Paris Jackson has taken legal action against the executors of her late father’s estate, asking a Los Angeles judge to compel the release of approximately $600 million into a long-unfunded trust established to support her and her two brothers.
In a comprehensive new court petition, the 28-year-old singer and actress reveals that the Michael Jackson Family Trust designed to provide financial security for herself, Prince Jackson (29), and Bigi Jackson (24) remains completely unfunded more than 17 years after the pop icon’s death in 2009. The petition details a significant discrepancy between the estate’s massive reserves and the delayed distributions, noting that an official accounting filed at the end of 2024 showed approximately $850 million in liquid cash and cash-equivalent assets on hand. From this liquid surplus, Paris is specifically requesting a $600 million partial transfer, with arguments on the motion set to take place before a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on December 4, 2026.
Unfunded Trust and Governance Disputes
According to the legal filing, Michael Jackson’s will stipulated that his three children were to receive distributions from the family trust as they reached key age milestones. However, the filing contends that the estate’s management has failed to present or implement a formal trust-funding plan to the court.
Paris’ legal team argues that the lack of structure has left the heirs reliant on discretionary disbursements overseen by estate executor John Branca, creating a power dynamic that she claims limits the beneficiaries ability to monitor management decisions. The filing emphasizes:
“More than seventeen years after his passing, Michael Jackson’s family trust remains unfunded… [Executors] have never presented any plan for funding the Michael Jackson Family Trust to the Court. That needs to change.”
Liquidity and Asset Breakdown
Paris’s petition highlights that even after reserving conservative amounts for ongoing tax liabilities and legal reserves, the estate possesses ample capital for an immediate distribution. Since 2009, the estate has generated billions through high-profile catalog and property transactions. Major financial windfalls for the estate have included lucrative catalog acquisitions and stake sales with Sony Music Publishing, the 2018 sale of the estate’s EMI Music Publishing stake for $287.5 million, and the 2020 sale of the historic Sycamore Valley Ranch ”formerly known as Neverland Ranch for $22 million alongside other real estate holdings.
Estate Response and Pending Court Date
Representatives and legal counsel for the estate maintain that full distribution into the trusts has been delayed primarily due to unresolved tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) involving potential tax liabilities and penalties, as well as complex lingering litigation. Estate representatives rejected claims of improper withholding, emphasizing that asset preservation remains necessary to safeguard against federal tax demands.
This motion marks an escalation in ongoing legal friction between Paris Jackson and estate management, following challenges regarding administrative fees and prior court orders concerning outside legal expenses.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the $600 million trust distribution petition on December 4, 2026.
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