Michael Jackson estate wins suit against HBO's ‘Leaving Neverland’

Late King of Pop Michael Jackson’s estate, on Monday, won its suit against HBO’s 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland in which the singer was accused of sexually abuse.

Leaving Neverland focuses on Wade Robson and James Safechuck who alleged that Jackson had sexually abused them when they were minors. In telling their story, HBO had violated a 1992 agreement that barred them from airing any “information relating to the personal life of Jackson, either during or after HBO’s contact with the singer,” argued the estate.

HBO said the clause is irrelevant to the dispute and accused the estate of silencing victims, however, a lower court had earlier ruled that the matter be taken to arbitration, reported Variety.

In a win for the estate, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal upheld the lower court ruling that an arbitration agreement in the non-disparagement clause is still valid, even after HBO appealed.

“An arbitration clause can still bind the parties, even if the parties fully performed the contract years ago,” the court said on Monday, adding that the suit may be frivolous but it is for the arbitrator to decide.

“We may only identify whether the parties agreed to arbitrate such claims; it is for the arbitrator to decide whether those claims are meritorious,” they said.