Multi-millionaire Paris Jackson has made a startling legal filing against the estate of her late father, accusing it of mishandling funds.
But family insiders warn the 27-year-old against biting the hand that feeds.
The only daughter of pop king Michael Jackson accused estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain of wasting cash in court papers, claiming the men were “like the Wizard of Oz,” demanding trust without transparency.
She further claims the pair — appointed on Jackson’s death in 2009 — had been showering outside lawyers with what she called “lavish gratuities,” to the tune of some $600,000 in bonuses and other payments.
To those close to the family, the accusation landed hard.
“These are the same people who rescued Michael’s name and made sure his kids were financially secure for life,” said one longtime Jackson family associate.
“Michael died more than $500 million in debt. The estate not only cleared that, it built a fortune. For her to turn on them now—it’s shocking.”
Since Michael’s unexpected sudden death from acute propofol intoxication, Branca and McClain have been lauded throughout the music industry for transforming the King of Pop’s troubled finances.
They negotiated blockbuster deals, including “MJ: The Musical,” which continues to draw crowds on Broadway, and the half-billion-dollar sale of Jackson’s music catalog to Sony. The estate, once in crisis, is now estimated to be worth well over $3 billion.
Court filings from the estate’s attorneys struck back forcefully at Paris’s petition, noting “few have benefited more from the Executors’ business judgment than [Paris] herself.” They reminded the court her inheritance might not have existed at all, had the executors taken a different path.
“Michael’s children would never have received what they have now if the executors hadn’t taken bold, sometimes risky, steps,” said a family source. “They didn’t just protect the money—they rebuilt a legacy.”
Public records show Paris, who has received more than $65 million from her father’s estate, has spent her fortune freely. In recent years, insiders say she’s purchased several multimillion-dollar homes across California, often selling or moving shortly after.
“She quickly got bored with one house and simply bought another,” said the insider. “That’s not the behavior of someone struggling financially.”
Paris’ brothers Prince, 28, and Bigi, 23, have largely remained silent on matters of the estate.
Prince only intervened once, in 2020, to demand the executors not make any further payouts over unproven claims of sex abuse against Jackson. This followed a multimillion-dollar agreement made with one accuser of the late star.
The courts in Los Angeles oversee the estate until a judge rules it is concluded, at which point the trust will pass on to Michael’s kids as its beneficiaries.
Paris’s challenge has drawn mixed reactions within the family. A second source close to the Jacksons described her actions as “a case of privilege meeting defiance.”
“She’s grown up surrounded by wealth and fame,” said the source. “This feels less about money and more about control.”
When Michael Jackson died in June 2009, his reputation was bruised and his finances were in disarray. In the years since, Branca and McClain have stabilized the brand and turned it into a global enterprise and rehabilitated Michael’s image in the eyes of many to secure his sometimes controversial legacy.
“The truth is, they made Michael Jackson cool again,” said an entertainment attorney who has followed the case but has no ties to the estate.
“They protected his image, paid off hundreds of millions in debt, and made sure his kids would never want for anything.”
“There’s an uncomfortable irony here,” said a source close to the family’s older generation. “This was a black family from Gary, Indiana, that broke barriers and built generational wealth through hard work.
Now that wealth largely benefits a white descendant. Some in the family are struggling with what that means.”
One source noted it’s a “double-edged sword” for the Jacksons as the family has had many mixed-race marriages, relationships, and children.
“There’s a lot of irony and misplaced jealousy,” said one source, adding: “Hell, Janet hasn’t exactly married inside of her race.”
Janet Jackson’s second husband, René Elizondo, Jr., is Hispanic from Mexico, while her third husband, Wissam Al Mana, is a businessman from Qatar in the Middle East. They split in 2017 and Janet has been single since.
Another person close to the family said, “Michael chose to have kids that are not Black, so any talk about Black and white is wrong because this was Michael’s choice.”
Paris has spoken openly over the years about her struggles with mental health, addiction, and identity, previously explaining in a Rolling Stone interview how she attempted suicide at age 15, and said the highly publicized incident was just one of multiple attempts.
“It was just self-hatred, low self-esteem, thinking that I couldn’t do anything right, not thinking I was worthy of living anymore,” Paris revealed to the magazine.
However, she celebrated five years being sober in January 2025 and has reinvented herself as a free spirit, devoted to music and self-expression. Her social media accounts show a young woman chasing peace rather than celebrity—though her life has remained firmly in the public eye.
“She’s been through a lot,” said a source. “But [starting a] legal battle doesn’t seem to help anyone—not her, not the family, not Michael’s legacy.”
The estate, for its part, has stayed publicly silent beyond court filings, continuing business as usual. “MJ: The Musical” is preparing new international runs, the Sony deal is expected to yield more revenue for decades to come, and a new biopic “Michael,” starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, is set for release next summer.
“Michael trusted Branca and McClain,” said the longtime family associate. “They were the ones who cleaned up the mess.”
Whether Paris’s legal challenge will move forward remains to be seen. Those close to the executors say they’re confident the court will uphold the executors’ decisions.
“They’ve done everything by the book,” said a source. “They’ve taken care of Michael’s children far beyond what anyone expected.”
For the Jackson family, though, the damage may already be done, emotionally, and some are wondering where Paris’ advice is coming from.
“The Jacksons have always been about unity,” said another insider. “But fame changed that long ago.
“The estate saved [Michael’s] name and his children. For Paris to fight that now is ungrateful and privileged — someone in the family is giving her awful advice.”
