Paris Jackson has clashed with the estate of her late father, Michael Jackson, in an ongoing legal battle that has now taken another turn. On 26 February, Paris’s legal team filed an opposition brief against the estate executors, asserting that their previous anti-SLAPP motion was an unnecessary expenditure of resources intended to increase the costs and duration of the proceedings for her.
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This latest filing follows a motion submitted by the estate’s attorneys in January, wherein they sought over £115,000 in costs and legal fees related to their anti-SLAPP claim. The executors had originally filed this motion in November 2025, asserting it was a measured response to Paris’s petition to rescind certain proceedings regarding how legal fees are taken from the estate.
Paris’s opposition, filed in a Los Angeles court, contends that the executors’ anti-SLAPP motion had no substantive impact on the litigation other than causing delays. The document alleges that the estate’s legal strategy was fundamentally flawed, highlighting that the court had approved the anti-SLAPP motion while affirming that it did not dismiss any of the causes of action raised by Paris.
The legal dispute has exposed a rift within the estate’s administration, with Paris’s team accusing the executors—John McClain and John Branca—of allowing law firms involved in the case to receive improper payments while simultaneously pursuing legal actions against her. The brief points out that in the process of contesting Paris’s claims, the executors paid these law firms an alarming sum of £115,355.52, which they describe as a self-serving expense that the executors had a duty to mitigate.
In their opposition, Paris’s attorneys called into question the necessity of the anti-SLAPP motion, arguing that it was not a legitimate defence but rather a procedural hurdle that could have been avoided. They state, “Executors allowed two of the same law firms who received improper payments to attack Paris,” seeking to frame the litigation as a wasteful endeavour rather than a quest for genuine legal relief.
The dispute encompasses significant financial implications, with reports indicating that Paris Jackson has already benefitted to the tune of approximately £65 million from her father’s estate. This financial context adds to the complexity of the ongoing legal wrangling, which has raised concerns over transparency, especially regarding the estate’s financial management practices.
Earlier filings from the estate’s executors had provided a breakdown of the claimed legal fees, detailing costs associated with the anti-SLAPP motion alone. They included an itemised list of nearly £93,925 in fees and an additional £1,238 in costs related to their defence against Paris’s petition.
The tension between Paris Jackson and her father’s estate underscores broader issues within celebrity estates, including beneficiaries’ rights and executor transparency. Paris has been vocal about her dissatisfaction regarding the estate’s handling of funds, particularly concerning alleged excessive bonuses and payouts that have not been duly justified.
Even as the legal manoeuvring continues, the court will ultimately determine the validity of the claims made by both sides. Given the nature of the proceedings and the high-profile status of the parties involved, further developments are anticipated. The Jackson estate’s attorneys have yet to respond publicly to this latest opposition brief filed by Paris Jackson.
As this situation unfolds, it continues to offer a glimpse into the complexities and challenges of managing a legendary artist’s legacy, particularly when beneficiaries seek greater oversight and accountability from estate executors.