REVEALED: Michael Jackson’s Mom Katherine Launched Fierce Fight Against Late Son’s Estate Over ‘Confidential’ Deal Months Before Blockbuster $600 Million Catalog Sale
Feb. 12 2024, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine and the executors running his estate have been locked in a fierce battle for over a year — regarding a confidential deal worth hundreds of millions – that the late pop star’s mom was unsuccessful in trying to block.
Last week, it was revealed that Michael’s estate, run by executors John Branca and John McClain, had reached a massive deal to sell off a portion of the entertainer’s music catalog.
Sony agreed to purchase half of Michael’s catalog for an estimated $600 million. The deal valued the entire catalog’s value at $1.2 billion. The deal included Michael’s biggest hits like Beat It and Bad — but did not include the rights to songs from musicals about Michael.
The timing of the deal is interesting.
Late singer Michael Jackson has long been accused of abusing children.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, in 2022, the executors asked the court to approve a lucrative transaction with a third party. Branca and McClain, who have overseen the estate since Michael’s death in 2009, said they believed the deal needed to be executed quickly.
The beneficiaries of Michael’s estate are his three children: Paris, Prince, and Blanket. He included a provision in his will that created a separate trust for his mother Katherine to be taken care of for the remainder of her life.
A couple of weeks later, Katherine asked that the deal not be approved and she be provided additional information about the proposed transaction.
Branca and McClain fired back at Katherine’s attempt to block the deal. They accused her of previously objecting to deals that turned out to be uber-profitable for the estate.
- 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 Jackson’s Estate Fears His Mother Katherine’s Objections Will Torpedo Deal Potentially Worth Hundreds Of Millions For Late Pop Star's Kids
- Michael Jackson’s Family War: Estate Executors Reveal Katherine’s $3.7 Million Tax Debt in Fight Over Music Catalog Sale
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The lawsuit makes note of Nevada's specific likeness laws, which allow for the use of a celebrity's appearance by "impersonators in live performances," also citing the First Amendment.
The duo said Katherine tried to stop the concert film This is it! that was released after Michael’s death. The estate said the film became one of the highest-grossing concert films of all time and brought in millions for Michael’s children.
The estate demanded the deal be approved. They claimed it could be worth more than $400 million.
The court signed off on the request despite Katherine’s objections.
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.”
However, Katherine filed an appeal of the decision which is still pending. It’s unclear if the deal could be undone if Katherine is successful on appeal.
In court documents, Branca and McClain have regularly praised their own work.
In one filing fighting Katherine’s opposition to the deal, they pointed out the estate was heavily in debt before they came abord.
“The Estate was teetering on the verge of collapse, with more than $400 million in debt that encumbered Michael’s most significant assets and little or no liquidity or means to service that debt. Through creative thinking, hard work and business savvy—and, of course, Michael’s extraordinary creative legacy—the Executors transformed the MJJ Business into a profitable enterprise,” the executors said.
Michael's family has not publicly commented on the music catalog sale.
As we first reported, Katherine recently demanded the estate pay her $500k to cover her legal fees fighting them in court.