Michael Jackson lawsuits alleging sexual abuse against boys revived by appeals court
Two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were boys should not have had their cases dismissed, judges at a US court have said.
Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who claim Jackson abused them for years, will now be allowed to pursue lawsuits against companies owned by the late singer.
It’s the second time the lawsuits – which were brought by Robson in 2013 and Safechuck in 2014 – have been brought back after dismissal.
Both men detailed their claims of abuse in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.
James Safechuck is pictured aged 10 with Jackson
Robson, now a 40-year-old choreographer, met Jackson when he was five years old. He went on to appear in three Jackson music videos.
His lawsuit alleged that Jackson molested him over a seven-year period.
Safechuck, now 45, said in his suit that he was nine when he met Jackson while filming a Pepsi commercial. He said Jackson called him often and lavished him with gifts before moving on to sexually abusing him.
A three-judge panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal has now found that their lawsuits should not have been dismissed by a lower court.
Legal row over duty to protect children
A judge who dismissed the suits in 2021 found that the corporations – MJJ Productions Inc and MJJ Ventures Inc – who were both named as defendants in the case, could not be expected to function like the Boy Scouts or a church where a child in their care could expect their protection.
But the latest decision means that Robson and Safechuck can now validly claim the corporations had a responsibility to protect them.
Jackson, who died in 2009, was the sole owner and only shareholder in both companies.
In their report, the higher court judges wrote: “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 added: “It would be perverse to find no duty based on the corporate defendant having only one shareholder. And so, we reverse the judgments entered for the corporations.”
‘We remain fully confident Michael is innocent’
Jonathan Steinsapir, attorney for the Jackson estate, said they were “disappointed” by the decision.
Mr Steinsapir told The Associated Press: “Two distinguished trial judges repeatedly dismissed these cases on numerous occasions over the last decade because the law required it.
“We remain fully confident that Michael is innocent of these allegations, which are contrary to all credible evidence and independent corroboration, and which were only first made years after Michael’s death by men motivated solely by money.”
Vince Finaldi, an attorney for Robson and Safechuck, said in an email that they were “pleased but not surprised” that the court overturned the previous judge’s “incorrect rulings in these cases, which were against California law and would have set a dangerous precedent that endangered children throughout state and country. We eagerly look forward to a trial on the merits”.
Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts
Mr Steinsapir had argued for the defence in July that it does not make sense that employees would be legally required to stop the behaviour of their boss, saying: “It would require low-level employees to confront their supervisor and call them paedophiles.”
He also said the parents of the boys had not expected company staff to monitor Jackson’s actions.
Holly Boyer, another attorney for Robson and Safechuck, countered that the boys “were left alone in this lion’s den by the defendant’s employees. An affirmative duty to protect and to warn is correct”.
In a concurring opinion issued with Friday’s decision, one of the panellists, Associate Justice John Shepard Wiley Jr, wrote that “to treat Jackson’s wholly-owned instruments as different from Jackson himself is to be mesmerised by abstractions. This is not an alter ego case. This is a same ego case”.
The judges did not rule on the truth of the allegations themselves. That will be the subject of a forthcoming jury trial in Los Angeles.
Jackson always denied any allegations he was involved in abusing underage boys.
His Neverland Ranch, in California, was sold in December 2020 for $22m (£16m).
US
Blue Origin sends NASA spacecraft to Mars and lands booster for first time – heating up race with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Blue Origin has launched its huge New Glenn rocket with two spacecraft on board destined for Mars, as the firm makes a major step forward in its race against Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Crowds cheered at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as they watched liftoff, which had been stalled for four days by bad weather, and then on Thursday suffered two further delays.
Blue Origin latest: Successful launch after last-minute delay
On board were two identical Mars orbiters, named Escapade, which are now heading to the Red Planet and due to arrive in 2027.
But the firm’s big success was the recovery of the rocket’s reusable first-stage booster, a critical development in the space race with SpaceX. Mr Musk posted his congratulations on X.
