Sheikh Abdullah: "Michael Is A Dear Friend"

[Datsymay]

If we are to believe any of this is true, then I believe Michael saw this coming. The sheik's suit is allegedly $7M, but MJ with good lawyers this could whittle down to half or in the neighbour hood of 20-40%
or la Avram. And remember
Michael is a businessman too. Sacrifice 2 seas for T-25 and a brand new studio album. Take your pick.

That is it. People are going on as if a contract broken is against the law. There is nothing wrong with breaking a contract if it is a bad one. The contract that was made with the Sheik was a terrible one. It would have tied MJ up in Bharain for god knows how long. MJ would have been forced to write an autobiography about his private life,, when he was never interested in doing that. The sheik should have never negotiated a contract with MJ when he was at his weakest point. Serves him right.
For the benefit of those who are fretting about a contract. Joe Jackson broke a contract with a tv station and went instead to Motown to audition his boys for Berry Gordy. The rest as they say is history. Joe Jackson broke a contract with Berry Gordy and signed his boys to Epic for a whole lot more money than Berry was paying them, The rest as they say is history, There is nothing wrong with breaking a contract if it is a bad one. The one with the sheik was an aweful one. he took advantage of MJ when he was at his weakest point and had nobody to mediate for him. He should have broken the Bashire contract as well. But oh well.

 

[JudgingNoone]

Re: AW: Sheikh Abdullah: "Michael Is A Dear Friend"

No, we're not! I do not know if that prince is legit, but I certainly don't come here automatically assuming that Michael is right and that the prince is wrong... especially considering things like this have happened before... Michael promising things, which he never really had the intention to follow through, things which never came to fruition!

And I always thought this prince won't host Michael for over a year purely for fun... I always knew that he wants something in return! In april of '06 there was this 2Seas press conference... so Michael did promise him something... and that was almost a year after the trial! So the being under stress from the trial thing is no excuse! And like someone said, contracts are contracts... even for Michael Jackson... and no court will care about Michael's trial!

And just because I like someone, I don't have to blindly follow and believe everything that person says! People do make mistakes... and as the last couple of years have shown, even Michael makes mistakes!

And frankly, I'm sick and tired of people, who excuse everything and always put the blame on others! If there would be less yes-sayers and enablers and more people, who would care to give their real opinion, pro and contra, instead of the kissing his butt 24/7, he probably wouldn't have gotten into as much **** as he did in the last 10 or so years!

Wow. You just took the words right out of my mouth.

I think we can all safely assume that MJ did sign a contract since he himself announced it. We can also safely assume that he backed out. That might have been a very good business decision. In fact, I think that it probably was. Smart, yes. Honourable - no. If he backed out, he needs to pay up, just like everybody else who breaks a contract. I'm not blaming him for being a good business man, but the rules apply to him too.

And for all of you who honestly think a court would let MJ out of the contract because he was exhausted etc need to know that is not how it works. Unless MJ was medically out of his mind, that excuse is not gonna fly.

 

[Datsymay]

Re: AW: Sheikh Abdullah: "Michael Is A Dear Friend"

Wow. You just took the words right out of my mouth.

I think we can all safely assume that MJ did sign a contract since he himself announced it. We can also safely assume that he backed out. That might have been a very good business decision. In fact, I think that it probably was. Smart, yes. Honourable - no. If he backed out, he needs to pay up, just like everybody else who breaks a contract. I'm not blaming him for being a good business man, but the rules apply to him too.

And for all of you who honestly think a court would let MJ out of the contract because he was exhausted etc need to know that is not how it works. Unless MJ was medically out of his mind, that excuse is not gonna fly.

That depends on whether he was in a fit state to make that contract or not. MJ was not well at the time, he was suffering from exhaustion he did not go there for business, he went there to recoup. The courts might find that he was taken advantage of and may find the contract null and void.

 

[eternitys_child]

Re: AW: Sheikh Abdullah: "Michael Is A Dear Friend"

Wow. You just took the words right out of my mouth.

