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Deadline is reporting that previously halted lawsuits filed by James Safechuck and Wade Robson, two men accusing Michael Jackson of sexual abuse, are now back in play due to a new law that came into effect on Jan 1st in California allowing victims of child sexual abuse to file claims before they turn 40. Previously, the allegations that the lawsuits, filed against Jackson’s corporations MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., pertained to were deemed to be outside the statue of limitations; California law previously dictated that sexual abuse lawsuits had to be filed before the complainant was aged 26.
In a statement to Deadline, the Jackson estate strongly rallied against the popular interpretation of the lawsuit revival. Read the estate’s statement below.
“Contrary to reports, the Court of Appeal did NOT revive the lawsuits by Mr. Robson and Mr. Safechuck against the Estate of Michael Jackson. Both of those lawsuits were dismissed in 2016 and the judgments in favor of the Estate and against Mr. Robson and Mr. Safechuck remain FINAL … Both men admitted in those cases that they committed perjury. The Court of Appeal’s ruling merely revived lawsuits against Michael Jackson’s companies, which absurdly claim that Michael’s employees are somehow responsible for sexual abuse that never happened. The ruling was the result of a change in the law signed by Governor Newsom that extends the time for genuine victims to file claims. The Court of Appeal specifically did not address the truth of these false allegations, and we are confident that both lawsuits will be dismissed and that Michael Jackson will be vindicated once again. “
