Paris Jackson slammed the two executors running Michael Jackson’s estate and trashed some of the production decisions behind the upcoming biopic in the process … but a lawyer for the estate scoffed at her complaints and called them “without merit.”
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Paris has been fighting with John Branca and John McClain — the principal figures managing MJ’s estate since the pop star died in 2009 — over financial matters … and now she’s blasting them over the upcoming biopic Michael.
Paris has spoken out about the film in the past, and it seems she is not over her gripes with it.MJ’s daughter says she wishes those involved in the film well, but “that does not change potential concerns” she has with the estate’s involvement. She claims Branca used his position as producer to cast A-list actor Miles Teller to play himself, but questioned the move, saying it’s “unclear how this peculiar and presumably costly casting decision will result in commensurate box office receipts.”
TMZ.com
She also says Branca’s lack of experience producing’ films “may be the root of reports that the estate has had to fund tens of millions of dollars in reshoots after the terms of a well-known settlement agreement prevented the production from using substantial amounts of footage already shot.” Paris said she was concerned it was a “botched production on a” 3.5-hour biopic “which the estate has reportedly invested at least some, if not all of the $150 million budget, is troubling, to say the least.”
Paris also claimed McClain and Branca used the estate funds to invest in risky projects. She said the executors were paid $7.9 million in compensation in 2021 alone … and have received in total over $148 million dollars from the estate since MJ’s death in 2009 through 2021.
Lawyers for Branca and McClain scoffed at Paris’ claims. They said Paris and her lawyers have “either not been paying attention over the past several years or simply want to object for objections’ sake.”
They added that Paris and co. “seem far more interested in playing media games by making headline-grabbing, yet false, accusations; raising specific ‘concerns’ over issues previously addressed and resolved, and staging tabloid press photo ops strutting into hearings with obvious props.”
The lawyer said Paris’ claims Branca had no experience producing was nonsense. They said she ignored the fact that the executors produced several projects involving MJ. “Those efforts have been wildly successful,” the lawyer claimed while pointing to the Cirque du Soleil shows, the “highest-grossing concert documentary of all time,” and a wildly successful live show on Broadway.
The executors said Paris’ apparent issues with them spending money on the biopic are ludicrous. They argue it would be “irresponsible not to explore a major motion picture based on Michael Jackson’s life” – even if the estate had decided not to go forward with producing one, particularly given the great success of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the biopic about Freddie Mercury.
In regard to Paris’ problems with the biopic, the executors said Paris was offered a meeting with them but her lawyer never got back to them about a proposed non-disclosure agreement.
Attorney Jonathan Steinsapir told TMZ, “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.”
Jonathan continued, “The vast majority of her ‘claims’ have been either approved by her legal team or by the court in prior years’ accounting, but those facts have been routinely ignored by her attorneys. Others are based on false or misleading information.”
“To be clear, the estate and its executors have never given a single gift to anyone for any reason. Additionally, no payment ever made by the estate has ever been disallowed by the court or determined to be unauthorized,” Jonathan said. “The executors have been meticulous and conscientious in every decision that they have made. It is shocking that Ms. Jackson, through her attorneys have made these false and specious objections, considering she has and will continue to benefit substantially from dedicated and tireless work of the executors of the estate. Ms. Jackson has already received roughly $65 million in benefits and stands to inherit many hundreds of millions more.”
Jonathan added, “This is from an estate that was $500 million in debt and facing bankruptcy at the time of Michael’s death, but was turned by the executors into a business generating billions in revenue.”