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Paris Jackson sues Michael Jackson estate for $600 million
Paris Jackson has filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking the transfer of $600 million from her late father’s estate to the Michael Jackson Family Trust. The 28-year-old singer alleges that the trust has remained unfunded for more than 17 years, despite the estate generating billions of dollars in gross income since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009.
The petition targets executor John Branca, accusing him of exercising excessive control over the three children, Prince, Paris, and Bigi. Paris claims that the siblings have only received minor amounts determined at Branca’s discretion and that her attempts to challenge the administration resulted in public attacks and reduced payments. The legal filing notes that the children were intended to receive income starting at age 21, with further distributions at ages 30, 35, and 40.
To support the claim that funds are available, the filing cites major transactions, including the 2018 sale of a stake in EMI Music Publishing for $287.5 million, the 2020 sale of the Neverland ranch for $22 million, and a 2023 deal with Sony involving music catalogs.
Representatives for the estate have denied the allegations, calling the claims of withheld payments a fabrication. They stated that full funding of the individual trusts is currently prevented by ongoing legal hurdles, specifically a dispute with the US Internal Revenue Service regarding $700 million in taxes and penalties.
Entities
Internal Revenue Service · John Branca · Los Angeles Superior Court · Michael Jackson · Michael Jackson Family Trust · Paris Jackson