Katherine Jackson is set to testify in a court hearing regarding her battle against the estate of her late son and music icon Michael Jackson. According to documents obtained by RadarOnline, the Jackson family matriarch will appear in court later this month as she seeks to pull the plug on a lucrative business proposal by the estate.
John Branca and John McClain, the executors of Jackson’s estate, initially filed a motion in November 2022 seeking approval from the court to sign off on a “secret business transaction,” which is believed to be related to a reported $800 million sale of half of Jackson’s music catalog. In the motion, Branca and McClain explained they “have an opportunity which they believe is to the substantial advantage of the Estate and in the best interest of the beneficiaries.”
However, in March 2023, it was revealed that Katherine Jackson had filed a motion in opposition of the deal, which she requested be sealed due to the documents containing “sensitive information regarding Ms. Jackson’s family and private life.” Branca and McClain, who have headed Jackson’s estate since his passing in 2009, believe “they have the power and authority to enter into the Proposed Transaction pursuant to the Order Authorizing Operation of the MJJ Business as the Proposed Transaction is within and in furtherance of the operation of the MJJ Business, as well under Michael Jackson’s will.”
The estate also noted that Katherine Jackson was opposed to the release of the 2009 documentary This Is It, but the film, which was ultimately approved by the court, became the highest-grossing concert documentary in history.
“The Estate was teetering on the verge of collapse, with more than $400 million in debt that encumbered Michael’s most significant assets and little or no liquidity or means to service that debt,” reads a motion filed by Branca and McClain at the time. “Through creative thinking, hard work and business savvy—and, of course, Michael’s extraordinary creative legacy—the Executors transformed the MJJ Business into a profitable enterprise.”
In March, the court agreed to allow Jackson’s children and Michael’s siblings, brother Randy and sister Rebbie, to view confidential documents related to the proposed deal. As part of its argument, Jackson’s estate says its client’s three children, Prince, Paris, and Blanket, who are listed as beneficiaries on his will, are not in objection of the proposed business agreement. Jackson’s will also states that he will provide for his mother for the rest of her life.
A judge has yet to rule on the matter.