Estate War: Michael Jackson’s Children Paris and Blanket Fought Late Singer's Executors Over Secret Deal Before $600 Million Music Catalog Sale Was Revealed
Michael's children were not on board with a proposed deal.
Feb. 15 2024, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Michael Jackson’s 92-year-old mother Katherine revealed two of the late pop star’s children objected to a massive 9-figure deal proposed by the estate — but said the executors still went through with it.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Katherine blasted the executors of Michael’s estate, John McClain and John Branca, over the transaction.
Earlier this month, it was revealed the estate sold half of Michael’s catalog to Sony for $600 million. Katherine and the executors have been fighting in court for months over a secret deal. Both sides have filed heavily redacted paperwork which have not revealed many specifics.
All signs point to the sale of the music catalog being the transaction being fought over.
As we first reported, in 2022, Branca and McClain asked the probate court to approve a lucrative deal. At the time, they said it could bring in over $400 million for Michael’s beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries of Michael’s estate are his three children Prince, Paris, and Blanket — along with Katherine.
Branca and McClain redacted their motion which kept the details of the deal hidden from the public.
In response, Katherine filed a motion that opposed the deal. Her publicly filed motion did not reveal the reasons behind her attempt to block the proposed transaction.
Katherine said the deal should NOT go through.
Branca and McClain fired back at Katherine. They accused her of having tried to interfere with deals that turned out to be profitable for the estate. The executors claimed Katherine was not on board with the concert film This is It! which was released after Michael’s death in 2009.
The duo said the film turned out to be one of the highest-grossing concert films of all time. In addition, the estate claimed if the deal wasn’t signed off on quickly — they may lose out.
Despite Katherine testifying in court about her objections, the probate court judge granted the executors’ motion and approved the deal.
The order stated, “The proposed transaction is approved, and the executors are authorized and instructed to take all actions necessary to implement the proposed transaction, including but not limited to signing all contracts and performing all obligations required of the estate.”
Katherine filed an appeal of the decision.
RadarOnline.com has obtained the 48-page brief recently filed by Katherine as part of her effort to reverse the decision to approve the transaction.
In her filing, Katherine and her legal team argued the executors “have no power to cause the Estate to enter into the Proposed Transaction.” She said Michael’s will directed the executors to transfer all of his assets into The Michael Jackson Family Trust.
Michael's other son Prince didn't oppose the transaction like his siblings.
Katherine said Article III of the Last Will of Michael Joseph Jackson, executed on July 7, 2002, “give[s] [Michael’s] entire estate to the Trustee or Trustees then acting under that certain Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust executed on March 22, 2022 by [Michael] as Trustee and Trustor which is called the MICHAEL JACKSON FAMILY TRUST” (the “Trust”) with “[a]ll such assets . . . be[ing] held, managed and distributed as a part of said Trust according to its terms” and requiring the Trustees to “administer, hold and distribute the trust estate pursuant to the provisions of said Trust.”
The beneficiaries of the trust are Michael’s children and mother.
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Michael’s mom said the executors have NOT transferred all the assets to the trust.
In her filing, Katherine said the executors and the probate court judge all relied on Article V of Michael’s Will.
Article V said the executors had the right to sell Michael's property “upon terms as my Executors shall deem best.”
Her lawyer said, “By relying wholly on Article V while ignoring Article III, the Proposed Transaction Order violates the black letter law governing the interpretation of wills, including Probate Code.”
Katherine said her son’s assets have remained in the estate and have not been transferred to the Trust as instructed in the Will.
Further, Katherine argued there was no financial need for the proposed transaction.
In addition, Katherine said Paris and Blanket objected to the deal. She said Michael’s son Prince “deferred to the probate court.”
“Michael’s intention is crystal clear. Article III states in plain language that the “entire estate” shall be given to the Trust,” the motion read. “The Proposed Transaction does not give the entire Estate to the Trust. It does not give most of the Estate to the Trust. It gives none of the Estate to the Trust.”
Katherine said the probate judge said if Michael “had wanted to exclude the Music Catalog from sale … he could and should have said so.”
Michael’s mother said, “But Michael did say so. He said so in Article III, which directs that the entire Estate [redacted] … ― is to go to the family Trust.”
She said the executors were not entitled to sell the music catalog.
Her motion read, “Until the Estate, including the Music Catalog, is transferred pursuant to Article III of the Will and the law governing executors, the Executors have a contractual, legal, and fiduciary duty to preserve the Estate for the benefit of the Trust beneficiaries.”
The executors were ordered to respond to Katherine’s appeal brief by January 30. No response was filed by the due date. The sale of the music catalog was announced on February 9. It's unclear if Katherine and the executors reached a deal before the news of the sale was announced.
Neither party has informed the probate court of a deal and the appeal case is still active.
Calls for comment to the parties involved have yet to be returned.
Following the pop star's death in 2009, Michael's brother Randy said he believed the Will submitted by the executors was forgery. A lawyer for the estate denied the claims. The judge presiding over the case sided with the executors and found the Will to be valid.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, Katherine recently demanded the executors pay her $500k to cover legal fees she racked up fighting them as part of her appeal.