Jackson may be too ill to travel to testify in lawsuit

MICHAEL Jackson may be too ill to travel to London to testify in a lawsuit that claims he owes an Arab sheikh $7 million (€5.5m), the pop star’s lawyer said.

Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain, claims Jackson reneged on a contract for an album, a candid autobiography and a stage play, after accepting millions from the sheikh.

Al Khalifa was in court yesterday for the second day of arguments and testimony, but Jackson is seeking to give his testimony by a video link from the US.

“It would be unwise for him to travel, given what he’s got now,” said lawyer Robert Englehart, although he declined to elaborate “for the obvious reasons”.

Al Khalifa’s lawyer, Bankim Thanki, called the medical evidence presented by Jackson’s legal team “very unsatisfactory”.

“It’s not the first time a sick note has been presented by Mr Jackson,” said Thanki.

Details of Jackson’s purported malady were not disclosed, but Thanki suggested the issue could be resolved by applying a dressing “if the diagnosis is positive”. Thanki did not elaborate further.

Al Khalifa felt betrayed when the pop star pulled out of the deal, said Thanki.

After Jackson left Bahrain, never to return, his publicist later called Al Khalifa to say Jackson no longer wanted any part of the contract, said Thanki.

Jackson’s “frank” autobiography alone was expected to rack up $24m (€18.9m), Thanki said. Al Khalifa gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances and subsidize Jackson’s lifestyle in the small Gulf state.

Thanki said Al Khalifa considered the money an advance on profits Jackson would reap from their pop music project, but Englehart said the money was a gift.