Paris Jackson’s contentious fight over her late father Michael Jackson’s estate took a new turn after the estate’s co-executor died this week.
Attorney Gregory Doll, who is not involved with the case, exclusively spoke with Page Six after a source told us that a new co-executor is not expected to be appointed in place of John McClain, who died Tuesday at the age of 71.
Instead, we’re told entertainment attorney John Branca — who was appointed co-executor along with McClain after the King of Pop’s 2009 death — will likely manage the estate on his own.
“Whatever impact that McClain, as opposed to Branca, had on business decisions made by the estate is unknown,” Doll shared. “He is often credited publicly with focusing on Jackson’s artistic legacy.”
The trial lawyer noted that McClain’s passing could result in a “different approach” to the management of the estate if he had been “a counter-balancing force to Branca.”
“But assuming McClain and Branca were more or less aligned in their approach to managing the estate while he was alive, nothing is likely to change after his death,” Doll said.
Therefore, the estate will continue to be managed according to Branca’s “business judgment,” Doll said.
“And presumably [Branca will] continue to defend against Paris’s claims,” Doll added.
The legal eagle is certain that Paris’ legal battle over her father’s legacy will continue for “years to come.”
“It appears to be the default mode for this estate,” he said.
Interestingly, 75-year-old Branca — now the sole executor of the estate — has the authority to appoint a successor executor, or multiple executors, should he become unable to serve, Doll explained.
McClain died Tuesday after battling health issues for a long time, Page Six confirmed.
“I am profoundly grieved at the loss of my partner and brother John McClain. One of the great innovators in the world of music and music marketing, John was a visionary, seeing past the mundane and into the future,” Branca told Page Six in a statement. “When we were named in Michael’s will, I knew that he would bring great insight into Michael’s music and that his friendship and dedication to Michael would underscore all the great projects that we could bring to the world.”
When Michael died unexpectedly from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at the age of 50, the singer was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.
McClain and Branca, who were named as co-executors in Michael’s 2002 will, helped turn the pop star’s estate from a money pit into a multibillion-dollar business through music, film, Broadway and catalog deals.
While McClain was known for maintaining Michael’s artistic integrity through various projects, Branca’s focus has been on the legal and transactional matters.
However, Michael’s 28-year-old daughter, Paris, and other family members have publicly challenged the executors’ management and compensation.
In July 2025, Paris sued McClain and Branca for unauthorized or poorly documented payments, including “lavish” fees and bonuses to themselves — claims they have repeatedly denied.
Paris scored a major victory in her legal battle last week when a Los Angeles judge ruled that third-party law firms must return $625,000 in unauthorized bonus payments.
A spokesperson told The Post that Paris “has always been focused on what’s best for her family and this ruling is a massive win for them.”
“After years of delay, the Jackson family will finally get the transparency and accountability measures Paris has fought for,” the statement said.
Branca and McClain told People earlier this month that they “disagree with the decision” but that they “plan to move forward accordingly.” However, they also clarified that they did not receive any money from those bonuses.
“And, to be clear, none of the $625,000 in bonuses — which represent only a small fraction of the Estate’s expenses for the period in question — were paid to the executors, and the court did not in any way say that the executors had made any inappropriate payments to themselves,” they said in the statement.
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