Two men accused the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson of sexually assaulting them when they were children. The two men demanded the release of confidential documents about Jackson, including nude photos of him.
MJJ Productions, the music company that manages the late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s estate, is working with its lawyers to keep the files secret. The documents were previously collected by authorities during the investigation of Michael Jackson.
Last week, MJJ Productions filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles City Court (USA) asking the court to reject the request of two plaintiffs – Wade Robson (41 years old) and James Safechuck (46 years old) – to publish confidential documents related to the investigation of Michael Jackson in 2005. At that time, the “King of Pop” was being investigated for child molestation allegations.
MJJ Productions believes that the real target of the two plaintiffs, Robson and Safechuck, is a series of nude photos of Michael Jackson taken during his lifetime. These photos were included in the archives of the investigation conducted in 2005. Currently, the documents are kept confidential by the authorities.
According to MJJ Productions, the two plaintiffs Robson and Safechuck are trying to put pressure by demanding the release of the confidential files. In fact, the nude photos of Michael Jackson stored in the confidential files were collected by police investigators in 1993, when a 13-year-old boy accused Michael Jackson of sexually assaulting him.
The case was later settled out of court, with Jackson reportedly paying around $20 million to settle the matter.
Michael Jackson with James Safechuck (left) and Wade Robson (right) many years ago (Photo: Daily Mail).
In the petition filed by MJJ Productions, they mentioned the late artist’s right to privacy. Moreover, these sensitive photos had been classified as confidential documents that were strictly protected by the authorities for many years.
During the investigation and collection of the photos by the authorities, terms were agreed upon between singer Michael Jackson and the authorities at the time the photos were seized.
MJJ Productions also emphasized that the 1993 investigation did not produce any evidence that Michael Jackson had sexually abused a 13-year-old boy. The accusations and subsequent investigation created a terrible stain on the singer’s image and reputation, but in reality, no solid evidence was found.
Michael Jackson’s career and personal life have been severely affected since then. Private photos of him were seized by court order, after “false allegations” were made.
15 years after Michael Jackson’s death, the “King of Pop” is at the center of a lawsuit again
The lawsuit filed by plaintiffs Robson and Safechuck will officially resume next year. Recently, a California court decided to review the lawsuit filed by the two men. In fact, Robson and Safechuck filed lawsuits against the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Since then, the two men have continued to pursue their lawsuits despite multiple dismissals. At this point, authorities changed their minds about the case and decided to reconsider it, after previous dismissals. The most recent dismissal was in 2021 by a Los Angeles court.
Singer Michael Jackson during his lifetime (Photo: Daily Mail).
At that time, the court held that the two companies MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures – the two units managing Michael Jackson’s estate – had no legal obligations to the plaintiff, nor were they responsible for the allegations that Michael Jackson had sexually assaulted the plaintiff multiple times.
According to the lawsuit filed by Robson and Safechuck, as children, they were sexually assaulted during visits to Michael Jackson’s private home, Neverland Ranch.
In August 2023, a California court overturned the Los Angeles court’s decision. Robson and Safechuck’s case is set to go to trial in April 2025.
In court, Robson and Safechuck must prove that they were sexually assaulted by the late singer. At the same time, they must show that MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures were legally responsible for this incident. If Robson and Safechuck can do this, the two companies above will be responsible for compensation.
Attorney Jonathan Steinsapir, who represents MJJ Productions, expressed disappointment with the state court’s decision to remand the case.
“Reputable judges have repeatedly dismissed the lawsuits of these two individuals. The dismissals have been made many times over the past 10 years. Everything has been done in accordance with the law.
We are absolutely confident that the late Michael Jackson is innocent of the charges brought against him. These charges are completely contrary to the evidence and very credible testimony previously gathered by the authorities.
The allegations were only made by Robson and Safechuck a few years after Michael Jackson’s death. Their motivation behind everything was just money,” attorney Jonathan Steinsapir told the US media.
In fact, lawyers representing the Jackson family and the companies responsible for managing Michael Jackson’s estate have repeatedly spoken out about Robson and Safechuck. They have always assessed these two men as “liars whose sole purpose is to profit from Michael Jackson’s heirs and estate managers.”
Michael Jackson died in debt, but is getting richer after his death
In 2023, the daughter of the “king of pop” – singer Paris Jackson – said she sings not for money, because she herself… doesn’t need money.
At the time of Michael Jackson’s death, he was said to be heavily in debt. However, after his death, the Jackson family continued to receive royalties from the music products that Michael Jackson released during his lifetime.
It is estimated that the Jackson family has earned more than $700 million in music royalties since Michael Jackson’s death in 2009. Currently, the total assets built from Michael Jackson’s name and career are estimated to be around $2 billion.
Since Michael Jackson’s death, each of his children has continued to receive $8 million a year from his estate. Michael Jackson’s three children will inherit a fortune that continues to grow, even though their father has been gone for many years.
At certain age milestones, Michael Jackson’s children will receive special amounts of money to spend as they see fit. These milestones are ages 18, 33 and 40.
Thus, the two companies that are in charge of managing Michael Jackson’s estate – MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures – are indeed managing a huge amount of assets.
American singer Michael Jackson (Photo: Daily Mail).
American singer Michael Jackson (1958-2009) is often referred to by the nickname “King of Pop”. Jackson is considered one of the most impressive cultural figures of the 20th century. With a career spanning four decades, Michael Jackson has become a familiar figure in the world’s popular culture .
The eighth of 10 children, Michael Jackson began performing in 1964 with his brothers in the group The Jackson 5. Jackson began his solo career in 1971. He truly became a music star with the release of the album Off the Wall (1979).
Jackson continued to have breakthroughs in his career through the albums Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995), Invincible (2001). Of these, Thriller (1982) became the best-selling album of all time.
Since the late 1980s, Jackson has been a controversial figure due to his changing appearance, relationships, behavior, and lifestyle. In 1993, he was accused of sexually assaulting a friend’s child. The case was settled out of court, and Jackson was not convicted due to lack of evidence.
In 2005, Jackson was again accused of sexually assaulting a child, but authorities found no evidence. In 2009, Jackson suddenly died of a drug overdose.
The passing of Michael Jackson has caused a surge of interest in the “King of Pop” and his musical legacy. His funeral in Los Angeles was broadcast live, with an estimated 2.5 billion people watching the service on television.
Michael Jackson is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with an estimated 500 million records sold worldwide.
