MICHAEL JACKSON FAN clubs are suing two alleged victims of the late singer in a French court over their claims in a HBO documentary.
The legal action in the French city of Orleans targets Wade Robson (36) and James Safechuck (41) who claim they were abused by Jackson.
The allegations about the late singer surfaced in the documentary Leaving Neverland earlier this year, where Robson and Safechuck outline the abuse they say they were subjected to.
Both Safechuck and Robson allege that Jackson abused them, gaining their families’ trust and manipulating them into keeping their sexual relations secret.
The fan clubs - Michael Jackson Community, the MJ Street and On The Line – have filed a suit in France using defamation laws that make it an offence to wrongly sully the image of a dead person.
US or British laws do not provide such protection.
The French lawyer representing the fan clubs said: “The image of the departed has been damaged, as well as the community of fans of Michael Jackson.”
Safechuck and Robson both snubbed the court action and did not send legal representation to yesterday’s proceedings, which lasted only 10 minutes.
However, a statement from Jackson’s estate backed the French legal efforts, which are in addition to a suit filed against HBO in the US by the Jackson family seeking damages of €88 million.
“The Estate is in full support of Mr Ludot’s efforts on behalf of Michael and his beloved fans in France and across the globe that the truth shall ultimately prevail,” a co-executor of the Estate of Michael Jackson said in a statement.
“We remain hopeful that a victory in France will soon fuel a movement in the United States to finally explore changes in the law to afford defamation protection for the deceased,” it added.
The court in Orleans is set to deliver its verdict on 9 October providing the plaintiffs can prove that a summons to attend the court has been delivered to Safechuck and Robson.
The fan clubs are seeking symbolic damages of €1 each.
With reporting by © – AFP 2019
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