Michael Jackson’s estate slams Paris Jackson’s criticisms of upcoming biopic as ‘without merit’

Paris Jackson has spoken out against the new Michael Jackson biopic, calling it inaccurate and untrue to her father’s life. She’s also continuing to criticize the individuals in charge of her father’s estate who are producing the movie.

Now lawyers for the estate have responded, telling TMZ that Paris’ protests are ‘without merit.’

Last year, Paris Jackson took legal action against John Branca and John McClain, claiming they mishandled her father Michael Jackson’s estate after his death in 2009. She accused them of being financially irresponsible, secretive, and wasteful with the estate’s assets.

Okay, so she totally doesn’t approve of what’s been going on, and honestly, good for her for saying something! I just read about it on TMZ – she really let them have it, and it’s about time, if you ask me. I’ve been saying it all along, and now she said it too! It’s so validating.

Paris alleged that the estate’s co-executors spent funds from Michael Jackson’s estate on high-risk entertainment ventures, including the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic set to be released on April 24th.

Jackson’s daughter, who recently appeared in court with the estate’s executors, has expressed concern that John Branca and John McClain used money from her father’s estate to fund nearly all of the $150 million budget for a film she describes as a failed project.

Paris expressed skepticism about casting Miles Teller as himself in the upcoming biopic, wondering if the unusual and likely expensive choice will translate into strong ticket sales.

The singer and model suggested that Branca’s inexperience with filmmaking could be why the estate had to spend millions on re-shooting scenes. This was because a legal agreement stopped them from using footage they’d already filmed.

Honestly, as someone who follows these cases closely, it seems to me that Paris and her lawyers are either missing the bigger picture after all this time, or they’re just throwing objections out there for the sake of it. It’s a frustrating situation, and doesn’t seem to be about genuine legal concerns at this point.

Honestly, from what I’ve observed, it feels like she and her legal team are prioritizing publicity over substance. They seem to be focused on making dramatic, but ultimately untrue, claims to get attention. It’s like they’re bringing up old issues that have already been dealt with, and then deliberately creating photo opportunities – you know, walking into hearings with things clearly meant to make a statement. It just feels performative, rather than genuinely addressing the core issues.

According to reports, the people managing Michael Jackson’s estate have a strong background in production and have overseen several successful projects related to his work, such as the Cirque du Soleil shows and the Broadway musical, MJ.

Lawyers for the estate responded to Paris Jackson’s concerns about their spending, stating they are without merit. They argued that creating a major film about Michael Jackson’s life is a sensible idea, given the success of movies like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ and that it would be unwise not to consider such a project.

According to Branca and McClain’s legal team, Paris and her attorney didn’t even respond to a request for a meeting.

Attorney Jonathan Steinsapir stated that Ms. Jackson and her legal team are repeatedly misusing the legal system by making untrue claims, seemingly to draw attention away from their losing arguments and the flaws in their case.

‘The executors have been meticulous and conscientious in every decision that they have made.’

According to Steinsapir, Ms. Jackson has already received around $65 million in benefits and is expected to inherit hundreds of millions more.

When Michael passed away, his estate owed half a billion dollars and was on the brink of bankruptcy. However, the people managing his estate successfully transformed it into a highly profitable business worth billions.

Meanwhile, Michael the biopic has reportedly gotten support from Paris’ brother Prince.

Colman Domingo, who portrays Michael Jackson’s father, Joe, in the movie, recently shared with People that Michael’s brother, Prince, is a big supporter of the film and is even helping out as a producer.

Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, 29 – and Paris’ cousin – portrays the pop star in the movie.

In September, Paris shared on Instagram that she reviewed an early version of the script and provided feedback on parts she felt were inaccurate or didn’t seem genuine. When her concerns weren’t addressed, she decided to disengage from the project, stating it wasn’t her problem to fix. She wished everyone well.

Paris explained that Michael is going to create what he’s going to create, and the main reason she hadn’t commented before was because she believes many people will be pleased with the outcome.

This movie is clearly made for a particular group of my dad’s fans who enjoy living in a world of make-believe, and they’ll probably love it.

She clarified at the time ‘that I wasn’t involved at all’ and disliked biopics in general.

‘The thing about these biopics is it’s Hollywood. It’s fantasy land — it’s not real,’ Paris said.

It’s presented as truth, but it’s often heavily filtered and the story is being manipulated. There’s a lot of misinformation and outright falsehoods, and frankly, I find that unacceptable. I simply don’t appreciate being lied to.

2026-03-21 20:37

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