A California judge has voided a $6.5 million default judgment against Jermaine Jackson, ruling that the plaintiff did not properly serve him with the lawsuit.
Rita Butler Barrett sued Jackson, the older brother of Michael Jackson, in December 2023, alleging he raped her at her Encino home in 1988.
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Barrett and her attorney attempted to locate Jackson by publishing a legal notice in the Los Angeles Times in August and September 2025.
When Jackson did not respond, the court awarded Barrett a default judgment in May 2026.
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Jackson then challenged the judgment, arguing that Barrett used the name "Jermaine Jackson" instead of his legal name, which he changed to "Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun" in 2013.
He also noted that the notices were published in Los Angeles while he was living overseas.
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The judge agreed, stating that the failure to use Jackson's true legal name was "fatal" to the service of process.
The ruling also criticized the decision to publish in Los Angeles after receiving notice that Jackson was likely abroad.
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The judge gave Jackson 10 days to respond to the complaint.
