Jermaine Jackson has reportedly been ordered to pay more than $6.5 million to a woman who accused him of rape — and according to court documents, the judgment was entered after Jermaine allegedly never responded to the lawsuit at all.
The case stems from allegations made by Rita Butler Barrett, who filed suit in December 2023 under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act. Jermaine Jackson has not publicly addressed the judgment or the allegations.
In her lawsuit, Rita accused the Jackson family member of allegedly showing up unexpectedly at her Encino, California home in 1988 before violently assaulting her. She claimed the alleged attack lasted several minutes and left her emotionally traumatized.
Now, new court records show Rita was awarded a default judgment totaling just over $6.5 million, including damages, court costs, and medical-related expenses tied to the alleged incident.
A default judgment is typically issued when the defendant fails to respond or appear in court. According to reports, Rita’s legal team initially struggled to locate Jermaine in order to formally serve him with the lawsuit paperwork. Eventually, they reportedly received court approval to serve notice publicly through the Los Angeles Times.
Because Jermaine allegedly never filed a response to the claims, the court moved forward without him.
The shocking development has quickly sparked reactions online as social media debates the case and questions how such a large judgment was entered without a courtroom battle ever taking place.
★
