In 2010, Michael Jackson's first posthumous album, Michael, came out. Fans across the globe were ecstatic to hear unreleased music from the King of Pop, but upon listening, many believed the vocals on the records weren't his. For a while, many alluded that it was simply a conspiracy theory, but MJ's estate took the matter rather seriously.
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As we reported nearly four years ago, "It all began in 2014 with a fan named Vera Serova filed a class action lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s longtime friend Eddie Cascio, accusing him, and his production company, Angelikson Productions, of doctoring songs and selling them through the Jackson Estate and Sony Music."
After debating over the situation for years, as of today (August 11), the estate and Sony have decided to drop the case. According to Billboard, both sides reached an agreement as they awaited a decision from the California Supreme Court.
In a statement given to the music and entertainment magazine, Sony and the estate said, "Regardless of how the Supreme Court may rule, the parties to the lawsuit mutually decided to end the litigation, which would have potentially included additional appeals and a lengthy trial court process.” They further stated that taking the songs off of the 2010 project was “the simplest and best way to move beyond the conversation associated with these tracks once and for all.”
Serova issued a statement as well, saying everything had been resolved without detailing why exactly. Additionally, both sides failed to explain what would come out of their settlement.
[via]