The battle over Michael Jackson estate and his musical legacy just keeps getting more complicated. One of his sons, Blanket Jackson, also known as Bigi Jackson, has taken a decisive step against his grandmother, Katherine Jackson.
Grandson Versus Grandmother
Twenty-two-year-old Blanket, the youngest son of the late “King of Pop,” has filed a legal injunction aimed at preventing Katherine, 93, from utilizing funds from Michael Jackson’s estate to fuel her continuing legal battles against the estate’s executors. The dispute revolves around the recent $600 million catalog deal struck with Sony by the executors of the estate, a deal that has stirred controversy and divided the Jackson family, TMZ reported.
Katherine Jackson opposed the sell of MJ’s music.
Estate executors are entertainment lawyer and manager John Branca and music executive, songwriter and producer John McClain.
Recent court filings obtained by various sources, including Billboard and TMZ, shed light on the rift between Blanket and Katherine, marking a departure from their initial alignment against the estate’s executors. While Blanket and his siblings accepted the court’s ruling permitting the Sony deal to proceed, Katherine opted to pursue further legal action, filing an appeal that continues to be unresolved.
Now, according to the March 18 filings by Blanket, it would be unjust for the estate to finance Katherine’s continued appeal.
In December, Katherine submitted motions requesting that the estate cover her legal expenses arising from her objections.
The exact amount Katherine is requesting remains uncertain. According to a recent court filing by Branca and McClain, she has requested over $561,548 to cover her legal expenses related to both her initial objections and the ongoing appeal, Billboard reported. The executors also oppose any estate funds being allocated for what they deem as her “unsuccessful objection” and “baseless appeal.”
Central to Blanket’s argument is the distinction between covering legal fees for initial objections and financing the ongoing appeal. While he concedes that the estate should shoulder the costs incurred during the initial opposition, he opposes funding the protracted appeal process.
“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.”
Blanket also questioned the exorbitant fees Katherine’s legal tam is demanding and also winders why are continuing a losing battle.
He wondered why there was a need for her to hire “four lawyers charging fees of $840 to $1,400 per hour.”
In a nutshell, Blanket Jackson asserts that Katherine Jackson’s continued objections to the deal are futile and that the estate should not be responsible for covering the associated costs.
“Katherine’s petition has the practical effect of requiring Bigi and his siblings pay for her appeal,” Blanket’s court docs read. “It would be unfair to make those beneficiaries shoulder this burden when they expressly decided an appeal would not be in their best interests.”
Blanket, born via surrogate in 2002, is one of the three children of the late “Thriller” singer. Michael Jackson also had a son named Prince, 27, and a daughter, Paris, 25, with his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe.
