Michael Jackson's estate has settled with the man accused of stealing $1 million worth of property from the late singer's home following his death in 2009.
Jeffré Phillips, who was once
engaged to Michael's sister La Toya Jackson, was previously accused of using
the chaos surrounding the pop star's death in 2009 to rob from his deathbed
pajamas and other valuables from his $25 million mansion.
TMZ reports that Jackson's
estate has now reached a settlement with Phillips, though the terms of the
agreement are confidential.
Jackson's estate had been
seeking the help of a judge to recover items belonging to Jackson that Phillips
possessed after learning he had been attempting to sell them off.
In legal documents filed in
June 2022, Jackson's estate claimed Phillips was attempting to sell items he
allegedly stole after staying in the King of Pop's Los Angeles mansion for
nine-days after he died.
While at the Carolwood House,
Jackson's lawyers claim Phillips stole the singer's and his children's iPhones,
his driver's license, prescription pills, clothes, handwritten notes, and a
briefcase with personal and business letters.
'In an extremely appalling and
inhumane act, Phillips even stole the pajamas Jackson was wearing in the final
hours of his life,' the lawyers claimed.
'And Phillips stole a
resuscitator tube that seems to have been used on Jackson by those who were
trying to save Jackson's life in the short and frantic period before his
passing.'
The accusations filed against
Phillips came the day before the 13th anniversary of Jackson's death, who
passed on June 25, 2009.
Jackson's estate claims they
received a tip back in December 2021 that Phillips was attempting to auction
off items belonging to the late singer.
In an attempt to vouch for the
items' authenticity, Phillips allegedly admitted to the auctioneer that the
items were taken in the days following Jackson's death while he was at the
mansion.
To verify the items, the
auctioneer reached out to the estate, letting them know that he had a pair of
sunglasses allegedly to Jackson that Phillips allegedly claimed still had
'makeup on it from his face.'
Jackson's lawyers said they
have been able to retrieve some of the items Phillips allegedly took, but
believed that he was still in possession of home videos and music the singer
had written and recorded before his death.
The estate ultimately asked the
court to order Phillips to return any and all property that he allegedly took
from Jackson's home.
In August, a judge issued a
preliminary injunction forbidding Phillips from selling any items he took from
Jackson's home in 2009.
The estate filed more legal
documents in November to recover the property, which they estimated was worth
$1 million.
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