LaToya Jackson’s Ex-Fiancé To Turn Over Michael’s Hard Drives & Laptop To Third Party As Battle With Estate Over Pop Star’s Property Rages On
May 26 2023, Published 11:30 a.m. ET
LaToya Jackson’s ex-fiancé Jeffree Phillips will be turning over personal property owned by Michael Jackson to a third party to safeguard — while he continues to fight the estate over claims he stole the items, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, recently, Jeffree was ordered to produce 109 CDs/DVDs, five hard drives, three silver-colored Apple Macintosh laptop computers, two iPods, two Dictaphones with two micro-cassettes and three standard cassette tapes.
The property will be stored by a man named Kevin Singer until a resolution is reached in the fight between Michael’s estate and Jeffree.
As we first reported, last year, the estate filed bombshell court documents accusing Jeffree of stealing over $1 million worth of property from Michael’s home. The executors of the estate claim Jeffree showed up at the singer’s home after he was rushed to the hospital on June 25, 2009.
In court documents, the estate accused Jeffree of recently attempting to sell the items to a collector. The executors, John Branca and John McClain, said LaToya’s ex not only had Michael’s electronics but handwritten notes from his family members, legal papers, gold records, and a pair of his pajamas.
Jeffree, who was with LaToya from 1995 to 2015, denied the accusations.
He claimed to have taken the items but only because Michael’s mother Katherine instructed him to do so.
“I have never sold a single Carolwood Item nor have I publicly displayed them,” he said. “I have never lied about having the Carolwood Items or otherwise concealed the fact that I kept the Carolwood Items in storage. Jackson's family members knew I had these items.”
He added, “had the Estate simply asked for the property and not resorted to the premeditated set-up and bullying tactics, I would have called La Toya to inform her that the Estate was requesting the items, and the two of us would have then called her mother. If Ms. Jackson instructed me to give the property back to the Estate, I would have done so. Although the property was given to me and belongs to me, I would not have refused a request for the property from the Jackson family.”
“Although the property was given to me and belongs to me, I would not have refused a request for the property from the Jackson family,” he said.
The estate and Jeffree are heading to trial over the property. As we first reported, LaToya’s ex has been attempting to depose 93-year-old Katherine to grill her about his claim she told him to remove the items.
Separately, Katherine and the executors are locked in a nasty battle over a proposed deal that she wants to block.