Michael Jackson's alleged victims have requested to obtain records that include naked pictures of the late singer, though his production company has pushed back.
On Wednesday, MJJ Productions petitioned the Superior Court of Los Angeles to dismiss Wade Robson and James Safechuck's subpoena from March 2024, which sought access to documents containing "photographs of Michael Jackson's genitalia and naked body taken by police."
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Jackson's team argued that these documents were already under seal by a court-entered protective order from the Santa Barbara Superior Court.
They emphasized the sensitivity and privacy of the materials in question, asserting that they were sealed for a reason.
The photos in question were reportedly taken in 1993, around the time when Jackson faced allegations of sexually abusing a then-13-year-old boy.
In their lawsuit, attorneys for Jackson's production company highlighted California's recognition of privacy rights for images of deceased persons.
"Here, there is no legitimate justification for Plaintiffs' gross attempt to violate the privacy of a man who has been deceased for almost a decade and to disturb his family's 'peace of mind and tranquility' with our 'sensation-seeking culture,'" the documents stated.
Describing the plaintiffs' demand for the documents as "an egregious violation" of Jackson's privacy rights, the lawsuit labeled it as "simply beyond the pale."
Jackson's legal team alleged that Robson and Safechuck had previously attempted to obtain the police records on multiple occasions, all of which were thwarted by the court.
The attorneys also contended that the sealed documents, comprising incident reports, photographs, recordings, and investigative files, were not directly relevant to the case, per the Daily Mail.
"To allow Plaintiffs to exploit that series of circumstances to their benefit by obtaining those photographs now adds a second defilement to the first," they added.
In 2013, Australian choreographer Robson accused Jackson of molesting him from the age of seven to 14. The following year, actor Safechuck also filed a lawsuit against the King of Pop, alleging that the singer started grooming him for sex at the age of 10.
Both men, featured prominently in HBO's Leaving Neverland documentary in 2019, are now suing the deceased singer's companies, asserting that they are liable for allowing the alleged abuse to occur.
While their initial lawsuits faced multiple rejections in the past, a California judge ruled in August 2023 that they would proceed to trial.
"Plaintiffs had every right to expect defendants to protect them from the entirely foreseeable danger of being left alone with Jackson," Justices Elizabeth Grimes, John Wiley, and Victor Viramontes wrote at the time.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or rainn.org in the US, or contact rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 500 2222 in the UK.
