LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A California appeals court plans on reviving the cases of two men who claimed Michael Jackson had sexually abused them as children for years on Wednesday, July 25. The decision to do so comes after a preliminary ruling that would send the cases back to a lower court for a trial, reported Local 10.
Wade Robson and James Safechuck filed the lawsuits in 2013 and 2014, respectively, following the death of Jackson in 2009. The two men gained additional notoriety after sharing their experiences in the 2019 HBO documentary 'Leaving Neverland'. Both had filed lawsuits against Jackson's solely owned firms, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc.
Who owns MJJ Productions?
Michael established the business MJJ Productions LLC and Inc. in 1991. The hologram on Michael's albums (from 1991 to 2001) serves as a label. Michael's business and finances were being taken care of by the company, which is currently run by his brother Randy Jackson.
Judge Mark A Young of the Superior Court had dismissed the lawsuits in 2021 after finding that the two businesses and the people who worked with them had no obligation to defend Robson and Safechuck from Jackson. However, the 2nd District Court of Appeal of California overturned that judgment in a provisional ruling last month and ordered the cases back to trial. On Wednesday, July 26, attorneys for the Jackson estate will try to persuade the appeals court to change its mind, said reports. The complaints have already recovered from a 2017 dismissal by Young who threw them out for exceeding the statute of limitations. The appeals court reinstated them as a result of a new California statute that temporarily expanded the scope of sexual abuse charges. The year 2015 saw the dismissal of Jackson's personal estate, the assets he left behind, as a defendant.
What did Robson claim?
Robson, a choreographer now in his 40s, first met Michael Jackson when he was five years old. He later recorded music for Jackson's label and appeared in some of Jackson's music videos. Jackson allegedly raped him during a seven-year period, according to his lawsuit. It claims that because he was an employee of Jackson, the workers of the two firms had an obligation to keep him safe—just as Boy Scouts or a school would have to keep students safe from their leaders.
What did Safechuck claim?
Safechuck, now 45, claimed in his lawsuit that he encountered Jackson when he was 9 years old while working on a Pepsi commercial. Before starting a string of sexual assaults, he claimed Jackson frequently contacted and showered him with gifts. The Jackson estate has vehemently and repeatedly disputed testimonies that accuse the late pop star of sexually abusing or molesting boys. They refer to how both Safechuck and Robson had testified during Jackson's 2005 criminal trial that they had not been molested, as reported by The Associated Press. People who claim to be victims of sexual abuse often don't like to be named. However, Robson and Safechuck have publicly expressed their approval of the use of their names on numerous occasions. Their lawsuits, if revived, will bring their names back in the public eye as will MJ's allegedly tarnished legacy.
