At least $1 million worth of property that’s related or belonging to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, is now at the center of a new lawsuit.
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Per TMZ, the estate claims that the property was stolen by Jeffre Philips, a man who was allegedly engaged to one of Jackson’s siblings—though they’re not naming who—and it’s been out of the official estate’s possession since Jackson’s passing in 2009.
The estate says Phillips took a handful of items from Jackson’s Carolwood home that reportedly consists of “hard drives, laptops, iPods, CDs and DVDs believed to contain non-public performances and unreleased concert footage...which the estate says alone is worth at least $500,000.” It also claims Phillips has “Michael’s handwritten notes with bits of song lyrics” in addition to “personal computers, cassette tapes, a photo album with MJ on the cover, a black bag with a skull on it, framed record awards and a Michael Jackson doll.” And just how did the estate find out the whereabouts of the items? It was due to a recently attempted sales transaction that they successfully blocked back in August.
Hopefully, this legal battle won’t do much to taint the estate’s other efforts when it comes to celebrating the forthcoming 40th anniversary of the Thriller album this month. As previously reported by The Root, Sony and the MJ Estate announced a forthcoming untitled documentary set to center around the seminal body of work.
Currently in production and directed by Nelson George, the upcoming film will show “never-before-seen footage and candid interviews” that will take “fans back in time to the making of the record-breaking album and release of revolutionary short films that redefined the music video format and captivated audiences globally,” according to an official press release. It will also center around the pivotal point in Jackson’s career that launched him into mega-stardom and created a pop culture phenomenon.
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