A California appeals court is set to consider reviving the dismissed lawsuits of two men who allege that they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson as children. The court’s tentative decision would order the cases back to a lower court for trial.
The two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, filed the lawsuits after Jackson’s death in 2009. They gained more attention after sharing their stories in the 2019 HBO documentary, “Leaving Neverland.”
The lawsuits were filed against MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., both of which were owned solely by Jackson.
In 2021, a Superior Court Judge ruled that the corporations and their employees had no legal duty to protect Robson and Safechuck from Jackson, leading to the dismissal of the suits. However, the 2nd District Court of Appeal has now reversed that decision and ordered the cases to go to trial.
The Jackson estate’s lawyers will attempt to convince the appeals court to reverse course during the upcoming hearing.
These lawsuits have already faced a dismissal in 2017 due to being beyond the statute of limitations. However, a new California law temporarily broadened the scope of sexual abuse cases, allowing the appeals court to restore them. Jackson’s personal estate was removed as a defendant in 2015.
Robson, now a 40-year-old choreographer, alleged that Jackson molested him over a seven-year period. He claimed that he was Jackson’s employee and that the corporations had a duty to protect him, similar to the way the Boy Scouts or a school would protect children from their leaders.
Safechuck, now 45, stated in his suit that he met Jackson while filming a Pepsi commercial at the age of 9. He alleged that Jackson frequently called him and gave him gifts before engaging in a series of incidents of sexual abuse.
The Jackson estate vehemently denies the allegations, pointing out that Robson testified during Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial that he had not been abused. Safechuck also made similar statements to authorities.
Note: This news article is provided by WealthNationUSA.
