Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men who have accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse, are demanding a settlement worth $400 million, per Us Weekly.
The figure was revealed by John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the late King of Pop’s estate, as part of ongoing court proceedings brought by Jackson’s daughter Paris regarding legal fees.
In court docs filed on September 15, the executors explained that they spent a substantial amount of money to employ various law firms that helped with the estate, which included the attorneys fighting Robson and Safechuck’s lawsuit.
Branca, 74, and McClain claim that if the court sides with Paris, 27, — who does not want the estate to pay all of the fees — it would have “profoundly destabilizing consequences for the estate.”
Continuing, they stated, “The Estate would likely have to default in [Robson and Safechuck’s lawsuit], 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.”
Allegations
Robson alleges that Safechuck began molesting him when he was seven years old in 1990 and continued for seven years. Safechuck says the abuse he sustained began in Paris in 1988, when he was 10, and continued until 1992. The second documentary showed the pair being legally thwarted several times before they finally won the right to bring a lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s two companies, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, for corporate negligence over the abuse which happened at Neverland – and which no one did anything to prevent.
Backlash from fans
The news of Robson and Safechuck’s claims first made headlines during the bombshell doc Leaving Neverland.
In the documentary Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson, Robson and Safechuck reflected on the backlash they endured since sharing their stories in the original HBO documentary Leaving Neverland in 2019.
Robson, now 42, described the experience as “fricking terrifying,” emphasizing how the global reaction, especially from Jackson’s fans, has been intense and sometimes threatening.
“A certain amount of them can be extremely vicious,” he said in the new documentary, People said.
Despite their fears, Robson and Safechuck have continued their legal battle against Jackson’s estate.