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Even with the recent outrageous biopic about Michael Jackson coming out, it’s good to remember that there are other members of the famous family.
Jermaine was his deceased brother’s second vocalist.
He was also accused of rape, and the accused filed a lawsuit.
A court has now ordered Jermaine to pay millions – but there is a strange element to this case.
That’s a lot of money to pay after never appearing in court
Jermaine – who changed his surname to “Jackson” in 2013, a few years after converting to Islam – stood by his notorious brother during his court cases and continued to do so after his death.
He is the father of both Jafar – who starred in the controversial biopic, Michael – and Germajesty.
In December 2023, a woman named Rita Butler Barrett filed a lawsuit against Jermaine.
She accused the musician of unexpectedly coming to her house in 1988 and raping her.
In her file, Barrett requested financial compensation amounting to millions. How much did you get?
A whole group of people are about to become huge Jermaine Jackson fans. This is what always happens when famous men rape. https://t.co/18YeugEW52
– Jerry Curl 🏳️🌈🇵🇸 (@bjamar_) May 15, 2026
The court has now ordered Jermaine to pay more than $6.5 million in damages and court costs. TMZ Reports.
(The amount also covers medical expenses identified by Barrett.)
In a strange twist, this was not because the jury sided with the defendant. This wasn’t a bench trial either.
Instead, the court entered a default judgment against Jermaine.
It appears that he did not respond to the lawsuit at all, and did not appear in court in person or through a representative.
Is there a reason to ignore the lawsuit instead of challenging it in court?
In Barrett’s lawsuit, filed under California’s Sexual Assault Accountability and Concealment Act, she alleged that Jermaine showed up at her Encino home in the spring of 1988.
She said his presence was unexpected.
Jermaine then allegedly proceeded to violently rape her for several minutes, until he stopped and left.
The attack traumatized her, and she shared the medical costs she incurred as a result.
Her lawyers were unable to reach Jermaine to serve him notice of the lawsuit. The court approved an exceptional measure, and notified him via Los Angeles Times. Apparently that didn’t work either.
It is theoretically possible that Jermaine never learned of the lawsuit against him, even though it has been years since it was filed.
For example, he may be surrounded exclusively by “yes men” who will not bring it up, even as the lawsuit becomes public.
If so, one would imagine Jermaine would challenge the default ruling. Naturally, this means that Barrett will get her long-awaited day in court.
Instead, some speculated that avoiding a lawsuit was a public relations strategy. Instead of entering into an out-of-court settlement or making headlines with a legal battle, quietly pushing a court-ordered default judgment is a strategy. some He may hope to get hired without having to answer questions, provide evidence, or reach a deal.
Perhaps Jermaine will not respond to the lawsuit, pledging to prove his innocence. In theory, a person with a guilty conscience might pay a default judgment without comment—without admitting or denying wrongdoing. But who can say what’s on his mind?
