The executors of Michael Jackson's estate have pushed back against his daughter Paris Jackson's challenge to their spending, saying her objections "betray a complete lack of understanding about how the motion picture industry works," Billboard reports.
John Branca and John McClain, who have managed the King of Pop's fortune since his 2009 death, filed a response Thursday in Los Angeles probate court defending their stewardship of the estate and their roles as producers on the upcoming Michael biopic.
Paris, 27, has challenged various expenditures by Branca and McClain this past fall, accusing them of trying to "enrich and aggrandize" themselves through their work as producers on Michael. She also criticized Branca's casting choice of Miles Teller to play a younger version of himself in the film.
In their court filing, the executors characterized her complaints as without merit.
"These meritless objections are a profound waste of the court's time and, ironically, the estate's money," the executors wrote in their Thursday response.
The co-executors emphasized their track record managing Michael's legacy, noting their work has generated billions of dollars for the estate, of which $65 million has already been distributed to Paris. Much of that revenue stems from entertainment projects they produced, including the Broadway show MJ The Musical and the 2009 documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It.
"The objections complain about the executors' qualifications to act as producers but seem to be wholly ignorant of the fact that the executors have produced several projects involving Michael Jackson. Those efforts have been wildly successful," attorney Jonathan Steinsapir wrote on behalf of Branca and McClain.
In late 2025, Paris Jackson and her legal team proposed adding a third executor to the estate, which is not stated in Michael’s will. “This is about control,” a source told Page Six. “Paris’ attorney sees the opportunity. This man wants to take control of Michael Jackson’s estate.”
The executors noted that This Is It is the highest-grossing concert documentary in history, surpassing Taylor Swift's 2023 The Eras Tour theatrical release.
Branca and McClain also defended a 2021 financial settlement with Michael's producing partner Quincy Jones, arguing it was a prudent business decision made "to effectively guarantee peace with Quincy Jones and his heirs forever."
Regarding Paris's complaints about the estate's failure to invest in stocks and bonds in 2021, the executors explained the IRS required them to keep funds in escrow due to tax litigation over the sale of Michael's stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
"The executors recognize that they are, by definition, the 'grown-ups' here — that is the whole point of a fiduciary," the filing stated. "No payment made by this estate, in its 16 year history, has been disallowed."
In a statement to Billboard, Steinsapir said, "Ms. Jackson and her attorneys are once again abusing the courts and the legal system by making a series of false allegations as part of a media campaign to distract from their legal setbacks and the inherent weakness of their case.”
