Michael Jackson’s estate has claimed his mother Katherine Jackson has received $55 million (£44 million) since he died in 2009.
Estate executors John Branca and John McClain filed legal documents on Thursday to bolster their argument that they shouldn’t have to pay for the legal fees Katherine has accrued while trying to block an unspecified business deal.
Their attorneys claimed that “virtually no request of Mrs. Jackson for her care or maintenance has been declined” in the years since the Thriller singer’s death.
“Contrary to claims made by Mrs. Jackson’s counsel, the executors have in fact provided liberally for Mrs. Jackson’s maintenance, care and well being,” their attorneys wrote, reports Billboard. “Since Michael’s death, the executors have expended for Mrs. Jackson’s benefit more than $55 million.”
They claim the 93-year-old family matriarch has received more than $33 million (£26 million) in cash payments, $15 million (£12 million) to buy and improve her luxury home, and an emergency $3.7 million (£2.9 million) payment in December to resolve income tax liabilities. She also receives a monthly allowance of $160,000 (£127,000), they allege.
The latest filing is part of an ongoing feud between the elder Jackson and the estate over a disputed business deal, which is believed to be the sale of half of Michael’s music catalogue to Sony.
Katherine objected to the deal in court but the judge sided with the estate in April 2023. She filed an appeal, which is still pending, and subsequently asked for the estate to pay her legal bills in December.
In the new filing, the estate’s attorneys once again argued, “This petition is about payment of attorneys’ fees for an objection filed on Mrs. Jackson’s behalf, which the court overruled, and the subsequent, frivolous and still pending appeal.”
Michael’s son Blanket, 22, originally opposed the deal alongside Katherine but now believes pursuing an appeal is an “extreme longshot”. He filed court documents earlier this week insisting the estate shouldn’t have to pay for her case.
