More than a decade after his death in 2009, Michael Jackson’s estate is caught up in a hefty legal battle with two former acquaintances who allege the King of Pop sexually abused them as children.
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According to TMZ, Wade Robson and James Safechuck have been going after Jackson’s companies, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., for damages for years. But now, recent court documents are revealing their ask – a massive $400 million.
The folks at US Weekly got their hands on copies of court documents filed in mid-September, which reveal that Jackson’s daughter, Paris, is pushing back against the estate paying the mounting legal fees related to the case, due to concerns over mismanagement of funds. But the executors of Jackson’s estate, John Branca and John McClain, say they have no choice, as failure to pay could mean they would not be able to continue the fight in court, something that would put all of their projects and investments at risk.
“Without counsel, the Estate would be forced to default in pending litigations, where liability would be devastating. The Estate would also lose the benefit of counsel maintaining its intellectual property portfolio, the lifeblood of its businesses. The Estate would lose the benefit of legal advice regarding its numerous successful projects and investments … MJ One Cirque show, MJ: The Musical and the upcoming motion picture, Michael.” the document reads.
Robson, who met the pop superstar after winning a dance competition, alleged in a 2013 lawsuit that he was sexually abused by Jackson between the ages of 7 and 14. Safechuck said in his 2014 lawsuit that he was 10 years old when he was molested by Jackson after meeting the “Beat It” singer while the two were filming a Pepsi commercial.
Both men shared their deeply personal stories, including how they slept in Jackson’s bedroom at his Neverland Ranch, in the 2019 HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.
Jackson’s estate responded to the doc by suing HBO, accusing the network of violating a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract between the parties by airing a film which only aired the accusers’ point of view. HBO settled with the estate in 2024 and agreed not to run “Leaving Neverland” on its platforms.
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