Overview
- Los Angeles County Superior Court entered the default judgment Thursday, May 14, ordering $6.5 million in damages and $7,131.84 in costs.
- Jackson did not respond to Rita Butler Barrett’s December 2023 civil suit, which alleges he forced his way into her home in 1988 and raped her.
- After repeated failed attempts to locate him for personal service, the court allowed notice by publication in the Los Angeles Times.
- The case was filed under California’s 2022 Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which temporarily reopens older sexual‑abuse claims.
- The complaint also alleges Motown founder Berry Gordy helped cover up the incident, though he is not named as a defendant.