Michael Jackson’s son, Blanket, has urged a Los Angeles judge to prevent his grandmother, Katherine Jackson, from using funds from the late singer’s estate to finance her legal disputes against the estate’s executors.
Blanket contends that the estate should not cover the costs of Katherine Jackson’s appeal, where she challenges a previous ruling allowing the co-executors John Branca and John McClain to pursue a $600 million deal with Sony.
Although not explicitly stated in court documents, reports say the legal dispute revolves around the Jackson estate’s $600 million deal with Sony involving the sale of part of Michael Jackson’s catalog.
The recent objections raised by Blanket, Michael Jackson’s son, underscore a division between him and his grandmother, Katherine Jackson.
Both initially opposed the deal, but after a court ruling allowed it to proceed, Blanket and Jackson’s other children accepted the decision. However, Katherine Jackson continued to contest it, filing an appeal that is still pending, according to Billboard.
In December, Katherine Jackson requested that the estate cover her legal expenses related to her objections, including the ongoing appellate case. However, in a recent filing, Blanket argued against this, stating it would be unfair for him and his siblings to foot the bill for a case with low chances of success.
“It is readily apparent that a reversal on appeal would be an extreme longshot,” wrote lawyers for Blanket, who now uses the name Bigi.
“Given those odds, Bigi decided not to waste his resources to participate in an appeal. Nonetheless, Katherine has decided to appeal this court’s ruling. That decision is not for the benefit of the heirs.”
The exact amount Katherine Jackson is seeking for her legal fees remains unclear. Court documents show that she requested over $561,548 to cover expenses related to her initial objections and the ongoing appeal.
However, the estate executors strongly oppose covering costs for what they deem a “failed objection” and “meritless appeal.”
In the recent filing, Michael Jackson’s son didn’t entirely reject his grandmother’s request. He suggested that the estate should cover her legal bills for her initial opposition to the deal, arguing that her input provided crucial evidence and benefited all heirs and beneficiaries.
But he raised concerns about the total cost of legal fees Katherine Jackson requested, suggesting they might be excessive, particularly questioning the need for four lawyers charging hourly rates ranging from $840 to $1,400.
He further contended that any expenses related to the ongoing appeal should be denied altogether, asserting that the initial ruling permitting the deal was thoroughly justified and did not warrant further legal challenge.
“Katherine’s petition has the practical effect of requiring Bigi and his siblings pay for her appeal,” Blanket wrote. “It would be unfair to make those beneficiaries shoulder this burden when they expressly decided an appeal would not be in their best interests.”
