In a significant legal victory for Michael Jackson’s estate, a California appeals court has given the green light for the estate’s executors to proceed with a USD 600 million sale of the late pop icon’s music catalogue to Sony Music. The ruling, despite objections from Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, upholds the estate’s management decisions and allows the high-value transaction to move forward, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The appeals court issued its final judgment on Wednesday, dismissing Katherine Jackson’s claims that the sale went against Michael Jackson’s wishes. This decision solidifies a tentative ruling from the previous month, confirming that the estate’s executors, John Branca and John McClain, acted within the authority granted to them by the singer’s will.
“The will gave the executors broad powers of sale, with no exception for the specific assets at issue in this case,” the court stated in its ruling. “As such, [a lower judge] did not err in concluding that it was Michael’s intent to allow the executors to sell any estate assets, including those at issue in the proposed transaction,” the court added, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This ruling not only validates the sale but also dismisses Katherine Jackson’s appeal on procedural grounds. The court noted that Katherine forfeited her arguments by not raising them before the lower probate court. Her attorneys have not yet responded to requests for comment on the recent decision.
The sale involves Sony Music purchasing 50% of Michael Jackson’s publishing and recorded masters catalogue for over USD 600 million. This transaction had remained confidential until the estate’s executors sought judicial approval from Judge Mitchell Beckloff due to the ongoing probate proceedings that have continued for more than 15 years since Jackson’s death in 2009.
Katherine Jackson had raised multiple objections to the deal, arguing that it violated her son’s wishes and that retaining the catalogue could potentially yield greater value over time. However, Judge Beckloff approved the sale in April 2023, a decision that Katherine subsequently appealed.
In its recent ruling, the appeals court addressed and rejected several of Katherine’s key arguments, including her claim that the sale contravened inheritance laws by preventing the complete transfer of Jackson’s assets to his heirs. The court countered that the sale was a strategic asset transaction rather than a gift or distribution, which would not diminish the estate’s value or hinder future asset transfers.
The legal battle has also highlighted tensions among Jackson’s heirs. In March, Jackson’s son, Blanket, intervened in the case, requesting that the court prevent Katherine from using estate funds to oppose the Sony deal. While Katherine initially opposed the sale, Blanket and Jackson’s other children ultimately supported the probate judge’s decision to proceed, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In response to claims from Katherine’s legal team that she needed estate funds for her legal battle, the estate’s executors pointed out that Katherine had already received substantial financial support. Since Michael Jackson’s death, she has reportedly been provided with over USD 55 million, including more than USD 33 million in cash, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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