Jeanie Buss accuses siblings of conspiring against her as dispute over Lakers stake continues

Buss accused her siblings of a 'cloak and dagger' campaign through the media in a court filing this week

Oct 31, 2026 at 2:55 pm ET • 2 min read

Jeanie Buss has accused her siblings of conspiring against her in a "cloak and dagger" campaign through the media in a court filing this week and has asked a judge to block her siblings' attempts to sell the family's shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN reports.

According to Wednesday's filing, Jeanie Buss said her siblings -- specifically Joey and Jesse Buss -- are jealous of their father's decision to leave her with governor rights to the team and she does not want them selling the family's remaining shares of the team.

Finality for both sides of the legal spat could come during a scheduled Dec. 8 hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh Kushner spearhead an ownership group looking to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter at a valuation of $12.5 billion. 

Jeanie Buss disputes her family's sale of Lakers stake: What to know about dramatic off-court fight

Sam Quinn

"The conflicts that ensued after Dr. (Jerry) Buss's death (in 2013) were sadly inevitable, and no doubt intensified given that Dr. Buss chose his daughter over four sons to be his successor," representation for Jeanie Buss wrote in this week's filing. "Respondents' obsession with tearing down Jeanie and their inability to accept that she would be a part of the Lakers' future is borne of this classic succession parable."

Jeanie Buss would no longer serve as the Lakers' governor if her family sells its 17.8% ownership stake, which is just above the NBA's 15% minimum for the family to retain control. Iger previously said during an interview with The California Post that the plan was for Buss to remain governor, but "if things change, they'll change." 

The latest filing continues an ongoing saga between family members over the NBA's third-most valuable franchise. Earlier this year, ESPN reported that Jeanie Buss contended that a 2017 court order prevents any vote to sell the remaining family shares without her consent. 

That was not the first time that the Buss siblings have fought over control of the team. When Jeanie fired Jim Buss as head of basketball operations in 2017, he and Johnny Buss attempted to strip Jeanie of her seat on the Lakers' board of directors. 

The two sides ultimately agreed to settle with Jeanie Buss remaining in control of the team.

Now, Jeanie Buss is asking the court to remove two siblings as co-trustees of the trust for breach of fiduciary duty, hold them in contempt of court, and "find Jim, Johnny and Jesse liable for aiding and abetting a violation of the 2017 court order and be reimbursed for legal costs," per ESPN.

If the Buss family sells the entirety of its shares of the team, each sibling receives an additional $371 million per go-along rights. ESPN reported this week that settlement talks have begun.

"Jeanie had no choice but to seek court intervention to enforce the clear terms of the trust and this court's 2017 order," Wednesday's filing states. "Respondents respond (by) casting themselves as victims, when in reality, the entire episode is their own false flag operation.

"The cloak and dagger, backroom 'votes' and 'resolutions' shared with ESPN, rather than their co-trustee and sister, and subsequent refusal to discuss the matter, was intended to force Jeanie's hand, cry victim and again smear her in the media by sharing in advance their specious response."