Paris Jackson Scores Big $$$ Win in Fight With Michael's Estate, Judge Praises Executors
TMZ • • entertainment
Key Points:
- A Los Angeles judge ruled that $625,000 in bonuses paid by Michael Jackson's estate executors to third-party law firms must be returned to the estate, following concerns raised by Paris Jackson about the payments' legitimacy.
- Paris Jackson alleged the bonuses were excessive, unapproved, and indicative of poor oversight by the executors, suggesting that lawyers were exploiting the estate for financial gain.
- The executors, John Branca and John McClain, defended the payments as standard industry fees and highlighted their role in significantly increasing the estate's value through major deals.
- The court praised the executors for creating substantial generational wealth for Michael Jackson's heirs but determined that the specific $625,000 bonuses lacked proper approval.
- The executors clarified that the bonuses were paid to outside law firms, not themselves, and emphasized their policy of returning any unapproved legal fees to the estate.