After Michael's son Blanket objects to his grandmother's request for $500k in legal fees, MJ's estate claims the 93-year-old matriarch has received more than $55 million in total since the late singer's death.
- Mar 22, 2024
AceShowbiz - Michael Jackson's mom has been comfortably living off her son's fortune since his death. According to a new report, Katherine Jackson has amassed staggering money in the past 15 years, enough to cover her attorney's fees.
A representative for MJ's estate confirms to TMZ that they have filed legal documents in response to Katherine's petition to be reimbursed $500,000 in legal fees. In the paperwork, it is stated that the Jackson matriarch has received more than $55 million in total since her son's passing in 2009.
The estate claims a chunk of the total fortune comes in the form of a monthly allowance it says Katherine is afforded by MJ's estate, which totals more than $160k/month. That allowance, plus other cash payments, amount to $33 million of the $55 million total.
The docs also note that the 93-year-old is well taken care of by the estate, which claims to have shelled out more than $15 million to buy and improve her luxury home, not to mention paying for her transportation and other perks, like a private gardener, chef and security. In conclusion, the estate executors point out that Katherine can afford to cover her own attorney's fees.
The estate lays out Katherine's allowance after she sought to be reimbursed $561,548 from MJ's estate on her legal fees. She has been fighting the estate's executors, John Branca and John McClain, over the decision to sell one-half of the singer's music catalog to Sony for $600 million. The court sided with the executors and approved the deal, but Katherine later filed an appeal.
While Michael's son Blanket initially supported his grandmother in fighting against the deal, he did not appeal the court's ruling. That's why he opposed Katherine's request for $500k to cover her legal fees. Blanket said Katherine should be paid her legal fees before the appeal but not for work done on the appeal.
"Despite the expense and long odds, Katherine decided to pursue an appeal," Blanket's lawyer said in court documents. "[Blanket] prays that this Court deny Katherine's fees and costs incurred to appeal," the motion added. "It would be unfair to make those beneficiaries shoulder this burden when they expressly decided an appeal would not be in their best interests."
