{"id":11100,"date":"2026-07-05T18:03:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/jermaine-jackson-voids-6-5m-assault-judgment-will-fight-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T18:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T18:03:10","slug":"jermaine-jackson-voids-6-5m-assault-judgment-will-fight-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/jermaine-jackson-voids-6-5m-assault-judgment-will-fight-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Jermaine Jackson Voids $6.5M Assault Judgment, Will Fight Lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\tJermaine Jackson is getting another chance at defending himself against claims that he raped a session musician coordinator in 1988.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Jackson 5 member, who has also had a prolific solo career with Billboard Hot 100 hits like \u201cDaddy\u2019s Home\u201d, \u201cLet\u2019s Get Serious\u201d and \u201cDo What You Do,\u201d was sued for sexual assault and battery in 2023. Jackson did not respond to the claims for more than two years, leading a Los Angeles judge to award a $6.5 million default judgment to accuser Rita Butler Barrett last month. \u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\tIt was at this point that Jackson finally appeared in court, flatly denying the rape allegations and saying he was unaware of the case until reading media reports about the default judgment. The singer, who lives in Bahrain, argued that he did not receive legal papers served at his mother\u2019s Encino home or via notices in the Los Angeles Times<\/em>. He also noted that he changed his name to \u201cJermaine Jacksun\u201d in 2013, meaning he was sued under the wrong legal name.<\/p>\n

\n\tJudge Elaine W. Mandel credited these arguments in her Tuesday (June 30) order, obtained and first reported by Billboard<\/em>, which wiped the $6.5 million judgment and restarted the litigation process.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe failure to use Jacksun\u2019s true legal name is fatal, compounded by plaintiff\u2019s decision to publish in Los Angeles, while Jacksun was apparently living overseas,\u201d wrote the judge. \u201cThe court recognizes the difficulties in locating defendants living abroad. However, choosing to publish in Los Angeles after receiving notice that Jacksun was likely abroad, and doing so with an incorrect name, leaves no choice but to void the default judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJackson will now get another opportunity to file legal papers responding to Barrett\u2019s lawsuit, which alleges he showed up at her Los Angeles-area home unannounced in the spring of 1988, forced his way through the door and violently raped her. A music contractor who worked with Jackson in the late 1980s, Barrett brought the case under a one-year legislative window that lifted the statute of limitations for certain sexual assault claims.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJermaine is adamant that he did not rape the plaintiff,\u201d said Jackson\u2019s lawyer, Bret Lewis<\/strong>, in a Tuesday statement to Billboard<\/em>. \u201cI would add that the alleged conduct is not characteristic of the Jermaine Jackson\/sun that I have known for years as his long-time attorney. We intend to vigorously defend these allegations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBarrett\u2019s attorneys did not immediately return a request for comment.<\/p>\n


\"Billboard
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