Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
LOS ANGELES – In a recent development, a California appeals court has revived lawsuits filed by two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege that Michael Jackson sexually abused them during their childhood.
A three-judge panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal determined that the lower court had erroneously dismissed the lawsuits of Robson and Safechuck. They found that the two Jackson-owned corporations named as defendants in these cases held a valid responsibility to protect the plaintiffs. This decision was enabled by a new California law that temporarily expanded the scope of sexual abuse cases.
This marks the second time these lawsuits, initially brought by Robson in 2013 and Safechuck in the following year, have been reinstated after previous dismissals. The two men gained wider recognition for sharing their stories in the 2019 HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.”
A judge who had dismissed the suits in 2021 had argued that the corporations, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., could not be held to the same expectations as organizations like the Boy Scouts or a church, where a child under their care could expect protection. It was noted that Michael Jackson, who passed away in 2009, was the sole owner and shareholder of these companies.
However, the higher court judges disagreed with this reasoning, asserting that “a corporation that facilitates the sexual abuse of children by one of its employees is not excused from an affirmative duty to protect those children merely because it is solely owned by the perpetrator of the abuse.” They emphasized that it would be unjust to absolve the corporation of its duty based on having only one shareholder and thus reversed the judgments previously entered for the corporations.
In response to the decision, Jonathan Steinsapir, the attorney for the Jackson estate, expressed disappointment, reiterating their confidence in Michael Jackson’s innocence. Steinsapir stated that the allegations surfaced years after Jackson’s death and were motivated solely by financial gain.
Vince Finaldi, the attorney for Robson and Safechuck, welcomed the court’s decision, emphasizing that it corrected the previous judge’s erroneous rulings, which were contrary to California law and could have set a dangerous precedent.
The issue at the heart of the legal argument included whether employees could be legally obligated to intervene in their supervisor’s behavior, a point raised by the defense. In contrast, the plaintiffs’ attorneys contended that an affirmative duty to protect and warn was warranted.
Despite this legal development, the court did not pass judgment on the veracity of the allegations themselves. The truth of the allegations will be subject to a forthcoming jury trial in Los Angeles.
Both Robson and Safechuck came into contact with Jackson during their childhood. Robson, now a 40-year-old choreographer, alleged that Jackson molested him over a seven-year period, while Safechuck, now 45, claimed that Jackson began abusing him when he was 9 years old. Jackson, who is no longer alive, cannot be brought to trial.
Please note that the Associated Press, in line with its policy, typically does not name individuals who claim to be victims of sexual abuse, but Robson and Safechuck have chosen to share their identities publicly.