Even though Michael Jackson died in 2009, he never comes to rest. Allegations of sexual abuse are to come before the court again.
The King of Pop is not immune to allegations even after his death: A California appeals court ruled on Friday, August 18 that two sexual abuse cases alleging Michael Jackson (1958-2009) should be reopened .
Loud “nytimes.comThe Australian Wade Robson (40) and the American James Safechuck (45) claim that they were sexually abused by the late superstar for years. The lawsuits are directed not only against the employees of Jackson’s companies “MJJ Productions Inc.” and “MJJ Ventures Inc.”, but also against the executors. They are accused of having facilitated the abuse and thus of being complicit as “co-conspirators, collaborators, supporters and alter egos”. The lawsuits stress that employees at these companies had a “duty of care” to the boys, which they neglected by failing to take steps to prevent the abuse.
Michael Jackson: estate lawyer is still confident
Michael Jackson repeatedly denied these allegations during his lifetime – and Jonathan Steinsapir, one of the lawyers for the King of Pop’s estate, is also optimistic after the decision of the California Court of Appeals. “We remain fully confident that Michael is innocent of these allegations, which are contrary to all credible evidence and independent confirmation – and were first made years after Michael’s death by men motivated solely by money,” he said Jonathan Steinsapir to the New York Times.
The court has dismissed abuse claims three times
Robson filed his lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s company in 2013 and Safechuck in 2014 – but both were dismissed in 2017 because they exceeded the statute of limitations in California. 2020 saw a reopening of cases after a new law gives plaintiffs in child abuse cases an additional period to file their complaints. But in 2021, Robson and Safechuck’s lawsuits were dismissed again.
The allegations of the two men, who claim to have been sexually abused by Michael Jackson between 1990 and 1997 – when they were between the ages of seven and 14 – were also addressed in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. Speaking of the film, James Safechuck said, “Everyone wanted to meet Michael or be with him. He was already a legend. And then he (of all people) likes you.”
