Jermaine Jackson ordered to pay $6.5m after rape lawsuit went unanswered

Court documents show the lawsuit stemmed from allegations tied to an alleged 1988 assault at a woman’s home

Jermaine Jackson has been ordered to pay more than $6.5m to a woman who accused him of rape and sexual assault in a lawsuit connected to an alleged incident from 1988.

According to court filings reported by multiple US outlets, the judgment was entered after Jackson failed to respond to the complaint filed by Rita Butler Barrett in December 2023. The ruling was issued in Los Angeles Superior Court as a default judgment, meaning the court proceeded after Jackson allegedly ignored the legal action.

Barrett accused the former Jackson 5 singer of forcing his way into her home and sexually assaulting her with what court documents described as “force and violence”. She claimed she feared for her life during the alleged attack.

The lawsuit stated that Barrett had known Jackson for years through professional and personal connections involving Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. Barrett’s husband, Ben Barrett, reportedly worked with Gordy, whose label famously signed the Jackson 5 during the late 1960s. Jermaine Jackson was also previously married to Gordy’s daughter Hazel Gordy.

In her complaint, Barrett alleged that she informed Gordy about the alleged assault shortly after it happened. The filing claimed Gordy concealed the accusations in order to protect Jackson’s career and reputation. Gordy was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Lawyers representing Gordy strongly denied the allegations made against him in the filing. In a public statement, they described the accusations as false and criticised what they called untested claims repeated through media coverage.

Barrett’s legal team said the woman continued to suffer emotional, psychological and physical trauma following the alleged incident. Attorney Jeff Anderson stated that Barrett eventually decided to come forward after learning legal avenues existed for survivors to pursue civil claims connected to older allegations.

Jermaine Jackson’s representatives had not publicly commented on the judgment at the time several reports were published. The singer has not issued a public statement addressing the allegations or the court ruling.

Jackson rose to fame as a member of the Jackson 5 alongside brothers Michael, Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Randy Jackson. He later established a solo career and scored success with tracks including “Let’s Get Serious” and “Daddy’s Home”. More recently, he attended premieres for Michael, the biographical film about Michael Jackson starring his son Jaafar Jackson in the lead role.

The case has drawn renewed public attention online due to the size of the judgment and the long gap between the alleged incident and the civil lawsuit filing.