Jermaine Jackson, brother of the late global pop musician, Michael Jackson, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman, in a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, December 27, 2023.
Per the lawsuit, the plaintiff expressed fear for her life in the course of the alleged incident which took place in 1988.
According to PEOPLE, which obtained a copy of the filing in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the alleged victim, Rita Butler Barrett, claims sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual battery, negligence and rape by the 69-year-old.
Jermaine L. Jackson Music Productions, Inc. and Work Records, Inc. are named co-defendants.
In the suit, Barrett indicated that she had known Jackson for several years before the incident. Available documents state that her husband, Ben Barrett, worked closely with music mogul Berry Gordy, whom she believes was “in a business and/or management relationship” with Jackson during the time of the alleged incident.
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Available reports show that in the spring of 1988, Jackson allegedly arrived at Barrett’s home and forced himself inside. Barrett claims he sexually assaulted her with “force and violence” and left when he was “satiated.”
The lawsuit shows that Barret, who is a woman of faith, prayed to God for help, as she feared for her life during the assault.
She reported the assault to Gordy the following day, but he allegedly “withheld and concealed the acts.”
Barret went on to accuse Gordy of benefitting from Jackson’s works by his refusal to act on the information given to him, and that a cover-up was in place to prevent disclosure of information relating to the abuse for profit and preservation of reputation.
She therefore suffered from severe emotional, physical, and psychological injury, including humiliation, shame, guilt, economic loss, and economic capacity, and permanent emotional distress.
In other news, Jackson has expressed his disgust at the early release of Conrad Murray from prison.
Murray, who was jailed for involuntary manslaughter after a judge and jury ruled him partially liable for the death of Michael Jackson, had two years removed from his four-year sentence because of a change in California laws.