Although Safechuck filed a civil case in 2014, his civil case remained silent and inactive until June 2015. On July, 2015 Safechuck identified Doe2 and Doe 3 defendants. This will start the process (demurrer and such) for Safechuck civil case. Why now? In my personal opinion, judge dismissing Robson’s probate claim demonstrated that Safechuck’s probate claim doesn’t stand much chance either therefore they are focusing their efforts on the civil claims.
Safechuck’s civil complaint provides information about why his probate claim most probably wouldn’t be successful. Probate code requires any claim to be filed within 60 days of knowledge of administration of the Estate and the creditor’s actual knowledge of the existence of the facts giving rise to the existence of the claim. Unlike Robson, Safechuck doesn’t claim he didn’t know about the Estate. To the contrary, Safechuck openly admits he heard from news reports that John Branca would be managing MJ’s business affairs and he knew who Branca was. Safechuck similar to Robson doesn’t claim repressed memory. He states he told his mother in 2005 MJ was a “bad man” and he told his mother in “briefest statement that he had been abused” in 2005. Furthermore Safechuck started to see a therapist on May 20, 2013. Given Safechuck hasn’t filed his probate claim until 2014, there’s no way he can satisfy the within 60 days rule of probate. That alone should be enough for the judge to dismiss his probate claim eventually. ( Few rounds of chances to amend a complaint routinely happens).
That brings us to the civil complaint.
Safechuck is suing Doe defendants. Doe 1 (also referred as decedent) is MJ. Safechuck names Doe 2 and Doe 3, however he requested and granted to file the names of Doe 2 and Doe 3 defendants under seal. Personally this doesn’t make much sense to me as I don’t remember Robson having any issues with publicly naming MJ companies. In this instance we don’t know for sure who are the Doe 2 and Doe 3 defendants are but based on what we know it is safe to assume they are some MJ companies. At one affidavit, Safechuck lawyer (who also represent Robson) make a reference to how Doe 1 (MJ) used “his corporate entities to facilitate the wrongful conduct alleged in the complaint”. Other affidavits claim “through Doe 2 and Doe 3” MJ coordinated and paid for Safechuck to train and learn about film making and employed Safechuck to act as wardrobe, body double and intern at MJ’s videos”. So it is safe to assume that although their names are redacted Doe 2 and Doe 3 are companies owned by MJ.
The specific abuse allegations are redacted. It seems like the lawyers have learned from their redaction mistakes with the Robson complaint. At Robson complaint they redacted the abuse claims but not the relevant legal codes so it made it possible for us (and media) to decipher what sexual acts Robson’s was alleging. In Safechuck civil claim all legal codes are also redacted, making it impossible to decipher what acts he is alleging. Safechuck’s complaint makes a general “childhood sexual abuse” claim and briefly mentions “duty of care” as legal arguments. If we are correct that Doe2 and Doe3 are corporate entities owned by MJ then the complaint is incredibly weak as it fails to allege how and why the companies would be responsible. Based on what we saw at Robson civil case, it is highly probable that Safechuck will get at least one chance to amend his civil complaint.
The below summary of Safechuck civil complaint is done by Suzy from Michael Jackson Allegations. I want to thank her for her tremendous help. I’m always grateful to her for sharing her knowledge with me.
Safechuck civil complaint document here: https://www.scribd.com/doc/273431049/Safechuck-Civil-Complaint
Safechuck claims abuse happened between when he was 10 to 14 years old (from 1988 to 1992) and it was hundreds of times. He met Michael during Pepsi Commercial in late 1986/early 1987. Karen Faye was present during his first conversation with MJ. He started spending time with Michael, visiting him at Hayvenhurst, travelling with him to Hawaii, going to see Phantom of Opera, dancing with Michael and so on. Michael also started to visit and stay at Safechuck house. Later Safechuck joined the second half of Bad Tour (between June and December 1988). Safechuck was not paid for performing daily with Michael but all of his (and his family) expenses were paid by Michael. Safechuck says the first incident of abuse happened during Paris portion of the Bad Tour (June 25-29, 1988). MJ allegedly told him "it was a way of showing love". Safechuck claims MJ gave him jewelry as a "reward" after abuse, some of which he still has including a medallion bearing MJ's face. (Ivy and Suzy's note: In our opinion this medallion sounds like an oficial merchandise released during Bad Era). He claims MJ taught him sexual codes "to use so that other people would not know what they were talking about when they were referring to their sexual activities".
MJ allegedly instructed him "to be confident and deny everything if ever asked about the abuse". "DECEDENT told Plaintiff that he did not have to answer questions about what they did; that he should be vague and not give real answers to questions; and that if the police ever told Plaintiff that DECEDENT had "already confessed", they were lying and trying to trick Plaintiff." MJ allegedly repeated "over and over again" that the alleged sexual acts were Safechuck's idea. He claims MJ told him that "he would need to get married to protect his public perception". MJ allegedly added new elements to the abuse over time.
