Los Angeles Court Orders Jermaine Jackson to Pay $6.5 Million

A Los Angeles court has ordered Jermaine Jackson to pay more than $6.5 million to a woman who accused him of sexual assault after the singer failed to respond to her lawsuit. The default judgment was entered on May 14 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The plaintiff, Rita Butler Barrett, filed the civil complaint in December 2023 under California’s Sexual Assault and Cover-Up Accountability Act. This law temporarily suspended the statute of limitations, allowing survivors to file lawsuits for incidents that occurred years or decades earlier. Barrett’s claim would otherwise have been time-barred.

Barrett alleged that in or around the spring of 1988, Jackson showed up uninvited to her home in Encino, forced his way inside, and violently sexually assaulted her. She stated in her complaint that she feared for her life during the incident and has suffered severe and lasting emotional, physical, and psychological injury. Barrett said she knew Jackson through her husband, who worked closely with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.

The lawsuit further alleged a cover-up, claiming Barrett reported the assault to Gordy the following day and that he and others concealed it to protect...