Rita Barrett’s December 2023 civil lawsuit in Los Angeles alleges that Jermaine Jackson sexually assaulted her in 1988. The case has not been decided on the merits in the reports reviewed: a default judgment reported in May 2026 was set aside on June 30, and subsequent reports describe ongoing disputes about service and court procedure.
What Barrett’s lawsuit alleges
According to Pitchfork’s December 28, 2023 report, Barrett alleged that Jackson forced his way into her home and assaulted her in 1988. The report says she filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and named Jackson, Jermaine L. Jackson Music Productions, and Work Records as defendants. The complaint reportedly sought damages on claims including sexual battery, battery, sexual assault, and negligence.
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These details describe allegations in a civil complaint, not findings by a court. Pitchfork also reported that Barrett knew Jackson through her work as a musician’s contractor and her connection to Motown founder Berry Gordy; that background is the report’s account of the filing.
What happened to the reported $6.5 million judgment?
In May 2026, TMZ reported that a default judgment of just over $6.5 million had been entered after Jackson did not respond to the case. Pitchfork had reported a default-related order in April. The later procedural update is decisive: on June 30, 2026, a judge set the default judgment aside. MyNewsLA reported that the service process did not use Jackson’s legally changed name, Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun, and described that defect as the reason the default was vacated.
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The reported amount was tied to a default judgment that was later set aside; it is not the current outcome of the case. Setting aside the judgment over service does not decide whether Barrett’s underlying allegation is true.
Procedural timeline
| Date | Reported development |
|---|---|
| December 2023 | Barrett filed the civil suit in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to Pitchfork. |
| April–May 2026 | Pitchfork and TMZ reported a default-related judgment for just over $6.5 million after Jackson had not responded: Pitchfork and TMZ. |
| June 30, 2026 | A judge set aside the default judgment over a reported service-of-process defect involving Jackson’s legal name, according to MyNewsLA. |
| September 10, 2026 | The California Second District Court of Appeal directed Barrett to respond by October 9 and Jackson to reply by November 9 in the service-related dispute, according to MyNewsLA. |
| September 19, 2026 | The trial judge reportedly declined to order Jackson to answer while the appellate writ process was ongoing. MyNewsLA said a case-management conference was scheduled for December 17: MyNewsLA. |
Has the court decided whether the alleged assault occurred?
No merits ruling is established by these procedural reports. They describe the vacating of a default judgment and continued litigation over service and the next steps in the case; they do not establish that Jackson was found liable for the alleged assault or that the allegation was disproved. The reviewed reports also do not establish Jackson’s position on whether the alleged incident occurred.
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The latest located report, dated September 19, 2026, said appellate briefing deadlines were October 9 for Barrett and November 9 for Jackson. Those dates were still pending relative to that report, and a subsequent outcome has not been verified here. The report also identified December 17 as the scheduled case-management conference. For developments after September 2026, consult current court records or later reporting.
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