On the launchpad, ready for liftoff. Pic: Blue Origin
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket launching from Florida on Thursday. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
It is only the second flight for this new type of rocket, from the company owned by Amazon tycoon, Jeff Bezos.
The rocket headed out over the Atlantic, where it split into its two stages.
The inaugural test flight in January delivered a prototype satellite into orbit, but failed to land the booster stage.
Relief after booster recovery
This time, staff cheered wildly as the booster landed upright on its platform 375 miles (600km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. The company had never managed the feat before with a rocket so large.
Blue Origin staff cheering wildly at their successful touchdown
Rockets fired on the booster to slow it down. Pics: Blue Origin
The booster stage safely landed on a platform 375 miles (600km) offshore in the Atlantic Ocean
The recovery of the booster is an essential step to recycle and slash costs. The feat has already been achieved with such large rockets by SpaceX.
Blue Origin had achieved this with its much smaller models, but if it wants to consistently run science-scale missions for NASA this is an important step.
The huge New Glenn rocket made it safely through Earth’s atmosphere. Pics: Blue Origin
The rocket’s upper stage deployed the two Mars orbiters in space. Pics: Blue Origin
The rocket, named after American astronaut John Glenn, weighs roughly the same as 20 trucks. It can put into space a payload of 45 metric tonnes.
At 98m tall and 7m wide, it is larger than most rockets, but not as big as SpaceX’s Starship nor the Saturn Vs which sent humans to the moon.
Blue and Gold to visit Red Planet
Meanwhile, NASA’s Escapade (Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers) mission comprises two identical orbiting spacecraft named Blue and Gold.
The probes intend to study how solar wind interacts with Mars’s magnetic environment and how this impacts the planet’s atmospheric escape.
Read more from Sky News:
Tourists visit the edge of space
Musk ally to lead NASA
NASA’s first woman commander
This matters because it will help scientists understand Mars’s climate and protect future crews intending to reach the Red Planet.
This was Blue Origin’s third attempt to launch, with the first on Sunday scrapped because of clouds and the threat of lightning strikes.
Wednesday’s attempt was also postponed as a powerful “cannibal storm” hit Earth.
US
Wife of British journalist held by US immigration issues warning to UK fans travelling to World Cup
The wife of British journalist Sami Hamdi, who was held for more than a fortnight by US immigration, has issued a stark warning to football fans travelling to the 2026 World Cup about the risk of being detained.
Mr Hamdi, who returned to the UK on Thursday, was initially detained at San Francisco International Airport on 26 October.
US officials revoked his visa without warning while on a speaking tour, during which he criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the tour was cancelled due to security rules and that he was in the country illegally.
Sitting alongside him in an interview for Sky’s The World With Yalda Hakim, Soumaya Hamdi explained her concerns about British people travelling to the US.
Soumaya Hamdi has issued a warning to British football fans ‘who value their freedom of speech’
“I would say to British citizens who value their freedom of speech to be very careful, because you got the World Cup in the United States coming up next year.
“If this could happen to Sami on a valid visa, a British citizen, a registered journalist, then it could very well happen again.”
Ms Hamdi added she was not happy about how the UK government had handled their case.
“The assistance that we received from the British government… was really very disappointing.
“I think this is really very concerning that the government is not taking more serious action with regards to our closest ally.”
Speaking about his arrest, Mr Hamdi said it had been “quite an aggressive experience”.
“They escorted me outside of the airport, there was this black car, the kind of things you see in the movies,” he said.
“When I asked them ‘Can I call my family to let them know I’m OK?’, a lady from behind grabs me, pushes me on the car, and says, ‘All right, that’s enough. You’re under arrest’.”
Read more from Sky News:
New arrest over alleged Hamas plot
Fears about ceasefire in Sudan
British man returns following ICE detention
He added that, while in detention, he felt there was an attempt to wear him down by restricting access to justice.
