Default Judgment: Jermaine Jackson Ordered to Pay $6.5M in Sexual Assault Suit

A default judgment entered this month has resulted in a significant financial consequence for Jermaine Jackson, the 71-year-old former Jackson 5 member. According to court documents obtained in mid-May, Jackson has been ordered to pay more than $6.5 million in damages to Rita Butler Barrett, who filed a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault and rape that allegedly occurred in 1988—over 35 years ago.

The case hinges on California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, legislation approved by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2022 that expanded the window for civil suits involving sexual assault beyond the statute of limitations. Barrett’s legal team pursued this avenue after claiming they struggled to locate Jackson to serve him with the original suit filed in December 2023. Unable to find him through conventional means, they obtained court permission to execute service via legal notice published in the Los Angeles Times instead.

According to Barrett’s court filing, she knew Jackson through her husband’s friendship with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. She alleged that Jackson“arrived at Plaintiff’s home unannounced. Defendant Jackson forced himself into Plaintiff’s home, and with force and violence sexually assaulted Plaintiff.”The court documents paint a harrowing picture: Barrett claimed she“feared for her life”during the assault and“prayed to God for help.”

What complicates this story is that Jackson never responded to the lawsuit—a silence that led to the entry of default judgment. When a defendant fails to answer or respond to a civil complaint, courts can enter a default judgment against them, essentially ruling in favor of the plaintiff by default. This doesn’t necessarily mean Jackson admitted wrongdoing; it reflects a failure to mount a legal defense.

The timing adds another layer of intrigue. Just weeks before this judgment became public in May 2026, Jackson appeared at the Los Angeles premiere of Michael on April 20 alongside his son Jaafar Jackson, who plays the young version of Michael Jackson in the biopic. The film has been a commercial juggernaut, earning $577 million worldwide in its first three weeks—a stark contrast to the legal storm swirling around his family name.