Rita Butler Barrett claimed Jermaine, 71, barged into her home uninvited and attacked her while her husband, Ben Barrett, who worked with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, was not home.
“During the assault, Barrett feared for her life,” states the December 2023 complaint, which also alleges she reported the incident to Gordy, who allegedly covered it up “to continue to reap profits derived from Mr.[Michael] Jackson’s work and reputation for years to come.”
Gordy, who is not a defendant in the action, denied cover-up allegations through a rep, and a Los Angeles Superior Court judge issued a default judgment against Jermaine on May 14 because he ignored the lawsuit.
Barrett’s lawsuit also contained a sworn statement from Cathy Adams, a former Star Search contestant, who claims Jermaine barged into her hotel room and attacked her, but she managed to convince him to stop.