Paris Jackson accuses Michael Jackson estate manager of ‘persistent incompetence’ in new court filing

The singer and actress accuses John Branca of failing to provide complete financial records as the estate disputes her claims.

Paris Jackson is challenging the fee paid to Michael Jackson estate manager John Branca, asking a judge to cut the rate from 15% to 10% of gross entertainment-related income. Her request follows allegations of financial mismanagement and the estate’s earlier defense, and centers on whether Branca has provided complete financial records.

In court documents obtained by TMZ, Paris, 28, asked a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to apply the reduction to 2023 and 2024, plus subsequent years until the estate files a complete and accurate 2026 accounting. She accuses Branca of “persistent incompetence” over what she describes as late or incomplete financial statements.

Paris also challenges a request to approve $109,219,648.27 in combined compensation for the estate’s co-executors and a law firm. She argues that someone seeking approval for payments of that size should first provide complete accounts showing how the money was handled. She wants the estate to cover her legal costs, saying the challenge could benefit its beneficiaries.

The estate rejects the accusations. A representative told TMZ the motion was “completely without merit,” saying Branca and fellow executor John McClain waived executor compensation and instead received a separate, court-ordered management fee for running Michael Jackson’s business. McClain died in May 2026, leaving Branca as sole executor.

The representative said the 2023 and 2024 accountings had already been filed, while reports for 2025 and 2026 were not yet due. Paris’ representatives maintain that earlier submissions were incomplete. The two sides disagree on whether Branca has met his accounting obligations.

The dispute became public last year, when Paris questioned payments to lawyers and the handling of hundreds of millions of dollars held in cash reserves. In April, a judge ordered the return of $625,000 in bonuses paid to outside lawyers after finding the payments had not been adequately justified.

Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi, are beneficiaries of their father’s trust. The Michael Jackson estate says Branca’s management helped turn the operation from heavily indebted after the singer’s 2009 death into a business worth billions. A hearing on her latest request is scheduled for December 4.