Michael Jackson’s family is just now suing for an estate robbery that happened shortly after the music icon’s death in 2009. According to TMZ, court documents accuse Jeffree Phillips of stealing a variety of possessions from Michael’s estate amid the chaos that followed his death.
The singer was preparing for his comeback tour This Is It when he died of an accidental overdose of propofol in 2009. His physician, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011.
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Jeffree was reportedly engaged to one of Michael’s siblings, which is how he gained access to the musician’s estate. However, the court documents don’t reveal which sibling he was engaged to. Jeffree was staying in Michael’s Carolwood House for over a week when the theft occurred. He reportedly took a variety of personal items and mementos belonging to MJ.
Specifically, he’s been accused of stealing Michael's clothes, iPhone, computers, hard drives, driver’s license, business papers, and prescription pills. He even took handwritten notes from Michael as well as the pyjamas MJ was wearing at the time of his death.
It's unknown why Michael’s family waited until now to file the lawsuit. It’s also unclear how much the total value of items stolen is worth, and how much the Jackson family is seeking in damages. The lawsuit was filed on Friday, the day before the 13th anniversary of the “Billie Jean” singer’s death.
This isn’t the only legal trouble Michael’s estate has been involved in recently. The news comes over a year after Michael Jackson’s companies were found not guilty of facilitating the singer’s alleged abuse against minors.
Wade Robson – who went into detail about the abuse he says he suffered from MJ in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland – originally filed the case in 2013. Though the case was originally dismissed due to statute of limitations, it was reopened in 2020 after California amended its laws.
Wade was specifically suing MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, which he claimed allowed the singer to abuse many minors. However, the judge Mark A. Young eventually determined the companies were not liable for the singer’s alleged actions. Wade’s legal team has vowed to appeal the decision.
The same judge dismissed a similar case in 2020, which was brought forth by James Safechuck, who also detailed the abuse he endured in Leaving Neverland. James has already appealed the decision.
Michael was accused of child abuse multiple times during his career, and though he was tried, he was never convicted of any crimes.
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