Safechuck claims he was confused about his sexuality but then he thought he was not gay because he had a crush on Sheryl Crow. MJ allegedly was jealous of his attraction to women and talk about women to him in a negative manner. When Safechuck was in fourth grade he had a girlfriend but MJ allegedly did not like it and told him he could only be in a relationship with him. On several occasions Safechuck took his school friend with him to Neverland. They would play together but allegedly Safechuck and MJ would sneak off to be alone where sexual abuse allegedly occurred. Allegedly they were always very careful not to be caught. MJ allegedly trained him how to put on clothes very fast and run away quietly so people would not hear him. MJ allegedly instilled fear in him that if anyone ever found out their lives "would be over". MJ was allegedly paranoid and constantly questioned Safechuck about what conversations he had with other people. Once he fired a female limo driver because she asked Safechuck about MJ.
Safechuck claims once they became close MJ started to encourage him to stay away from acting and the spotlight. MJ promised him that he would always take care of him, he developed an attachment to MJ and wished he was his father. Safechuck claims when he turned 12, MJ began to focus more on Brett Barnes and other young boys. He claimed at the Hidout, MJ gave him "pink wine" to drink and they watched porn movies. Heterosexual ones and ones with children masturbating in it. He claims MJ told him the latter was not really porn, only the former.
Safechuck alleges when he turned 12, MJ "began to prepare Plaintiff for separation - telling him that he would have other friends". Safechuck says he was upset about this and tried to preserve his relationship with MJ by being extra nice. MJ spent more time with Brett and this made Safechuck jealous. After this they spoke less frequently, but MJ paid all kind of teachers and experts to teach Safechuck filmmaking. They went to his home on the weekends to teach him directing, script writing and MJ also financed Safechuck to direct several movies in high school. Supposedly he told Safechuck that "(the DECEDENT) will be there to set (Plaintiff's) foot in the door" of the entertainment industry and motion picture business". He claims MJ steered him away from school studies to make movies instead. He claims MJ talked out his parents of sending him to college. MJ allegedly told Safechuck that he would end up doing what MJ did.
MJ arranged several trips for him and his parents in 1992-93. One to Boston to attend a Deepak Chopra retreat, another to visit the White House. Safechuck went to visit MJ on the set of "Jam", but he did not sleep in MJ's room, Brett slept there which made Safechuck cry. He was sent home several days earlier than his schedule.Safechuck claims in 1993 he testified at the Chandler trial (As we know there wasn’t a trial, he is probably meaning a police interview, deposition or a grand jury hearing).
Safechuck claims he was a production assistant on the shooting of the HIStory trailer in 1994. His mother was with him on that trip too. The trip supposedly lasted one-two weeks. Doe 2 (which is most probably MJJ Productions) arranged and paid for the accommodations. He was employed as a shadow director/intern on "Earth Song" in 1995. He claims he was a wardrobe and hand double.
After 1995/ After Safechuck turned 17, his relationship with MJ tapered off. He went to Moonpark Community College. But he could never get the university education he wanted "instead, his education had been derailed by DECEDENT's persuasion of him and his parents that college was a waste of time and that Plaintiff's future was in film direction." At Moonpark he started to experience panic attacks.
In 2005 MJ contacted him again to ask him to testify at the trial. When he said no MJ allegedly got angry and threatened him "telling him that he had the best lawyers in the world and that they would get Plaintiff for perjury from the 1993 Chandler trial." Safechuck was allegedly scared MJ would talk to his mother and she would find out about the abuse. Sefechuck claims a few days later MJ called his mother trying to get her convince Safechuck to testify at his behalf and also wanted Safechuck’s parents to testify as well. Safechuck states 1-2 days before MJ called his mother, he told his mother about MJ calling him to testify, how he declined MJ’s request, MJ was a “bad man” and “briefest statement that he had been abused”. He asked his mother to not let MJ knew that she found out about the abuse and she didn’t. MJ's lawyers and Evvy Tavasci supposedly contacted Safechuck and told him that he needed to testify to deny what the cooks at Neverland claimed. (Suzy’s note: That would be very odd since the cook - Quindoy - never testified and in fact, testimony about Safechuck was never allowed in.) Towards the end of the trial MJ allegedly called him again to tried to pressure him to testify (Suzy’s note: Which still doesn’t make sense as testimony about Safechuck was not allowed). He told Safechuck Gavin just wanted money. Safechuck feared MJ was recording the phone call so he ended the call and he told MJ not to call or try to talk to him ever again.
Safechuck was married in 2007 and he never told his wife about the alleged abuse. Safechuck had anxiety during his wife's pregnancy and he was prescribed Xanax. He did not discuss the alleged abuse with his therapist, nor did he link his anxiety issues to it. After the birth of his son in 2010, Safechuck began to worry that he would have pedophilic urges. He started to see how innocent children really were. He heard about Robson's lawsuit in 2013 and now that he also had a newborn daughter, he thought he might need help because his "fears increased about his own children and what could happen to them". He never linked his panic attacks and anxiety issues to alleged abuse before. He went to a therapist on May 20, 2013 with whom he discussed his alleged abuse for the first time.