Jermaine Jackson says a rape claim against him overshadowed son Jaafar’s ‘Michael’ biopic moment, stating in legal documents reported on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, that he only learned of a $6.5 million default judgment during the press tour.
The 71-year-old Jackson 5 singer said he was blindsided by the coverage while promoting the film Michael, in which his son Jaafar Jackson plays the late pop star, as reported by TMZ.
He said he had no idea a lawsuit had even been filed against him.
The film Michael has been one of the year’s biggest music biopics, drawing crowds curious about the singer’s life and putting Jaafar Jackson at the centre of a high-profile launch.
That success made the renewed attention on his father’s legal troubles all the more jarring for the family.
What the Jermaine Jackson rape claim involves
The civil lawsuit, brought by a woman named Rita Butler Barrett, alleges that Jackson sexually assaulted two women decades ago, in 1988 and 1990, with claims of a cover-up involving Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Jackson denies the allegations entirely and has not been criminally charged.
A default judgment of $6.5 million was entered against him in May 2026 after he did not respond to the case. Jackson now wants that judgment thrown out, arguing he was never properly served and that the suit named him under a former name he no longer uses.
Court records show the woman pursued the case for months before securing the default ruling.
Because Jackson did not file a response, the judgment was granted automatically rather than after a trial, which is why his lawyers are now focused on the question of whether he was ever lawfully notified.
How the claim collided with the ‘Michael’ biopic
Jackson’s frustration centres on timing. The default judgment surfaced publicly just as the Jackson family stepped back into the spotlight around the Michael biopic, a film built on the legacy of Michael Jackson and seen as a major break for Jaafar Jackson in the title role.
He said the news robbed the family of a milestone.
“What should have been a proud and important professional moment for my son and our family,” Jackson said, was overtaken by reporting on the judgment instead of his son’s performance.
Jackson is now pushing the court to set the default judgment aside so the case can be heard on its merits.
If a judge agrees, the matter moves into a full fight over claims he insists are false, keeping the Jackson family name in the headlines well beyond the biopic’s run.
