HOT TOPICS

most

Michael Jackson Sued by Arab Sheikh

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER

posted: 228 DAYS 20 HOURS AGO

comments: 16

filed under: Music News, Troublemakers

Text SizeAAA

LONDON (Nov. 17) - The son of an Arab monarch took the King of Pop to court Monday, charging that Michael Jackson took $7 million as an advance on an album and an autobiography that he never produced.

Lawyers for Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa say their client paid Jackson expenses as an advance on the book and joint recording project with the sheikh, who is an amateur songwriter. Jackson claims the money was a gift.

Skip over this content

Al Khalifa, 33, was due to testify at London's Royal Courts of Justice Wednesday. Jackson's lawyer Robert Englehart said he was seeking permission to have Jackson testify by video link from Los Angeles.

A lawyer for Al Khalifa said the royal first spoke to Jackson, 50, by telephone while the singer was on trial in California following his 2003 arrest on child molestation charges. Attorney Bankim Thanki said that Al Khalifa wanted to work with Jackson on rebuilding his career. Jackson's finances fell apart after his arrest and he was desperately short of cash.

Al Khalifa's first payment, for $35,000, went toward paying the utility bills at Neverland, Jackson's 2,500-acre (1,000 hectare) ranch and miniature amusement park in California, Thanki said. When Jackson was found innocent of the molestation charges in June 2005, Al Khalifa footed $2.2 million in legal bills, the lawyer said.

Al Khalifa said he believed the money would be repaid once Jackson's career recovered from the damaging trial.

"I saw the payment as an investment in Michael's potential," the sheikh in a statement he read out in court. "He said he would pay me back ... through our work together."

Al Khalifa moved Jackson and his entourage to Bahrain almost immediately after the trial, setting up a recording studio for him in Manama, the Gulf state's capital. The sheikh, who is the governor of the Bahrain's Southern Province, supplied Jackson with $500,000 in cash to subsidize his lifestyle and splashed out on a $350,000 European vacation for Jackson and his associates in February of 2006, Thanki said.

"The costs even included the expenses of bringing out Mr. Jackson's hairdresser," he said.

The lawyer said Jackson and the sheikh became close friends and at one time both lived in a palace in Abu Dhabi owned by Al Khalifa's father, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's king. The singer stayed nearly a year in Bahrain as a guest of the son, but the relationship soured when Jackson repudiated a business deal Thanki said they had agreed to.

Jackson's lawyers say the pair never entered a valid agreement and that Al Khalifa's money was given freely.

Thanki acknowledged that Al Khalifa gave some gifts to Jackson but said that most of what the singer received was part of a business deal.

The gifts, he said, "were essentially personal effects — watches, jewelry."

Thanki said the sheik was wealthy but that paying Jackson's bills had taken a big bite out of his finances.

"Some of the payments were staggering by any standards," Thanki said, saying the expenditure "should not be regarded as loose change for my client."

As for Jackson, he still appears to be in difficult financial straits.

Last week he was forced to give up the deed on Neverland, which is named for the mythical land of Peter Pan.

The trial is being held in London because the parties had agreed to take any disputes over their deal to an English court, Al Khalifa's representatives said. The trial is due to wrap up by the end of the month.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-11-17 16:10:45

GOOD READ?

66 %

34 %

124 votes

See More Related Articles and Blog Posts

(16)

Sort by:

1 - 10

<< Previous Next 10 >>

CBrezzzzzzzzzzzz

12:41 AMDec 04 2008

It"s sad to see how far Michael has fallen.

AVG RATING:

(0)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

N0T4NE0NE

12:11 AMNov 27 2008

Let me understand the importance of this story. We have a excessively wealth shiekh spending over 2 million dollars on a washed out 50 year old freak in order to possibly profit on the drowned rat's comeback and we need to hear about it? Does anyone else see the ridiculousness of this? Imagine what 2 million dollars to charity could have done to thousands instead of charity to one little man. People like this do not deserve wealth. Man's actions are disgusting and yet I'll keep faith that God will sort it all out in the end.

AVG RATING:

(0)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Audiman777

08:31 AMNov 23 2008

michel jackson just needs to be shot for all he is Is A Baby rapper and ther should be no room for that kinda person any where but our ****'d up laws let that type get by what a world we live in

AVG RATING:

(1)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Invyncible1001

12:31 AMNov 23 2008

The sheik should have known that something was up with MJ when he was in the studio working with Wil.I.Am in 2006 on new music. It appeared on Access Hollywood and Billy Bush was there doing the interview. B. Bush suggested doing something related to Thriller. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAQmbj2knfc&feature=relatedIn 2000, MJ reneggs on two benefit concerts (in which he lost that court case) now in 2008 he's in court once again for failing to follow through another monetary deal. As for MJ saying that the money was a gift is just a cop out. Ive seen this a lot on The Peoples Court...and these people usually lose the case. This is not the way to repair ones image. Receiving or asking for help is one thing, but dont take advantage of people on the way up. It's easier to fall down the ladder than it is to climb it. Too bad MJs ladder is sinking in the sand. If he can't pay his lawyers or the Sheik, he may have to give up the last 25% of the beatles catalog that he ...

AVG RATING:

(1)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

KittyKatLuvR21

08:42 PMNov 23 2008

I wonder WHAT kind of "gifts" that theSheik gave MJ!!!! LOL!! OHH BABY!!!

AVG RATING:

(0)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

MIAMIACE2001

01:24 PMNov 21 2008

Is time for Michael Jackson ,to come out off his closet , and live a normal l life style ..An let's the world know his true feeling ..........

AVG RATING:

(1)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Xmensteve

05:43 AMNov 21 2008

those f words deserve one another.an ass**** that would spend that kind of money on a pedophiles lifestyle has something wrong with him.I hope shiek little rich bitches father deals with him.

AVG RATING:

(1)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Xmensteve

05:42 AMNov 21 2008

those f words deserve one another.an ass**** that would spend that kind of money on a pedophiles lifestyle has something wrong with him.I hope shiek little rich bitches father deals with him.

AVG RATING:

(0)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Mvirgilina

01:28 PMNov 18 2008

I'M MUSLIM AND THESE PEOPLE HAVE PUT A BAD SPIN ON THE RELIGION,HE GOT WHAT HE DESERVE.AS FOR THE RELIGION ITSELF IF THE PEOPLE FOLLOWED LIKE THEY SUPPOSE TOO IT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL THING !!!

AVG RATING:

(3)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

RedRoses941

09:46 AMNov 18 2008

Jckson said he thought the money was a gift? LMAO, Who would give millions of dollars to him? Not even a sheik would apparently. I wish Michael Jackson would just go away quietly, and never return to this country again. Maybe this will be the 'belly up' thing for him....I hope. He surely dont deserve to be famous here any more. And certainly not rich.

AVG RATING:

(3)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

1 - 10 of 16

<< Previous Next 10 >>