Paris Jackson has accused the executors of her late father Michael Jackson’s estate of bullying her amid a continuing legal dispute over financial decisions.
According to court filings, Paris alleged that the estate’s executors, John Branca and John McClain, submitted legal documents that “mock and belittle” her while dismissing her concerns about how estate funds are being managed. The dispute centres on payments made to third-party law firms, with Paris questioning the process behind substantial bonuses and fees approved by the estate.
In response, Branca and McClain argued that Paris and her legal team have circulated inaccurate claims and attempted to portray routine court proceedings as major rulings in her favour. They maintained that their management turned the estate from significant debt into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, from which Paris has greatly benefited.
In her latest filing, Paris rejected suggestions that her actions are driven by legal counsel or media attention, describing the litigation as “painful” and a distraction from her personal life and career.
She further accused the executors of using the media to undermine her, describing some of their public comments as “sexist,” including remarks that portrayed her as “strutting” into court and referred to the executors as the “grown-ups” compared to her and her siblings.
Paris also alleged that the executors are effectively using her father’s estate funds to challenge her publicly and pressure her into backing down from the dispute.
The estate’s attorney, Jonathan Steinsapir, previously defended the executors, stating that all financial decisions have been properly authorised and that no payments have been rejected by the court. He added that the executors have acted responsibly, noting that Paris has already received about $65 million from the estate and stands to inherit significantly more.
According to the estate, it has grown from roughly $500 million in debt at the time of Michael Jackson’s death into a business now generating billions in revenue.