Three Michael Jackson fan clubs in France have filed a lawsuit against Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men who accused the late pop star of sexual abuse in the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.
The three organizations – Michael Jackson Community, Mj Street and On the Line – accused Robson and Safechuck of posthumously damaging Jackson’s reputation. While libel laws in the United States and the United Kingdom do not extend to deceased people, there are laws in France against the public denunciation of a dead person, The Associated Press reports.
The three organizations – Michael Jackson Community, Mj Street and On the Line – accused Robson and Safechuck of posthumously damaging Jackson’s reputation. While libel laws in the United States and the United Kingdom do not extend to deceased people, there are laws in France against the public denunciation of a dead person, The Associated Press reports.
- 7/5/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Three French Michael Jackson fan clubs are suing the two men featured in HBO/Channel 4 doc Leaving Neverland.
The Michael Jackson Community, the Mj Street and On The Line have filed a lawsuit accusing Wade Robson and James Safechuck of “sullying” the reputation of the Bad singer. A court hearing was held in Orleans, just south of Paris, on Thursday.
This comes after a U.S. federal judge denied the Michael Jackson estate’s motion for immediate arbitration at the end of May, giving the premium broadcaster an early win in the U.S. case.
The fan groups are taking action in a French court because French defamation laws are different to those in the U.S. and UK, where libel protection does not extend after death. However, in France, “sullying the image of a deceased person” is a criminal offense. The fan groups are asking for €1 each in symbolic damages.
The Michael Jackson Community, the Mj Street and On The Line have filed a lawsuit accusing Wade Robson and James Safechuck of “sullying” the reputation of the Bad singer. A court hearing was held in Orleans, just south of Paris, on Thursday.
This comes after a U.S. federal judge denied the Michael Jackson estate’s motion for immediate arbitration at the end of May, giving the premium broadcaster an early win in the U.S. case.
The fan groups are taking action in a French court because French defamation laws are different to those in the U.S. and UK, where libel protection does not extend after death. However, in France, “sullying the image of a deceased person” is a criminal offense. The fan groups are asking for €1 each in symbolic damages.
- 7/5/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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