I think we can all safely assume that MJ did sign a contract since he himself announced it. We can also safely assume that he backed out. That might have been a very good business decision. In fact, I think that it probably was. Smart, yes. Honourable - no. If he backed out, he needs to pay up, just like everybody else who breaks a contract. I'm not blaming him for being a good business man, but the rules apply to him too.

And for all of you who honestly think a court would let MJ out of the contract because he was exhausted etc need to know that is not how it works. Unless MJ was medically out of his mind, that excuse is not gonna fly.

The appropriate word here is 'trauma' not 'exhausted'. There are some very well documented human responses to trauma and trauma does not just occur to soldiers.

I did not speak to Michael as one person here did but a traumatised person is capable of covering up their trauma to outsiders and even to people who know them. Someone whose like has been in the public eye like Michael would be likely to be capable of doing that when he felt it was necessary. It is possible he covered it up in front of the prince as well but what some of us are saying is that the prince, as a friend, should have taken that into account and I believe the courts could take it into consideration. I am not familiar with the British courts other than that the US system was patterned after them but certainly a jury here would take recent trauma into consideration in assessing the validity of a contract.

I for one cannot imagine how Michael could have gone through what he went through and not be traumatized.

 

[Datsymay]

Re: AW: Sheikh Abdullah: "Michael Is A Dear Friend"

The appropriate word here is 'trauma' not 'exhausted'. There are some very well documented human responses to trauma and trauma does not just occur to soldiers.

I did not speak to Michael as one person here did but a traumatised person is capable of covering up their trauma to outsiders and even to people who know them. Someone whose like has been in the public eye like Michael would be likely to be capable of doing that when he felt it was necessary. It is possible he covered it up in front of the prince as well but what some of us are saying is that the prince, as a friend, should have taken that into account and I believe the courts could take it into consideration. I am not familiar with the British courts other than that the US system was patterned after them but certainly a jury here would take recent trauma into consideration in assessing the validity of a contract.

I for one cannot imagine how Michael could have gone through what he went through and not be traumatized.

Yes, Indeed. MJ was in shock when he left the court room. He ended up in hospital soon afterwards. I believe it was T-Mez that said he was very ill and received treatment. I believed MJ just ran from his home so fast that he didn't even pack a bag. The man was clearly tramatised. When you are in a confused state of mind, a contract for business is the last thing on your mind. Maybe Mj just signed the damn contract just to make it go away. It looks as if MJ was being pressured to do more for the region, perhaps even converting to Islam, cause there were many rumours flying about at the time. They may even have bween using Jermaine to pressure him. I believe that was why MJ left so suddenly.
Yes, I studied contract law at A level, and the courts will look at his fitness to enter into a contract. That contract was crazy and would have tied MJ to the prince and to Bharain, MJ only went there to recoup.

 

[PatrickS77]

AW: Re: AW: Sheikh Abdullah: "Michael Is A Dear Friend"

Wow. You just took the words right out of my mouth.

Always at your service! I too am glad, that he won't release his album on 2seas, I think it's not right if one of the biggest musical stars in the world needs a middle east record company to release an album... but the way it came about and the prize that it probably will carry, sucks!

Maybe Mj just signed the damn contract just to make it go away.

Oh yes... signing things to make them go away... HIStory has shown that that is not a good and wise thing to do!

That contract was crazy and would have tied MJ to the prince and to Bharain, MJ only went there to recoup.

Oh! So you've read the contract?? If the contract is that piss poor, why sign it in the first place?? Traumatized or not, wait until your lawyer has seen it! That traumatized excuse looks good on paper, but in reality... nobody is traumatized for 1 and a half years! And you don't want to seriously tell me that Michael has been a mindless zombie for 1 and a half years after the trial, totally incapable of having any rational thought, do you?!

If the contract is not good, then it would have been wise to not sign it, instead of signing it, living at the prince's palace (probably at his expense) for a year and a half, then breaking it up and ending in court!

