Michael Jackson brother Jermaine Jackson ordered to pay $6.5 million after allegedly raping a woman at her Encino home in 1988. The accuser filed a lawsuit under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act in December 2023.
Jermaine Jackson has been ordered to pay more than $6.5 million to a woman who accused him of rape and sexual assault after failing to respond to her lawsuit.
The accuser, Rita Butler Barrett, filed the lawsuit in December 2023 under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Barrett claimed that Jackson, now 71, sexually assaulted her after allegedly showing up uninvited to her home in or around the spring of 1988 and forcing his way inside.
The People magazine report states that Barrett said she knew Jackson through her husband, Ben Barrett, who worked closely with Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records.
The complaint alleged that Gordy had a business and management relationship with Jackson at the time of the alleged assault.
"During the assault, Plaintiff, a woman of faith, prayed to God for help," the complaint states.
"During the assault, Plaintiff feared for her life," the document continued.
Barrett claimed she reported the alleged assault to Gordy the following day and accused him and others in the business of concealing it to protect Jackson's image and preserve profits tied to his career.
The People article reports that Barrett said she suffered severe emotional, physical, and psychological injury, including humiliation, shame, guilt, economic loss, and permanent emotional distress following the alleged assault.
The People publication notes that the news comes just weeks after Jackson appeared alongside his son, Jaafar Jackson, at the Los Angeles premiere of Michael, the biopic in which Jaafar portrays the late singer.
A rep for Jackson did not immediately return People's request for comment.
The TMZ report states that Butler Barrett obtained a default judgment against Jermaine for just over $6.5 million in damages and court costs.
The amount also covers medical expenses Rita asserted she incurred from the alleged assault.
The wild thing according to TMZ is Michael Jackson's older brother apparently never even responded to the lawsuit, hence the entry of the default judgment.
The Razon article reports that the incident allegedly took place at Jackson's home in Encino, California.
According to the Razon report, the assault allegedly lasted several minutes but Jermaine abruptly stopped and left her residence, leaving her traumatized.
Rita's lawyers say they were unable to track Jermaine down to serve the suit according to TMZ.
They ended up getting court approval to execute service via legal notice in the Los Angeles Times.
The TMZ article states that Jermaine's team has not responded to requests for comment as of the story publication.
The People publication reports that the default judgment was filed Thursday, May 14, in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The TMZ report notes that the lawsuit was filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act.
The Razon article explains that the judgment includes damages and court costs for the alleged assault that occurred in 1988.
The People article states that the complaint alleged Jackson forced his way into the victim's home uninvited.
The TMZ report describes the incident as a violent rape that allegedly occurred in the spring of 1988.
The Razon publication reports that the accuser claims the assault left her traumatized and she filed the lawsuit in December 2023.
The People article notes that the alleged assault involved Jackson forcing his way into the victim's home in or around Encino, California.
The TMZ report states that the lawsuit alleged Jackson violently raped the woman after unexpectedly showing up at her Encino home.
The Razon article reports that the complaint was filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act.
The People publication says the lawsuit alleged Jackson forced his way inside the victim's home and sexually assaulted her.
The TMZ report describes the alleged assault as a violent rape that lasted several minutes according to the accuser.
The People article states that Barrett claimed the incident was covered up to protect Jackson's image and Motown-related business interests.
The TMZ report notes that the lawsuit alleges Jackson abruptly stopped and left the victim's residence after the assault.
This article was generated with AI assistance.