Paris Jackson has once again leveled accusations against the individual who oversees her late father’s business affairs.
Michael Jackson’s daughter is intensifying her legal confrontation with John Branca, the executor of the estate, arguing in fresh court documents that he seeks to award himself over $100 million (£75 million) for a mere two years of service.
Paris, who has long clashed with Branca over his duties as Michael’s executor, contended in a filing dated 28 October in a Los Angeles court that the executor has supplied nothing but “defective filings” to justify the sizable fees.
“This is not the first occasion on which the Executor is accused of dodging disclosure duties through incomplete paperwork,” the documents claim, as reported by Billboard.
“Nevertheless, this particular instance is especially egregious because the flawed filings include a bid for approval of more than one hundred million dollars in compensation.”
To penalize the alleged lapses, Paris seeks to cut Branca’s fee from 15 percent to 10 percent of the estate’s gross earnings derived from entertainment-related activities.
The Jackson estate issued a sharply worded response, labeling Paris’s request as “nonsensical” and “absurd”.
It pointed out that Branca had, in fact, relinquished compensation from the outset and has only ever received “a separate, court-ordered management fee for operating the hugely successful Michael Jackson business”.
“It is an understatement to say that this motion is completely without merit, nor is it argued on facts,” the estate added in its response.
Branca and his co-executor have previously highlighted their proven track record, noting that their efforts have transformed the estate from roughly $500 million (£375 million) in debt to a current valuation of more than $2 billion (£1.5 billion).
Earlier, in May, Paris prevailed in a court ruling against the executors in which a judge determined that $625,000 (£469,000) in bonuses paid to three outside law firms had been improper and must be “returned to the estate”.