The good thing though is, that the prince supposedly still views Michael as a friend, so all the chances are there that this thing can be settled out of court to everyone's satisfaction!

 

[elusive moonwalker]

Only, in this case, there is some proof that MJ has (again) gone against contract obligations

when did the court case happen then?? cause you seem to be prejuding just on the lawsuit filed by the prince.

If we are to believe any of this is true, then I believe Michael saw this coming. The sheik's suit is allegedly $7M, but MJ with good lawyers this could whittle down to half or in the neighbour hood of 20-40%
or la Avram. And remember
Michael is a businessman too. Sacrifice 2 seas for T-25 and a brand new studio album. Take your pick.
That is it. People are going on as if a contract broken is against the law. There is nothing wrong with breaking a contract if it is a bad one. The contract that was made with the Sheik was a terrible one. It would have tied MJ up in Bharain for god knows how long. MJ would have been forced to write an autobiography about his private life,, when he was never interested in doing that. The sheik should have never negotiated a contract with MJ when he was at his weakest point. Serves him right.
For the benefit of those who are fretting about a contract. Joe Jackson broke a contract with a tv station and went instead to Motown to audition his boys for Berry Gordy. The rest as they say is history. Joe Jackson broke a contract with Berry Gordy and signed his boys to Epic for a whole lot more money than Berry was paying them, The rest as they say is history, There is nothing wrong with breaking a contract if it is a bad one. The one with the sheik was an aweful one. he took advantage of MJ when he was at his weakest point and had nobody to mediate for him. He should have broken the Bashire contract as well. But oh well.:smile:

true.

 

[JudgingNoone]

Not being any kind of expert on anglosaxon law, I can only speak from a general perspective. My guess is that there would be a chance for MJ to get out of the contract without liability only if 1. he can prove that he was in such as state as to be unfit to make business decicions and 2. that the sheik took advantage of this by making him sign an agreement whose terms are somehow unjust or that MJ would not have signed had his mind been functioning properly.

I don't know what state MJ was in when he went to Bahrein. Having seen him walk out of court, I can only assume he was exhausted, traumatized, humiliated and depressed. However, I also know MJ to be an extremely strong person who's been through a lot. His healing powers are amazing. Perhaps he came to Bahrein wanting to get right to work? He may have had his lawyers draw up those contracts. We don't know so we can't assume he was somehow taken advantage of. He may have been the one asking for the deal. I just think that if MJ lived in luxury, rent free, for a year and used the sheik's recording facilities etc, he should at least remunerate him for that since it all came to nothing. That's how it works in the real world. We all have to pay our way through life, no matter how sad or downtrodden we are. MJ is no exception.

 

[qbee]

I have faith they will work something out.
it most likely wont even go to trial be be settled.

 

[WilliamJean]

Not being any kind of expert on anglosaxon law, I can only speak from a general perspective. My guess is that there would be a chance for MJ to get out of the contract without liability only if 1. he can prove that he was in such as state as to be unfit to make business decicions and 2. that the sheik took advantage of this by making him sign an agreement whose terms are somehow unjust or that MJ would not have signed had his mind been functioning properly.

I don't know what state MJ was in when he went to Bahrein. Having seen him walk out of court, I can only assume he was exhausted, traumatized, humiliated and depressed. However, I also know MJ to be an extremely strong person who's been through a lot. His healing powers are amazing. Perhaps he came to Bahrein wanting to get right to work? He may have had his lawyers draw up those contracts. We don't know so we can't assume he was somehow taken advantage of. He may have been the one asking for the deal. I just think that if MJ lived in luxury, rent free, for a year and used the sheik's recording facilities etc, he should at least remunerate him for that since it all came to nothing. That's how it works in the real world. We all have to pay our way through life, no matter how sad or downtrodden we are. MJ is no exception.

Ladies and gentleman, we have a realist MJ fan. I congratulate you on being unbiased and presenting your opinion based on common sense and fact.