Michael Jackson accusers seek $400 million in damages as estate fights over legal fees
Court filings tied to Paris Jackson’s dispute over estate costs reveal a nine-figure damages demand by Wade Robson and James Safechuck and a warning from the estate’s executors about potential default.
Michael Jackson’s sexual-abuse accusers are pressing for $400 million in damages from the late singer’s companies, a figure disclosed in court documents filed on Sept. 15 amid Paris Jackson’s bid to limit how much the estate must pay in mounting legal fees. The filings show the accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, are pursuing a nine-figure damages claim as part of the decades-long civil suits stemming from allegations of abuse that began in the 1980s and progressed through Robson’s suit filed in 2013 and Safechuck’s in 2014.
The court papers, obtained in part by Us Weekly, also reveal that Michael Jackson’s executors — John Branca and John McClain — warned that if the estate does not pay all of its legal fees, it would face “profoundly destabilizing consequences” and could potentially default in the case. The documents emphasize that dozens of depositions and discovery matters are scheduled in the coming months, leaving the estate at risk if costs are not covered.
Robson, 43, filed his suit in 2013 alleging he was molested and raped by Jackson from ages 7 to 14. Safechuck, now 47, followed with a claim in 2014 that Jackson groomed him for sex after they appeared together in a Pepsi advertisement. Both men recounted the alleged abuse in detail in HBO’s 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which the Jackson estate subsequently challenged in court. The estate has repeatedly denied the allegations of abuse and has argued that the lawsuits lack merit.
The new damages claim comes as part of a broader dispute over who should bear legal costs related to the cases. Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson’s daughter, has been pursuing control over the estate’s legal-fee obligations, a dispute that has fed into the ongoing litigation against the singers’ corporate entities, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc. Branca and McClain contend that paying the fees is essential to preserve the estate’s ability to defend against Robson and Safechuck’s lawsuits, which could otherwise jeopardize years of scheduled proceedings and the estate’s broader business interests.
The case timeline includes a separate series of high-profile legal actions between the Jackson estate and HBO over the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland. The estate sued HBO for allegedly violating a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract by airing the film, a lawsuit that was settled in 2024 with HBO agreeing to remove the documentary from its platform and to certain terms regarding its availability moving forward. The accusers publicly discussed the abuse in Leaving Neverland, and the documentary’s release intensified scrutiny of Jackson’s legacy in popular culture.
As the legal disputes over fees and damages unfold, observers note that the case sits at the intersection of culture, memory, and the business of Jackson’s estate. Fans, commentators, and those following the entertainment industry’s handling of legacy cases are watching to see how the court will balance the needs of those alleging abuse against the estate’s desire to protect its financial footing and brand.
