Michael Jackson’s sexual assault accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, are seeking a staggering $400 million in damages from the late King of Pop’s estate over the alleged abuse.
The nine-figure demand was revealed in court documents filed on September 15. The filings were part of a legal dispute involving Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, who has opposed the estate covering all of the mounting legal fees related to the case.
According to the documents obtained by Us Weekly, Jackson’s executors—John Branca and John McClain argued that not paying the legal fees would have “profoundly destabilizing consequences for the estate.”
The executors stated that if the estate cannot pay the fees, they would likely be unable to continue defending against Robson’s and Safechuck’s lawsuits.
“The Estate would likely have to default… where numerous depositions, discovery matters, and other matters are scheduled to take place over the next several months, and where [Robson and Safechuck] are seeking $400 million,” the documents read. The filings emphasized that it “would be disastrous for the Estate to default in this case.”
The specific amount Robson and Safechuck were seeking from Jackson’s companies, MJJ Productions Inc. and MJJ Ventures Inc., was previously undisclosed until these court filings.
Robson, 43, first filed his lawsuit in 2013, alleging he was molested and raped by the music icon between the ages of 7 and 14. Safechuck, 47, sued the following year, claiming Jackson groomed him for sex after they appeared together in a Pepsi advertisement when Safechuck was 10.
Both men detailed their sexual abuse allegations in the 2019 HBO documentary, Leaving Neverland. Michael Jackson’s estate has repeatedly denied all sexual assault allegations. A spokesperson for the estate reiterated, “The lawsuit has no merit and Michael is innocent.”
The estate previously sued HBO for violating a non-disparagement clause by airing the documentary. That case was eventually settled in 2024, and HBO agreed to permanently remove the film from its platform.
