Katherine Jackson, the mother of the late Michael Jackson, has reportedly received over $55 million since the singer's death.
The late King of Pop's estate has filed legal documents in their battle with Katherine, 93, over her attorney's bills, which she wants the estate to reimburse, a spokesman told TMZ.
Katherine Jackson Received Over $55 Million Since Son's Death
Michael's mother Katherine Jackson is involved in a court battle with the estate executors for the payment of her legal bills.
This adds another level of intricacy to the already complicated legal battles that have been going on for more than ten years since Michael's tragic death in 2009.
The estate contends that Katherine has received a huge sum of money and various benefits since Michael's passing, amounting to a staggering $55 million over nearly 15 years. A significant portion of this sum, approximately $33 million, is said to have come from a monthly allowance exceeding $160,000.
Blanket "Bigi" Jackson, Michael's son, has taken legal action to prevent his grandmother from using estate monies to meet her legal fees, which are apparently amounting to nearly $5000,000.
This current controversy is the result of a legal action that was begun by Blanket Jackson, who is 22 years old. They had previously stood together in opposition to the estate's attempts to sell a portion of Michael's music collection. However, this move indicates a change from their previous united position.
In legal documents obtained by Dailymail.com earlier this month, the two executors of the estate, John Branca and John McClain, filed paperwork in Los Angeles Superior Court to halt Katherine's pursuit of $561,548 from them. This legal dispute is connected to the late Thriller singer's catalog.
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Michael Jackson's Family Dispute
Katherine has filed court documents requesting a significant amount of money in a motion. She claims to have spent this sum on legal fees in her efforts to prevent Branca and McClain from selling her late son's work.
In 2022, Branca and McClain requested court approval to sell the catalog of the late Michael Jackson. This move prompted his mother to file documents expressing her objection to the potential sale.
In a recent court hearing, Katherine shared that her son, who had a well-known dispute with Paul McCartney in the 1980s regarding the purchase of Beatles material publishing rights, expressed his strong desire for his catalog to remain unsold. He believed that it was his lifeline, as reported by Radar earlier this month.
Branca and McClain argued in court that Katherine consistently opposes business transactions that could benefit the estate. They also emphasized that the current market conditions make it the ideal time to sell Jackson's work, as it would fetch the highest possible value.
According to Radar, Branca and McClain informed the court that the financial situation of Michael Jackson's estate was extremely precarious and in desperate need of a cash injection. This information was revealed after a thorough examination of legal documents.
The executors said the estate faced a crucial burden of over $400 million in debt, which heavily impacted Michael Jackson's valuable assets. Unfortunately, there was a lack of available funds to address this debt.
According to Radar, Katherine filed an appeal against the judge's decision to grant Branca and McClain permission to pursue a sale of the catalog. She argued that the executors were overreaching in their authority.
Branca and McClain have filed papers in response, objecting to Katherine's appeal. They assert their rights as executors. The court's decision on the appeal is still pending.
In a recent development, the estate made an announcement regarding a partial sale. Sony has acquired the rights to half of Jackson's material for a staggering $600 million, despite Katherine's objections.
Michael Jackson's eldest son, Prince, 27, expressed his desire to maintain confidentiality regarding his stance on the matter, as conveyed by his legal representatives.
In court documents filed last June, Prince's lawyers portrayed him as a private individual who did not actively seek or welcome attention regarding the specific proposed transaction or the broader details of his involvement in it.
According to sources, the disclosure of an individual beneficiary's stance on the transaction could potentially hinder the completion of this deal or any future negotiations.
Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris, 25, made a statement through her legal team last June expressing her desire to maintain confidentiality regarding her involvement in this matter. She cited a range of personal family reasons for her decision.