“You felt, like, with ICE, it’s a battle of wills. Based on the merits of the case, they can’t actually win, but what they do is they keep delaying you and delaying until you’re just desperate to go home.”
Mr Hamdi, who is Muslim and lives in London, insisted he had complied with all visa conditions and alleged the move was linked to his advocacy for Gaza.
According to Mr Hamdi’s legal team, he accepted an offer to leave the US voluntarily after being charged with visa overstay.
His family announced on Monday the US government had agreed to free him and confirmed on Thursday morning he was on a flight home.
Discussing his treatment while in detention, Mr Hamdi said he noticed a distinct change when news outlets like Sky News became aware of his case.
“They throw you in a cell, you sleep in the foot cuffs. They kept me there with 24 hours until my legs were swollen. When I told the guards, ‘Look, my legs are swollen, visibly swollen’, the guards simply ignored it.
“They only started treating me better when everybody at Sky News and the other media started raising their voices.”
The Trump administration has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown this year, revoking visas for people accused of supporting terrorism and deporting foreign nationals who have voiced support for Palestinians.
After Mr Hamdi’s arrest, a spokeswoman for the US Department of Homeland Security said his visa had been revoked as “those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country”.
But he told Sky News he strongly disputed the reason for his detention. “On the charge sheet… there was no mention of anything related to terrorism or anything related to what they were saying online,” he said.
“They knew no evidence existed of any of the accusations they were making. And in the end, the deal was about face-saving. I was happy to go home.
“Of course, they get to say that Sami Hamdi ended up leaving America, the case gets closed, and it worked out for both of us.”
The US federal government’s longest-ever shutdown has come to an end after Donald Trump signed off a congressional vote with his presidential approval.
But the president was in no mood to field questions from the media after hailing the long-awaited funding bill, which he signed just hours after thousands of files related to Jeffrey Epstein – in which he was referenced – were released.
As it happened: Trump ends shutdown after Epstein files released
Mr Trump has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the deceased billionaire paedophile, and said in a Truth Social post after their release that the “Jeffrey Epstein hoax” is a “trap” set by Democrats.
His appearance in the Oval Office came after the House of Representatives voted to reopen the government, after the Senate – the upper chamber of Congress – reached a deal on Monday.
The breakthrough came when a handful of Democrat senators rebuffed their party’s leadership – who’d spent weeks pushing for guarantees on healthcare subsidies – and teamed up with Republicans.
The deal then went to the president, who signed it into law.
“It’s a great day,” he declared, as he blamed Democrats for the 43-day shutdown that left federal workers without pay, food aid undelivered, air travel disrupted, and museums closed.
But the big media moment from behind the historic White House Resolute desk was short and sweet – with Mr Trump, unusually, taking no questions from journalists.
The bill will see the federal government funded until 30 January. Pic: AP
What’s in the latest Epstein files?
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee initially published several emails which they said “raises questions about Trump and Epstein’s relationship, Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s crimes” and the president’s relationship to Epstein’s victims.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the “selectively leaked emails” were an attempt to “create a fake narrative to smear President Trump”. He has consistently denied any involvement or knowledge about Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
It prompted Republicans to retaliate by releasing more than 20,000 pages from Epstein’s files and accusing Democrats of “cherry-picking” their documents.
Read more: What Epstein emails say about Trump
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
The Epstein files: The main things you need to know
Epstein took his own life in prison in 2019 following a conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender. He was awaiting a trial for sex trafficking charges.
In his Truth Social post, Mr Trump said the release of the latest files were a “deflection” from the shutdown.
The shutdown, which started on 1 October, has disrupted the lives of millions of Americans as all non-essential parts of government have been frozen.
It was the first shutdown in almost seven years.
As he put pen to paper, the president accused the Democrats of an “extortion” attempt over their push for healthcare subsidies – provided under the Affordable Care Act brought in by Barack Obama – to be extended.
“Republicans never wanted a shutdown,” he said.
“It’s cost the country $1.5trn,” he added.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024