In a shocking turn of events, a woman named Rita Butler Barrett has filed a lawsuit against Jermaine Jackson, older brother of the late Michael Jackson, accusing him of sexually assaulting her in 1988. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges sexual battery, assault, and negligence on the part of Jackson. Barrett also claims that Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, did nothing to help her when she reported the assault to him.

According to the lawsuit, Barrett met Jackson while working as a musician's contractor and through family connections to Gordy, who was in a business relationship with Barrett's husband at the time. In the spring of 1988, Jackson allegedly went to Barrett's home without notice and forcibly sexually assaulted her. The suit states that Barrett feared for her life during the attack and reported it to Gordy the next day.

However, instead of taking action, Gordy allegedly withheld and concealed the acts, perpetuating a cover-up and allowing Jackson and others in the business relationship to continue profiting from Jackson's work and reputation. The suit further claims that Gordy sold Motown for great profit shortly after the assault took place.

Barrett's lawsuit was filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allows civil suits in sexual assault cases that exceed the statute of limitations if there was a cover-up involved. The act allows suits to be filed until December 31, 2023. Barrett's complaint alleges that Jackson and others conspired to cover up the assault, while she was forced to suffer in silence and shame for decades.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from Jackson and his businesses, Jermaine L Jackson Music Productions Inc. and Work Records. Representatives for Jackson and Gordy have not yet commented on the lawsuit.

This case is reminiscent of similar lawsuits filed under New York's similar act, which allowed historical complaints to be submitted until late November. Celebrities such as Axl Rose, Jamie Foxx, and Sean “Diddy” Combs faced lawsuits as a result. The deadline for filing suits under California's act is December 31, giving victims of sexual assault the opportunity to seek justice and hold their perpetrators accountable.

The news of Barrett's lawsuit against Jermaine Jackson and her allegations against Berry Gordy has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. As the legal battle unfolds, the world waits to see how these allegations will impact the legacies of Jackson and Gordy, and whether justice will be served for Rita Butler Barrett.