Paris Jackson’s clash with the executors of Michael Jackson’s estate has stalled, after a Los Angeles referee ruled in the estate’s favor on several procedural issues that weaken parts of her most recent petition.
The ruling came from retired Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff, who is presiding over the dispute.
According to court documents obtained by People, Beckloff sided with executors John Branca and John McClain, agreeing that several portions of Paris’ filing should be struck. Their request was based on California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects parties from retaliatory claims tied to their own protected court filings.
A representative for Paris downplayed the significance of the ruling, telling People that the decision “is limited to minor procedural issues” and doesn’t alter her broader concerns.
“The pattern of behavior displayed by the executors and their attorneys raises significant red flags,” the statement added, noting that an amended petition will be filed.
Paris’ petition questions the financial choices made by Branca and McClain, who have managed the estate since 2009. She claims the executors approved attorney payments without enough oversight, pointing to non-contractual gifts up to $250,000 and what she describes as questionable bonuses.
She’s also asking for a review of a 2010 order that lets the estate make certain legal payments without getting court approval beforehand.
In her filing, Paris said a “five-year and growing lag” in assessing fees has made it difficult for beneficiaries—including her, Prince, and Bigi—to fully evaluate the estate’s spending. She wants the executors to submit detailed petitions for attorney payments from 2019 through 2023.
Although the motion to strike didn’t weigh in on the truth of her financial claims, the estate argued that Paris’ petition leaned on their own court filings, which they said fall under protected activity. Beckloff agreed, removing those sections and granting the executors attorneys’ fees tied to the motion.
The decision is the latest turn in a long-running dispute. Previous filings from the estate pointed out that Paris has received roughly $65 million in benefits from her father’s assets—money they say was made possible through their strategic management, which helped pull the estate out of more than $500 million in debt.
