Can you believe that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away 17 years ago this June?
Moonwalking his way into the history books, the 'Billie Jean' singer remains one of the most fascinating and beguiling figures the world has ever known. His alleged offences on minors undoubtedly cloud that legacy, though.
Even now, the late superstar's reported $2 billion estate is still being fought over, with co-executors John McClain and John Branca in complete control of his finances post-death.
Such is the mess of things, Jackson's daughter Paris brought a lawsuit against McClain and Branca, accusing them of mismanaging the estate after noticing some irregularities.
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Her case, which is being adjudicated by LA judge Referee Mitchell L. Beckloff, recently encountered a major blow in that he granted a petition from the co-executors to draw a line through certain sections of the suit.
Responding to the tough ruling, a representative for Paris told Entertainment Weekly: "This order is limited to minor procedural issues, and does not change the facts: the pattern of behaviour displayed by the executors and their attorneys raises significant red flags, and Paris will continue working to ensure her family is treated fairly. We will be submitting an updated filing shortly."
Although Jackson's kids (including sons Prince and Bigi) receive grants generated from his monumental wealth, they're still waiting for a full inheritance because of a tax technicality.
It's still yet to be decided how much the estate needs to be taxed.
After months of back-and-forth - the suit was submitted in July 2025 - McClain and Branca sent in their own 83-page status report just recently, dismissing all claims made against them.
Paris, who has acted in American Horror Stories and music videos for The xx and 30 Seconds to Mars, fired back with a new filing soon after, accusing them of trying to reduce her in the public arena.
Per The Independent, court documents filed by Paris read: "This overlitigation is a waste. At nearly every hearing... Executors try to avoid the merits by characterising Paris's concerns as lawyer-driven or in service of some purported desire for media attention. Neither is true. This litigation is painful for Paris. It is a distraction from her own life and her own career. She would rather there be no press coverage of it whatsoever."
Branca and McClain have used her father's cash "to attack her in the media," it continued.
The filing alluded to a comment made by estate attorney Jonathan Steinsapir too, where he accused Paris of "strutting" into court one day.
"These attacks may serve Mr. Branca's personal interest in attempting to bully Paris into submission, but they have nothing to do with the merits of the litigation and are not in the interests of the Estate," it stated.
"The fact that Michael Jackson's money is paying for these attacks makes them even more offensive."
Topics: Michael Jackson, Music, Parenting
Dan Seddon