Paris Jackson is reportedly seeking roughly $3 million in repayment for herself and her family from those overseeing her father’s estate, according to court filings.
Documents obtained by US Weekly indicate that the 28-year-old is asking Michael Jackson estate manager John Branca to reimburse $1.1 million in legal expenses tied to their ongoing dispute. She also claims estate money was used to cover gifts amounting to as much as $2.85 million.
“All Paris has ever wanted is fair treatment for her family, but the Estate has tried to block her at every turn,” a source close to her legal team told US Weekly.
The same source also told the magazine that ‘John Branca had been mismanaging the Jackson estate’, describing the ‘wasteful spending, financial mismanagement and litigiation’ directed at the beneficiaries as ‘mind boggling’.
“Branca needs to commit to accountability and real transparency,” they added.
Paris is also said to be challenging Branca’s bid to keep certain documents under seal. TMZ reports those records include paperwork linked to her objections over his request for fee payments.
Lawyers for the estate, meanwhile, have argued that they are obligated to safeguard confidential legal communications.
She further contends that the estate is still unresolved 17 years later because of the way it has been handled, and says that she, Prince and Bigi have been left unaware of key financial developments involving the estate.
In a response included in the court papers obtained by US Weekly, the opposition [Paris] ‘ignores the foregoing realities’ and is ‘filled with irrelevant attacks’, which claim ‘the Executor’ is responsible for the fact the Estate hasn’t been closed.
A court hearing focused on attorney’s fees is currently expected in September.
Since the latest round of filings, co-executor John McClain has died, leaving Branca as the surviving public face of the estate’s administration. The estate has remained one of the most lucrative in entertainment, with posthumous projects including the stage show MJ: The Musical and the biopic Michael, which opened in theaters in April 2026 after delays and reportedly costly reshoots.
Earlier this year, in March, Paris signaled that she did not want to be involved with the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael. She accused co-executors John Branca and John McClain of poor financial decision-making and insufficient transparency in the years following her father’s death in 2009.
TMZ previously reported that Paris had raised concerns about parts of the film’s budget, which was then said to be around $150 million.
“The estate has had to fund tens of millions of dollars in reshoots after the terms of a well-known settlement agreement prevented the production from using substantial amounts of footage already shot,” she added.
However, attorney Jonathan Steinsapir rejected those allegations in a statement to the outlet, calling them ‘without merit’ and accusing her side of making ‘headline-grabbing’ allegations.