John Branca is an American entertainment lawyer and manager. He was Michael Jackson's friend for many years, his lawyer, and is the current co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate, alongside John McClain.
History[]
John was hired by Jackson as his lawyer in early 1980s. Most notably, Branca helped with the production and release for Michael Jackson's Thriller and buying the Sony ATV Music Publishing in 1985. Thanks to this, Michael gained the rights to The Beatles' catalogue.
Later, Michael and Branca are known to have had disagreements. In earlier years, Branca was fired by Jackson. The departure between the two was never mutual.
In 2005, the manager filed a UCC Financing Statement against Michael and his trusts. In short, he put Jackson in risk of bankruptcy.[1] It is said that during the People v. Jackson trial, Michael "investigated Branca on his own", as he didn't trust neither him or Sony Music. It is also reported, a note exists of Michael stating "don't trust John Branca".
“ | MJ explained to me the reason he was so angry with Branca was because Branca was working more on behalf for Sony than for him. MJ told me Branca was forging and re-writing contracts that tied MJ to Sony, when he wanted to leave and end his relationship with Sony. [...] Michael demanded all his documents from Branca when MJ fired him. Yet Branca came up with MJs will and trust after MJ was dead. Branca wrote the old will and made himself executor of it. Sony finally has Michael’s catalogs thanks to Branca. | ” |
–Karen Faye, X, February 5, 2024[2][3] |
After Jackson's passing, Branca and John McClain became co-executors of the Michael Jackson Estate on July 1, 2009. Out of the two, Branca has been the most active on social media and events related to the King of Pop.
Controversies[]
Michael's fans frequently expressed criticism of Branca over the years, primarily focusing on the perception that the Estate hasn't done enough to preserve and honor his legacy. Many fans argue that certain decisions made under Branca’s co-executorship have not fully aligned with Jackson’s artistic vision or personal values.
One of the most contentious points raised by fans is Branca's role as co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate, despite well-documented issues between Jackson and Branca during the singer’s lifetime. These issues include claims that Jackson terminated Branca’s services as his attorney and expressed mistrust toward him. This history has led to ongoing skepticism among fans regarding Branca’s suitability for such a critical role in managing Jackson’s legacy and assets.