Paris Jackson, the daughter of the late Michael Jackson, is making legal moves to secure a portion of her father’s estate, which she claims has not been properly funded for over 17 years. In a recent court filing, Paris has requested that a judge order the transfer of $600 million to the Michael Jackson Family Trust that is meant to benefit her and her two brothers, Prince and Bigi.
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The trust, established after the King of Pop’s death in 2009, was intended to provide financial support for his three children. According to Paris, significant revenue has been generated from the estate through various business ventures and property transactions, yet the siblings have yet to receive any funds as per the trust’s stipulations. The trusts were designed to allow the children to start receiving income once they turned 21 and to provide significant distributions at ages 30, 35, and 40.
Paris, now 28, highlighted in her legal filing that the lack of funding is concerning, particularly as her brother Prince is nearing his 30th birthday while she will be 29 in April, and Bigi is turning 25 in February. She expressed frustration at being reliant on the estate’s remaining executor, John Branca, for financial distributions, which she claims have not occurred according to their father’s wishes.
Legal representatives for Paris emphasised that the estate’s financial successes, including a lucrative $287.5 million deal in 2018 for their interest in EMI Music Publishing, a $22 million sale of Neverland Ranch in 2020, and a recent agreement with Sony regarding Michael’s music and other intellectual properties, could afford the trust a partial distribution. They assert that the estate has accumulated over $1 billion in cash pre-tax and expenses, with recent accounts indicating around $850 million in liquidity as of December 2024.
The petition also recalls a previous statement from the estate’s executors in 2011, in which they indicated a potential request for financial distributions that, according to Paris’ legal team, never materialised. This ongoing dispute has arisen amidst broader issues between Paris and the estate regarding financial management. Since challenging the administration of the estate last year, Paris claims she has faced public criticism and substantial reductions in the financial support given to her and her siblings.
In response to these allegations, the Michael Jackson Estate maintains that it cannot fully distribute the trusts until various legal issues are resolved, emphasising the ongoing litigation with the IRS, which previously sought $700 million in taxes and penalties. While the estate has secured a ruling to reduce this amount, the matter remains unsettled.
The estate’s statement asserted that there is no withholding of funds from the beneficiaries and labelled Paris’ claims a “complete fabrication.” They clarified that over $200 million has already been distributed in their benefit and reiterated that the terms of Michael Jackson’s will dictate that none of his children receive distributions until they reach their 30s.
In a rebuttal, a spokesperson for Paris accused the estate of incompetence in managing the trust and suggested that Branca had long been capable of initiating a partial funding. The situation has evidently pushed Paris to take judicial steps herself after years of perceived delays.
This recent court filing is not Paris’ first encounter with the estate’s management; earlier in the year, a judge mandated the return of $625,000 in bonus payments given to outside law firms, siding with Paris’ challenge to these payments.
The estate’s administrators, Branca and the late John McClain, who passed away in May 2026, have been at the helm of the estate’s operations since Michael Jackson’s untimely death in June 2009. A court hearing to consider Paris’ request for the important funding is scheduled for December 4. Paris is urging the judge to approve the transfer of $600 million to their family trust or to approve a different amount deemed appropriate by the court.
As this legal saga unfolds, it reflects the complexities surrounding celebrity estates and the often tumultuous relationships between heirs and executors. The outcome may greatly impact the financial future of Paris and her siblings as they navigate their father’s legacy.
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