Jermaine Jackson could face a multi-million dollar payout in a civil lawsuit after the plaintiff asked a Los Angeles court to enter a default judgment, alleging he has failed to respond to the case.
According to court filings, Rita Butler Barrett, who has accused the singer of r@pe, is seeking approximately $6.5 million in damages. Her legal team argues that Jackson has not engaged with the proceedings, prompting the request for a judgment in his absence.
The filings state that attorneys were unable to locate Jackson through conventional means and obtained court approval to serve legal notices via publication in the Los Angeles Times. Notices were reportedly published for four consecutive weeks in August and September 2025, with a second round issued in February 2026 to serve a statement of damages.
Barrett initially filed the lawsuit in December 2023 under California’s S3xual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, alleging that Jackson assaulted her in the late 1980s. In the complaint, she claims Jackson came to her home uninvited, forced entry and “violently r@ped” her. She said she feared for her life during the alleged incident and was left traumatised after he left.
Jackson has not publicly responded to the allegations or the latest court filing. Barrett is also seeking to recover more than $7,000 in legal costs related to filing fees and the publication of notices.
If the court grants the request for default judgment, the case could be decided without Jackson presenting a defence.