EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson’s Thriller Girlfriend Sues His Estate For “A Substantial Sum”
July 16 2009, Published 7:22 a.m. ET
Michael Jackson’s Thriller girlfriend Ola Ray isn’t letting the singer’s death stop her battle for royalties she claims are owed her from the 1983 video.
The former Playboy pin-up’s lawyer Jason Feldman told RadarOnline.com exclusively that he has served the executor of Jackson’s estate, attorney John Branca with new papers to gain ‘a substantial sum’ in unpaid royalties from the famous video
The parties will meet in court for the first time on August 19.
Ray launched the suit on April 30 but it was then against the singer himself. Jackson’s estate will now be the defendant. “We believe that our client is due a substantial sum as the copyright value for Thriller has gone-up considerably since he died, Feldman told RadarOnline.com.
“It’s obviously complicated to equate exactly how much this is but sales for the video itself have generated somewhere between $15 to $40 million dollars since it was first released.”
In the John Landis-directed video, Ray played the role of the girl who was Michael Jackson’s crush. She rose to fame with her blood curdling scream and her famous sexy strut in the “14 minute long zombie feast” that became an international phenomenon.
Landis also sued Jackson regarding royalty payments. His action was filed last January
“Ola has nothing personal against Michael Jackson and was sad about his passing but this is strictly a business deal that we feel has never been fully obliged,” Feldman said.
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