Whether you have heard of the Leaving Neverland suit or John Branca before, you have probably heard of the person they have in common: Michael Jackson. If you were one of his fans, you need to know more about Branca and the lawsuit.
Branca’s Relationship With Michael Jackson
Branca has served as a lawyer and manager for many acts, including Michael Jackson. Over the years, Branca and Jackson revolutionized the Rock and Roll industry by popularizing music videos. The two grew close throughout Jackson’s career. After his death, Jackson named Branca as the executor of his will and estate. Branca continues to uphold Jackson’s memory, especially after the release of the documentary Leaving Neverland.
The Leaving Neverland Suit
After the documentary Leaving Neverland was released, Branca and the Michael Jackson Estate condemned the film as an attack on Jackson to attract tabloid attention. Thus, Branca filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO. Since Jackson is dead, Branca could not sue HBO for defamation. Instead, he used his knowledge as a successful lawyer to find a contract stating that HBO would never ruin Jackson’s public image. Branca sued HBO for violating this agreement with the documentary. It also accused HBO of fabricating lies with a financial motive. This did not discourage HBO from running the documentary as planned. In the suit, Branca wished to settle the issue through the public arbitration process. Instead, HBO attempted to have the suit dismissed in the courts.
Branca’s main issue with the documentary is that it does not consider both sides of the issue. Instead, it tries to keep Jackson’s side of the allegations a secret. After HBO’s appeal to have the case dismissed was denied, Branca was one step closer to going through the public arbitration process. However, HBO filed an appeal and was granted a stay of the arbitration process. Although they were able to stop the arbitration process, Branca is continuing his fight against Leaving Neverland and the slandering of Jackson’s legacy. He continues his fight to discover the truth behind what happened and share the facts with the public.
The Rock and Roll legend Michael Jackson’s lawyer and manager was a close friend throughout Jackson’s life. After his death, Branca became the executor of his will and estate and strives to maintain Jackson’s legacy. However, the documentary by HBO, Leaving Neverland, made this difficult. To fight against this slander, Branca filed a suit against HBO and continues to try to get the truth about Michael Jackson out to the public.