Paris Jackson’s bitter battle for her late father Michael Jackson’s fortune has taken another dramatic turn.
A Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday that the King of Pop’s longtime executor John Branca can keep certain financial information confidential as part of ongoing litigation over his handling of the estate, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
In two separate rulings issued Nov. 4, Judge Brenda J. Penny granted Branca’s requests to seal limited portions of court documents containing confidential information about the executor’s attorney fees, legal costs and estate accounting.
One order specifically authorizes Branca to withhold “confidential, nonpublic information regarding the amount of attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the executor” involved in a dispute over the reasonableness of his actions.
The second decision concerns information relating to the “Fourteenth current account and administration report of the estate and request for settlement thereof; and for instructions regarding family allowances.”
The judge determined that making the information public could create a “substantial likelihood of harm” to the estate’s interests in pending litigation, future negotiations and ongoing business matters.
Both motions were unopposed.
The rulings mark a legal victory for Branca as he continues to face scrutiny over his handling of the late singer’s multibillion-dollar estate.
However, the orders do not indicate that Paris, 28, objected to the requests or that the judge ruled directly against her.
In a third court order issued the same day, attorneys informed the judge that a separate matter involving motions previously heard on Oct. 7 had been resolved.
The document does not specify the terms of the resolution or identify the issues that were settled.
Representatives for Paris and Branca did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
The latest developments come just days after Paris demanded that Branca transfer $600 million from her father’s estate to the family trust intended to benefit her and her brothers, Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24.
As Page Six exclusively reported, the singer filed an explosive petition on October 29 accusing Branca of withholding the siblings’ inheritance and maintaining an “iron fist” over when and how much money they receive.
Paris claims the family trust remains unfunded more than 17 years after her father’s death, despite the estate generating billions of dollars.
She further alleges that Branca retaliated against her for questioning his handling of the estate by reducing payments to her and her brothers by several million dollars.
According to the filing, Michael intended for his children to begin receiving income from their respective trusts at age 21, followed by a portion of their primary inheritance at ages 30, 35 and 40.
Paris says the estate has about $600 million available to distribute, even after accounting for unpaid financial obligations.
An estate spokesperson previously denied his allegations, telling Page Six that the claim that Branca withheld or reduced payments was “a complete fabrication.”
The representative insisted that more than $200 million had already been distributed or spent to benefit Michael’s children and other beneficiaries.
The estate also argued that unresolved legal issues, including an ongoing dispute with the IRS, prevented the family trust from being fully funded.
The Paris petition is due to be heard on December 3.
Michael died in June 2009 at the age of 50.
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