers in the second half of 2018 were not approved and must be returned. The order also imposes new restrictions on future bonus payments, requiring written consent from all beneficiaries or court approval before any such payments can be made. Additionally, the estate may now only pay 70% of reasonable legal fees upfront, with the remaining 30% held pending court approval.
While the estate acknowledged the 'exceptional services' provided by its attorneys since Michael Jackson's death in 2009, it expressed disagreement with the decision but said it would respect and move forward accordingly. Paris Jackson's camp hailed the ruling as a 'massive win', stating that it finally delivers the transparency and accountability measures she has fought for after years of delay.
The dispute has been marked by acrimony between Paris Jackson and estate co-executor John Branca, with her representatives accusing him of using the estate as a 'slush fund' and engaging in 'sexist, scorched-earth tactics'. The ruling also sets a court-ordered filing schedule for attorney fee petitions covering 2019 to 2024, with a deadline of September 15, 2026.
Further issues regarding the funding of the trust remain before the probate court, and Paris Jackson continues to push for greater financial oversight. The estate is currently conducting a self-audit of expenditures from 2019 to 2022, with subsequent years also under review.
