SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 13, 2006) — Michael Jackson was alternately portrayed as a gullible artist and a calculating businessman during closing arguments in the trial of a lawsuit that accuses the entertainer of failing to pay a former associate more than $1 million.
“Michael Jackson doesn’t pay his bills. Mr. Jackson is a cagey, calculating witness,” said attorney Howard King, who is representing businessman F. Marc Schaffel in his lawsuit against Jackson.
Jackson’s legal woes go on and on. The pop star also is being sued by ex-wife Debbie Rowe — partly for the money she says she needs to fight in court for custody of his children.
Rowe wants $195,000 immediately for attorney fees and $50,000 in living expenses so she can continue her custody battle.
In the Schaffel case, Jackson attorney Thomas Mundell told jurors Schaffel took advantage of the entertainer.
“I don’t see the evil, conniving, puppet master he saw,” he said of King’s depiction of Jackson. “I saw the gentle, easily influenced artist who pays little attention to business matters.”
And while Schaffel said he went uncompensated for his work, Mundell said, “he was living the life of Riley, traveling around the world in private jets.”
“Mr. Schaffel saw Michael Jackson as an opportunity,” Mundell said. “He could do projects for him and become part of the action.”
The case was expected to go to the jury Thursday after Mundell concludes his argument, followed by a rebuttal from King.
the entertainer told him he needed it delivered to a mysterious “Mr. X” in South America.
In all, he asked jurors to award Schaffel $1,474,280.
Rowe and Jackson divorced in 1999. She says the pop star hasn’t paid what he promised in the settlement.
Rowe is the mother of Jackson’s two children, Prince Michael Joseph Jackson, who is now nine, and eight-year-old Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson.
Rowe gave up her parental rights to the children in 2001. She asked a judge to reinstate them in 2003 after learning of Jackson’s arrest on child molestation charges.
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