Paris Jackson asks Los Angeles judge to fund family trust from Michael Jackson estate

Paris Jackson has asked a Los Angeles judge to order a transfer from Michael Jackson's estate into the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the fund created to support her and her brothers, Prince and Bigi. The petition was filed on 29 October 2026, more than 17 years after the singer's death in June 2009.

Paris, a singer and actress, argues that the estate's administrators have delayed funding the trust for years, despite the income the late singer's legacy has generated since 2009. The filing is part of a run of disagreements between her and those who manage the estate, in particular John Branca, the executor and its current head.

What the trust was meant to pay

Under the terms of the trust, the siblings were due to begin receiving income from their respective shares at 21. They were also meant to gain access to part of the capital at 30, with further distributions at 35 and 40. Paris maintains that the trust has still not received the funds it should hold, and her petition argues that the administrators have enough resources to make a partial transfer.

Her lawyers point to the estate's major commercial transactions: the sale of its stake in EMI Music Publishing in 2018, the sale of the Neverland ranch in 2020 and a 2023 agreement with Sony covering Jackson's music and other intellectual property rights. According to the filing, those deals brought substantial cash into the estate before taxes and expenses. A financial report from December 2024 recorded cash and liquid assets, and Paris considers that a portion of that sum could be distributed to the trust. She asks the court to order the transfer or, failing that, whatever amount it judges appropriate.

An ongoing legal fight

This is not the first time Paris has challenged how the estate is run. In May she won a favourable ruling in a dispute over bonuses paid to outside law firms in 2018, which a judge ordered to be returned to the estate. In October she lodged a separate challenge against Branca, accusing him of failing in his duty to account for the estate's finances and of not providing sufficient information about their management. She also questioned the administration commission the executor receives.

The new petition will be reviewed by a Los Angeles judge at a hearing scheduled for 4 December. Details of the filing were reported by People, citing court documents.