Michael Jackson accuser Safechuck, mother set for questioning

James Safechuck, one of two men who have accused the late pop star Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children, is scheduled to give a deposition on September 14 as his long-running civil case against Jackson’s companies moves towards trial.

Court documents cited by TMZ show that Safechuck’s mother, Stephanie Safechuck, is also scheduled to give evidence under oath on October 15 and 20.

Stephanie is expected to be an important witness because of her family’s relationship with Jackson while her son was a child. She featured in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, where she described how Jackson became close to the family after meeting James during the filming of a Pepsi commercial when he was about nine.

Safechuck and fellow accuser Wade Robson allege that Jackson sexually abused them when they were minors. Their civil claims are against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, with the companies accused of failing to protect them. The companies have denied the allegations.

Safechuck initially filed his lawsuit in 2014. It was later dismissed before a California appeals court revived the case in 2023, allowing the litigation against Jackson’s companies to proceed. The appeals court ruled that corporations could potentially have a duty to protect children from abuse allegedly committed by their owner or employee.

Robson’s case was also revived, and the two cases were subsequently consolidated as the legal battle continued through further discovery and pre-trial proceedings.

The cases were moved towards a new trial date in 2028 after further delays in the litigation. Reports in June said a California judge set February 14, 2028, for the trial, with additional discovery and depositions still required before the case can proceed.

Safechuck and Robson became widely known for their allegations after appearing in Leaving Neverland, which detailed their accounts of alleged abuse during their childhoods.

Jackson, who died in 2009, was acquitted in 2005 of criminal charges involving child molestation. The allegations made by Safechuck and Robson have not resulted in a criminal conviction against Jackson and remain disputed.

The forthcoming depositions form part of the continuing discovery process in the civil litigation, with Safechuck’s testimony scheduled for September 14 and his mother’s questioning set for October 15 and 20.