Jeanie Buss Escalates Legal Fight Over Control of Los Angeles Lakers
Jeanie Buss has escalated the bitter legal battle over the Los Angeles Lakers, filing a court motion to block her siblings from selling the family's remaining stake to an investment group led by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.
The bitter family feud over control of the Los Angeles Lakers has escalated sharply as Jeanie Buss filed a court motion accusing her siblings of orchestrating a coordinated media campaign against her. Buss argued that her brothers struggle to accept their late father's decision to name her as his successor in leading the storied NBA franchise.
The legal filing, submitted on Wednesday and detailed in reports, marks the latest chapter in the fierce legal battle between Jeanie Buss and her brothers, notably Joey and Jesse Buss. The next hearing in the high-stakes case is scheduled for December 8 at the Los Angeles Superior Court.
At the center of the dispute is the siblings' attempt to sell the family's remaining stake in the team to an investment group led by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. The group is seeking to acquire the Lakers from Mark Walter at a staggering valuation of $12.5 billion.
"The conflicts that developed following the death of Dr. Jerry Buss in 2013 were unfortunately inevitable, and undoubtedly intensified because he chose his daughter over his four sons as his successor," Jeanie Buss's attorneys wrote in the court document. "The respondents' obsession with destroying Jeanie and their inability to accept that she will be part of the future of the Lakers stem from this classic family inheritance story."
Jeanie is seeking to block the share sale, arguing that her brothers are legally bound to obey a 2017 court order. That order required the two co-trustees, Janie and Joey, to always vote in a manner that ensures the preservation of her status as the controlling stakeholder of the club.
In the new filing, Jeanie demands that Joey and Janie be removed from their positions as trustees for breaching their fiduciary duties, declared in contempt of court, and that Jim, Johnny, and Jesse be found complicit in violating the legal order. She is also requesting reimbursement for her mounting legal expenses.
The current clash follows a 2015 transaction in which Walter acquired controlling ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family at a $10 billion valuation. Under that deal, the family retained a 17.82 percent stake in the club, slightly above the 15 percent threshold required to maintain family control under the established agreement. The family was also granted tag-along rights for a future sale, allowing them to offload their remaining shares on terms similar to those of the controlling owner.
In August, reports indicated that Johnny, Jim, Janie, Joey, and Jesse Buss voted in favor of selling the family's remaining stake to the Iger and Kushner consortium, exercising those tag-along rights. According to the reports, each sibling stands to net an additional $371 million if the transaction goes through.
Jeanie contends that her brothers acted behind her back through clandestine votes and leaked details to the press. Her legal team asserts that she had no choice but to petition the court to enforce the clear terms of the trust and the 2017 judicial order, while accusing the brothers of playing the victims in a calculated maneuver.
The brothers strongly reject her allegations, maintaining that they acted fully within their rights as trust beneficiaries. In a court filing submitted on October 16, their attorneys countered that Jeanie is the one prioritizing her personal interests over the legally protected rights of her siblings.
"The irony of Jeanie's claim that Joey and Janie are putting their personal interests first is particularly striking," their lawyers wrote. "Her entire petition is based on the notion that rights expressly granted to trust beneficiaries should be shoved aside to serve her personal interest in remaining the controlling owner."
Jeanie responded by insisting that she is merely upholding the explicit wishes of her late parents. According to family sources, closed-door settlement talks have taken place between the factions, though it remains uncertain whether any meaningful progress has been made ahead of the December court date.
Meanwhile, Walter and Kushner have reportedly reached an agreement on all remaining terms for the acquisition of the franchise and are expected to sign a formal contract shortly. Following the signing, the deal will be submitted to the NBA for review. However, the Buss family's tag-along rights can only be officially triggered after Walter formally notifies them that he has signed a definitive purchase agreement.
