A mysterious subpoena was issued as part of Michael Jackson’s accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck’s lawsuit, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On August 15, lawyers for an 84-year-old woman named Marion Goodgame asked an L.A. judge to shut down a subpoena issued by Jackson’s companies, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures.
The two companies are being sued by Robson, 42, Safechuck, 47, over alleged abuse they suffered from Jackson while they were children. Jackson’s companies denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50.
The parties are currently deposing parties and preparing for trial.
In the newly filed motion, Goodgame’s lawyers said she received a subpoena on July 24.
Goodgame said the subpoena “is aimed to unreasonably annoy, embarrass, oppress, and impose an unduly burden and expense on Goodgame.”
Goodgame’s lawyer said she suffers “multiple long-term and debilitating physical and mental health conditions that places her at significant risk if required to comply.”
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Her lawyer noted, “Compelling her to appear for and participate in a deposition would likely subject her to significant discomfort and physical strain, thus imposing an undue burden and excavate her current condition.”
In addition, her attorney said his client suffered from anxiety disorder and high blood pressure. “She is expected to testify regarding highly troubling and sensitive subject matter involving her daughter’s sexual abuse.”
The lawyer added, “It is clear that the emotional and physical strain in recounting these events is unsafe to Goodgame, leaving her in no condition to sit through a deposition and be subject [to] extensive questioning on highly stressful topics.”
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Goodgame’s lawyer said the depositions sought have “no substantial relevance or bearing to the case at hand.”
“Goodgame was never a party to any MJJ litigation and is not a central figure in the underlying action. The current matter is a separate matter that does not hinge on Goodgame’s personal knowledge. MJJ already deposed [her family member] and received the most direct facts available,” her lawyer said.
Goodgame attached a copy of the subpoena Jackson’s companies issued. The letter showed the companies demanded she turn over all communications involving Jackson, all documents referring to the late pop star, any communications with her daughter related to Jackson, any communications with her former son-in-law related to Jackson and any documents they believe were created by Jackson.
In addition, the subpoena asked for any photos or videos of Jackson, any photos of his home taken at Neverland Ranch, all photos of the family at Neverland, any documents related to money or gifts from Michael Jackson and any documents or communications related to “any abuse allegations against Michael Jackson.”
Goodgame, her daughter and her son-in-law have never publicly been tied with Jackson.
As Us first reported, on July 10, Jackson’s daughter, Paris Jackson, raised serious questions over requests for payments for legal fees made by the executors of her father’s estate. She opposed certain fees being approved for work done between July 2018 to December 2018. The estate scoffed at her motion and said they were responsible for making Jackson’s estate worth hundreds of millions.
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Paris, 27, believed a group of “closely-knit” lawyers was exploiting the executor’s lack of oversight to skim money from her dad’s estate.
Jonathan Steinsapir, an attorney for the Estate of Michael Jackson, denied the claims.
“The historic turnaround and success of the Estate of Michael Jackson on behalf of his children speaks for itself,” Steinsapir told Us. “The Estate’s executors’ business judgment has generated billions of dollars for Michael’s children, and they have used that same business judgment to determine fair compensation for a world-class legal team that helped them achieve these unprecedented results, while also fighting back against baseless attacks against Michael by opportunists seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the estate and its beneficiaries.”
The estate lawyer continued, “The claims made by this new set of attorneys for [Paris] —who have no meaningful experience representing clients in the entertainment industry — are both baseless and defamatory.”
