Jackson sued for $7 million
Bahrain Prince Abdulla ibn Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa sued Michael Jackson in London on Monday, claiming the pop star reneged on a deal to use Bahrain as a recording venue and kept a $7-million advance.
The prince, second son of the king of Bahrain, and Jackson shared an interest in music and discussed the joint production of two albums, a Jackson autobiography and a stage musical, Bankim Thanki, Prince Abdulla’s lawyer, told the High Court in London.
Jackson moved to Bahrain as a guest of the royal family after he was acquitted of charges of child molestation in 2005.
The prince claimed he offered Jackson an advance on funds so he could hire legal advisers on the recording deal and “in particular his interests in the Sony/ATV publishing catalogue and his home, the Neverland Ranch, both of which he was in grave danger of losing,” according to court documents.
Jackson claims the money, which he says was less than $7 million, was a “gift” taken when he was in a fragile state after his trial and that he felt “undue pressure” to sign a contract he doesn’t consider binding, according to documents filed in his defense.
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