EXCLUSIVE: The Jackson family have been rocked by a new legal row after Michael Jackson’s mum Katherine reportedly blamed his kids for a ‘disastrous’ deal to sell part of his music catalogue
A furious row has erupted in the Jackson family (Image: Getty)
Michael Jackson’s famous sisters Janet and La Toya have joined forces in a bid to restore family peace following a bitter new legal battle over his estate.
The singers are stepping in to try to repair a rift between their frail mother Katherine, 94, and the late King of Pop’s three children Prince, 27, Paris, 26, and 22-year-old Bigi, once known as Blanket according to a close source.
Jackson matriarch Katherine, who reportedly suffered a stroke in 2018, is said to be “furious” with her own grandchildren over the sale of half Michael’s $1.5 billion music catalogue to Sony.
The deal was finally ratified last month by a California appeals court judge who ruled that Katherine cannot challenge his decision or try to block the estate from finalising the transaction.
The Thriller icon’s estimated $2 billion fortune has remained in probate since his 2009 overdose death aged 50 from the surgical-strength anaesthetic propofol largely as a result of ongoing tax disputes with the IRS.
Once these are resolved, money will be transferred by estate executors to the Michael Jackson Family Trust, controlled by his children with Katherine the lifetime beneficiary of a sub-trust, also controlled by Prince, Paris and Bigi.
Katherine, who currently gets a monthly allowance of $160,000 (about £121,000), according to court papers, has claimed the Sony sale violates Michael’s will and would have been “the last thing” her son would have wanted.
Now the Moonwalking legend’s sisters Janet, 58, and La Toya, 68, aim to reconcile Katherine and Michael’s children, who support the deal. A close family source confirmed: “This issue has torn them apart.
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“The kids love their grandma but the legal tussle has created a gulf between them that might be hard to repair. Given Katherine’s age and declining health, Janet and La Toya are hoping they can restore peace before it’s too late.
“All three kids are fond of their aunts Janet and La Toya, so will definitely listen to them both. They love their grandmother too, of course always have and always will but her opposition to the Sony sale became a major problem for them and it’s led to bitter feelings and exasperation that she has been delaying what they want to achieve.”
Spokespeople for both the family and Michael Jackson’s executors declined to comment.
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