Janet Jackson and her boyfriend–music producer Jermaine Dupri–are being sued by a man who alleges that two of Jackson’s bodyguards clocked him when he tried to pass a note to the singer. That is an obscene amount of money to ask for, considering his medical bills could have probably been no more than 1% of the amount he is requesting:
From SOHH.com:
Lawyers for pop singer Janet Jackson were unsuccessful in their bid to have a lawsuit against her thrown out.
In a ruling made public yesterday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Rolando Acosta decided that a $120 million assault suit against Jackson can move forward, requiring the singer to give a deposition under oath.
According to New York Post reports, 41-year-old Leonard Salati alleges that two of Jackson’s bodyguards grabbed him and choked him when he attempted to pass the singer a note at Club Marquee, February 2004.
Lawyers for Jackson hoped to have the case dismissed by arguing that Jackson and her boyfriend, co-defendant Jermaine Dupri, were accompanied by only one bodyguard that evening, who they described as a 5-foot-8 Caucasian man, weighing only 180 pounds. A copy of the guard’s driver’s license was submitted to support their claim. Salati had previously described his assailants as two African-American men, one weighing around 300 pounds.
Judge Acosta ruled to allow the case to move forward, and remarked that despite Jackson’s claims, representatives for Club Marquee (which is also being sued) said that at least three bodyguards were present with Jackson on the evening in question, two of whom were African-American. The judge also added that the bodyguard’s license “did not show that he is Caucasian. Indeed, to this court’s untrained eye, he appears to be a medium dark Latino, [who] could pass as being African American.”
I think it is unfair that Salati is able to sue Jackson and Dupri for such a ridiculous amount. I would understand if he was permanently incapacitated after his encounter with such a behemoth, but he was feeling fine enough to walk to a lawyer’s office and file a lawsuit for an obviously opportunistic amount. Besides, after Dupri produced Jackson’s distastrous last album, 20 Y.O., I doubt they have $120 million to give the guy.
i dont like janet jackson. her husband looks like a little weasel, with a touch of the dorky face that pee diddley has. yuk.
Personally, i cringe every time i hear a michael jackson song on the radio…there is so much music out there that boycotting this child molester won’t make a bit of difference.
radio stations banned the dixie chicks for some statements natalie maines made about the president and they were completely boycotted and trashed…so what, thats their opinion. they didnt hurt people.
michael jackson is notorious for grooming young boys, giving them alcohol, or as he calls it, jesus juice and is an irresponsible sick pervert who for reasons ill never know never saw a jail cell. how come outrage akin to what the aforementioned band got didnt ever occur to anybody??? why do people still play him on the radio? he is a bad man.
MG- there has to be a law put into place that would cap the amoutns you could sue- anyone- for anything! Especially doctors!! This shit has become the new ‘business’ to many people; just get a lawyer and not work the rest of your life- its filthy, rotten and despicable. How god awful it must feel to earn your living and have somebody rob it all without unfoundedly like that.
In the ER, someone who is choked only gets muscle relaxers and pain relief; maybe 30$ max? You just chill until you feel better.
I can’t believe the degree of crookedness is people’s minds.
Note to Jessie and MG – I don’t see anything particularly “unfair” about the suit. Just because the guy’s suing for $120 million doesn’t mean he will GET it – a jury can certainly award a different amount and if they settle, it will obviously be for less. Even when juries make awards, judges can overturn them if they seem excessive or unreasonable. Why not claim the amount you want to in a lawsuit? Just because you claim it doesn’t mean you’ll get it.
Also MG, although some of these suits may seem excessive, there are a lot of people who are injured by people and deserve to be compensated. Although some of these amounts seem excessive, sometimes they are deterrants. They are also a way of punishing people who have done a lot of harm – remember that sometime people do things that are aboslutely horrible but they don’t amount to crimes, so they won’t face any prosecution. You can only punish people in civil cases like this by making them pay money or making them do something, so that’s sometimes why people ask for a lot of money.