Paris Jackson is taking her late father Michael Jackson’s estate back to court, demanding that a judge order the executors to fully fund the family trust and distribute money according to the singer’s will.
The 28-year-old filed legal documents last week accusing the estate of failing to transfer money into the trust, more than 17 years after Michael Jackson died in 2009.
According to the filing, Michael intended his beneficiaries — Paris and her brothers, Prince and Bigi Jackson — to begin receiving income from the trust when they turned 21, with distributions from the principal beginning at age 30.
Paris argues that those arrangements have not been properly implemented. She claims at least $600 million in distributable cash is available to fund the trust, but says the beneficiaries have not received what they are entitled to under their father’s estate plan.
She is also challenging the role of John Branca, one of the estate’s executors, accusing him of using his authority over distributions to discourage scrutiny of his management. Paris further alleges that the estate has retaliated against her by restricting the money she receives.
The filing reportedly points to statements made by estate officials in 2011, when they told the court they were considering a separate petition for preliminary distributions. Paris argues that the promised action never materialised.
However, Michael Jackson’s estate strongly disputes her claims, saying unresolved legal matters have prevented it from fully funding the individual and philanthropic trusts.
A representative for the estate told TMZ that one of the major obstacles is ongoing litigation with the Internal Revenue Service, which previously sought $700 million in taxes and penalties.
The estate says it secured a ruling that significantly reduced the amount being disputed, but the matter remains unresolved and could still change.
The representative also rejected allegations that payments to Paris and the other beneficiaries had been withheld or reduced, claiming that more than $200 million had already been distributed for their benefit.
The estate further maintains that Michael’s will does not allow the children to receive distributions until they reach their 30s.
The legal dispute has also drawn sharp criticism from both sides. Estate attorney Jonathan Steinsapir accused Paris and her legal team of making false allegations and using the court process as part of a media campaign.
Paris’ representative rejected that characterisation, arguing that she had no choice but to seek judicial intervention after years of delays.
The latest disagreement follows previous tensions between Paris and the estate, including her criticism of how her father’s biopic was handled and the costly reshoots that followed.
For now, Paris is asking the court to intervene and require the estate to transfer money into the family trust. The estate, however, insists that outstanding legal issues must be resolved before full funding can take place.
