Jacko, sheikh settle lawsuit out of court

LONDON: Lawyers for Michael Jackson have reached a settlement with a Bahraini sheikh who claimed the singer owed him $7mn after breaching a signed contract, the pop star’s spokeswoman said Sunday. Celena Aponte said the out-of-court settlement means Jackson will not be giving evidence at London’s High Court.

Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa said he gave the singer millions of dollars and planned a series of collaborations following Jackson’s acquittal on child molestation charges in June 2005.

Jackson’s lawyers have maintained the money was a gift and argued that the musician was not bound by the deal because the contract was signed on behalf of 2 Seas Records, a venture which never got off the ground.