Paris Jackson has launched a new offensive against the executors of her father Michael Jackson’s estate, equating them to the enigmatic figure behind the curtain in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Us Weekly exclusively reports on this escalating legal battle.
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A Striking Allegation
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Paris, 27, submitted court documents on October 3, questioning the financial practices of the executors, particularly their request for third-party law firm fees. Her legal counsel alleges, “Executors admit making six-figure, extra-contractual payments in 2018, and they likely paid millions more in undisclosed gifts over the past seven years.”
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“That conduct, born of comfort and arrogance, is indefensible, and Executors have done nothing to indicate otherwise. Instead, like the Wizard of Oz, they demand that the Court trust them blindly, refusing to let anyone look behind the curtain.”
Paris Jackson’s lawyer
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The motion challenges the executors’ defense of these payments, which they suggest are commonplace in the music industry. Paris insists the executors’ claim lacks substantial evidence, and her filings reveal these controversial payments.
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Facing the Estate’s Financial Reality
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The estate’s response, revealed on October 9, highlights the significant expenditures made on Paris’s behalf since Michael Jackson’s passing in 2009. Executors John Branca and John McClain emphasize, “Few have benefited more from the Executors’ business judgment than [Paris] herself, who has received roughly $65 million from the Estate in benefits.”
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Paris aims to question the substantial invoices and bonuses paid to law firms in 2018. Nevertheless, the executors maintain their expenses are justified and vital for the estate’s maintenance.
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“The Executors welcome review of their actions. They always have. And why wouldn’t they? The executors’ business judgment has taken an estate that ‘started out as nothing but debt and substantial ongoing obligations’ and ‘turned [it] into a $2 billion estate.’”
Estate’s lawyer
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Confronting Legal Challenges
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Paris points out previous legal documents, suggesting, “a group of closely-knit, highly-compensated lawyers is exploiting executors’ lack of oversight to skim money from the Estate, in plain view.” Her legal team questions the executors’ capacity to manage counsel effectively without engaging in excessive financial practices.
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The estate’s legal representative, Jonathan Steinsapir, dismisses these allegations as unfounded and defamatory. He defends the prudence of the executors’ decisions, which, he asserts, have generated immense wealth and fended off undeserved attacks on Michael Jackson. “We are confident that the Court will reject them outright and will again approve the estate’s accountings as it has done numerous times over the last sixteen years,” Steinsapir states.
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Beneficiaries and Background
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John Branca and John McClain have overseen the estate since Michael Jackson’s death at age 50. The primary beneficiaries include Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi Jackson, along with their grandmother Katherine Jackson, as outlined in Michael’s will.
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Reporting based on the original article; quotes reproduced verbatim.
