From Hollywood to Home: Black Voices in Entertainment
- Default judgment entered on May 14, 2026 after Jermaine Jackson failed to respond to the 2023 lawsuit by Rita Butler Barrett.
- Barrett alleged a 1988 forced entry and sexual assault, claiming professional and personal ties to the music industry, including Berry Gordy.
- She reported the alleged assault at the time but said it went unaddressed, later suing under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act.
- Court documents say legal notices were published in the Los Angeles Times after attorneys could not locate Jermaine Jackson.
- The court awarded damages plus court costs; the 71-year-old Jermaine Jackson has made public appearances linked to the Michael Jackson biopic featuring Jaafar Jackson.
Jermaine Jackson, a founding member of the legendary Jackson 5, has been ordered by a Los Angeles court to pay $6.5 million in damages to a woman who accused him of rape, following his failure to respond to a civil lawsuit.
According to court records and multiple reports, the judgment was issued as a default ruling on May 14, 2026, after Jackson did not answer the lawsuit filed in 2023 by Rita Butler Barrett.
Barrett alleged in her complaint that Jackson forced his way into her home in 1988 and sexually assaulted her. She claimed she knew Jackson through professional and personal connections linked to the music industry, including ties involving Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.
The lawsuit stated that Barrett reported the alleged assault shortly after it occurred but said the incident was not properly addressed at the time. She later pursued civil action under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which temporarily lifts certain statutes of limitations for abuse claims.
Court documents show Jackson never formally responded to the case, despite legal notices being served through publication in the Los Angeles Times after attorneys were unable to locate him directly. As a result, the court granted a default judgment in Barrett’s favor, awarding her $6.5 million in damages along with additional court costs.
The ruling comes as Jackson, now 71, has recently made public appearances, including attending events tied to the Michael Jackson biopic featuring his son Jaafar Jackson.
Representatives for Jackson have not yet publicly commented on the judgment.
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