Michael Jackson abuse lawsuits likely to be revived by California appeals court
More than a decade after his death, Michael Jackson is back in the news as two of his alleged victims' lawsuits may end up back in court.
A California appeals court will decide if they will reconsider the two lawsuits that allege that the now-deceased singer sexually abused Wade Robson and James Safechuck. The two recently retold their stories in the 2019 HBO documentary Finding Neverland.
They both sued MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., two companies owned by Jackson. The two men filed their suits after Jackson's 2009 death with Robson filing in 2013 and Safechuck filing the year after.
Michael Jackson spent time with both alleged victims when they were children (Getty Images)The suits were first dismissed in 2017, where Superior Court Judge Mark A. Young ruled they were filed passed the statute of limitations. After California passed a law that broadened the scope of the statute of limitations on sexual abuse crimes, the cases were restored.
However, the lawsuits faced another road bump as in 2021, Young threw the cases out, saying the two corporations the men were suing had no legal reason to protect Robson and Safechuck.
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The men disagree, with Robson's lawsuit stating that he was Jackson's employee, having appeared in his music videos and recording on his record label, therefore he should be as protected as students are protected by their school.
The two accusers told their stories in the documentary Leaving Neverland (BBC)Robson's case also states that Jackson abused him over seven years while he was a minor. He first met Jackson when he was five years old. He is now 40 years old and has choreographed various Britney Spears tours and was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.
Safechuck's case mentions he first met Michael Jackson while the two were filming a Pepsi commercial when the now 45-year-old was nine. He alleges Jackson gave him gifts to keep him quiet about the abuse.
Last month, California's 2nd District Court of Appeal ordered the case back to trial. The estate of Jackson continues to deny that the singer abused either of the boys.
This isn't the first time Jackson has been accused. The first accusations of abuse came out in 1993, which was settled out of court. In 2005, Jackson went on trial for sexual abuse of another boy but was acquitted of all charges. The FBI released files in 2009 stating that they found no evidence of criminal conduct by Jackson.
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