Just when you thought the long-running legal battles surrounding Michael Jackson couldn’t get more complex, a new, puzzling development has emerged. A new report from a prominent news outlet reveals a mysterious legal order, known as a subpoena, has been sent out. This order is part of the ongoing lawsuits filed by Jackson’s accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
On August 15, lawyers for an 84-year-old woman named Marion Goodgame asked a Los Angeles judge to cancel this subpoena. The order came from Jackson’s companies, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures. These two companies face lawsuits from Wade Robson, 42, and James Safechuck, 47. They claim Jackson abused them when they were children. Jackson’s companies have always denied these wrongdoing claims. The pop icon passed away in 2009 at age 50. Right now, both sides are collecting witness statements and getting ready for the court hearing.
Goodgame’s lawyers stated in their new legal filing that she got the subpoena on July 24. Goodgame argued the subpoena aims to annoy, embarrass, and put an unfair burden on her. She said it would cause her unreasonable expense.
Her attorney explained that she has many long-term health issues, both physical and mental. These conditions put her at great risk if she has to follow the order. Her lawyer added, “Making her appear and give a statement would likely cause her much physical stress and discomfort.” They believe it would be an unfair burden and make her current health worse.
Furthermore, her lawyer confirmed she suffers from anxiety disorder and high blood pressure. They noted, “She is expected to testify about a very sensitive and upsetting matter. This relates to the sexual abuse of her daughter.” The attorney added that the emotional and physical strain of telling these events “is not safe for Goodgame.” This means she could not attend a statement session. It would also prevent her from facing intense questioning on very stressful topics.
Goodgame’s lawyer stated the requested information has no real link to the main court case. Her lawyer stressed, “Goodgame was never part of any MJJ lawsuit. She is not a central person in this underlying legal action.” They explained that the current issue is separate and does not rely on Goodgame’s personal knowledge. Her lawyer also pointed out that MJJ already took a statement from her family member. This means MJJ already has the most direct information possible.
Goodgame’s team included a copy of the subpoena from Jackson’s companies. The letter shows the companies demanded a lot of information. They wanted all messages about Jackson and all documents related to the late pop star. They also asked for any messages with her daughter or former son-in-law about Jackson. And they sought any documents they believed Jackson created. The subpoena also requested photos or videos of Jackson. It asked for pictures of his home taken at Neverland Ranch. All family photos from Neverland were also demanded. Plus, they sought documents about money or gifts from Michael Jackson. Finally, they wanted any papers or messages about “any abuse claims against Michael Jackson.” Notably, Goodgame, her daughter, and her former son-in-law have never been publicly linked to Jackson before.
This news comes as other issues surface around Jackson’s estate. It was first reported by a well-known entertainment magazine that on July 10, his daughter Paris Jackson, 27, seriously questioned legal fees asked for by her father’s estate executors. She challenged payments for work done between July and December 2018. The estate dismissed her challenge. They pointed out they were responsible for the estate being worth hundreds of millions. Paris felt that a “tight-knit” group of lawyers was taking advantage of the executors’ lack of oversight. She believed they were siphoning money from her father’s estate.
Jonathan Steinsapir, an attorney for the Michael Jackson estate, denied these claims. Steinsapir told a prominent news channel, “The historic change and success of Michael Jackson’s estate, on behalf of his children, speaks for itself.” He added, “The estate executors’ business judgment has made billions of dollars for Michael’s children.” He stated they used this same judgment to fairly pay a top legal team. This team helped them reach these huge achievements. They also fought baseless attacks against Michael from people looking to profit from the estate and its heirs. The estate’s lawyer continued, “The claims made by this new group of Paris’s lawyers are baseless and damaging.” He pointed out they lack major experience representing clients in the entertainment world.