Paris Jackson’s ongoing estate dispute over her late father Michael Jackson’s holdings hit a legal hurdle when a Los Angeles court struck portions of her petition.
According to People, on Nov. 10, retired judge and specially appointed referee Mitchell L. Beckloff sided with executors John Branca and John McClain, granting a special motion to strike sections of her filing. The court found that several claims targeted documents protected under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which shields certain legal petitioning from retaliatory lawsuits. The ruling also leaves Paris responsible for some of the estate’s attorney fees.
In July 2025, the outlet notes, Paris raised concerns about “premium” payments to attorneys for unrecorded work, including non-contractual sums of $125,000 and $250,000. She asked the court to compel the executors to file requests for attorney compensation and reimbursement of costs for 2019 through 2023, arguing that the estate’s slow filings and irregular approvals limited beneficiaries’ ability to track financial decisions, including herself and her brothers Bigi and Prince.
A spokesperson for Paris told People, “This order is limited to minor procedural issues and does not change the facts: the pattern of behavior 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.”
According to the outlet, the dispute centers on accountability and transparency in managing her father’s $2 billion estate. Paris’ petition highlighted irregular attorney payments and the broader need for clarity in how the estate’s financial decisions are made.
Executors’ attorneys countered that her petition largely attacked filings already protected under California law, making portions of her challenge legally impermissible, People reports. The referee agreed, striking claims that questioned the timing of court submissions but leaving intact allegations related to irregular approvals and procedural transparency.
Branca and McClain have defended their administration, noting they inherited an estate burdened by hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and transformed it into a profitable entity. Their filings highlighted that Paris herself has received roughly $65 million in benefits since her father’s passing, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, framing the estate’s management as successful for the beneficiaries.
With the court’s ruling, the executors retain broad authority over financial and operational decisions, People notes. The surviving portions of Paris’ petition allow for limited review of certain estate practices, but the majority of her push for transparency has been curtailed.
The dispute unfolds amid other high-profile developments tied to the superstar’s legacy, including licensing deals, ongoing legal claims, and the upcoming biopic “Michael,” directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose teaser trailer, according to the outlet, drew over 116 million views in its first 24 hours.
