Michael Jackson's Estate Cannot Be Sued for Sex Abuse Claims About Late Musician, Court Rules

Wade Robson, who is one of Jackson's accusers captured on HBO's Leaving Neverland, is expected to appeal the court's decision

Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

A case against Michael Jackson's estate has been dismissed.

On Monday, an L.A. judge ruled that Wade Robson — who accused the late musician of sexual abuse as a child and sued Jackson's estate in 2013 — cannot hold MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures (Jackson's estate) financially liable.

The ruling also held that Jackson's companies had "no legal ability" to control his actions, since he was the sole owner and could "remove any and all of the board members without cause or notice," per the BBC.

Robson's accusations were recently brought into the spotlight thanks to 2019's Leaving Neverland documentary on HBO. (Robson and James Safechuck, another person who accused Jackson of similar behavior, claim they were abused by the singer in the late 1980s and early 1990s while staying with the singer at Neverland.)

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Robson's attorney, Vince Finaldi, told PEOPLE in a statement that such ruling had "fatal flaws" and that his client would be appealing the decision.

"If allowed to stand, the decision would set a dangerous precedent that would leave thousands of children working in the entertainment industry vulnerable to sexual abuse by persons in places of power," Finaldi told Entertainment Weekly. "The children of our state deserve protection, and we will not stop fighting until we insure that every child is safe."

As for Jackson's estate, attorney Jonathan Steinsapir called Robson's accusations "frivolous."

RELATED VIDEO: Inside Neverland: All the Ways Michael Jackson's Kid-Friendly Ranch Allegedly Hid His Abuse of Boys

"Robson has taken nearly three dozen depositions and inspected and presented hundreds of thousands of documents trying to prove his claims, yet a Judge has once again ruled that Robson's claims have no merit whatsoever, that no trial is necessary, and that his latest case is dismissed," Steinsapir told Entertainment Weekly.

Meanwhile, Jackson's nephew celebrated Monday's legal win on Twitter with the hashtag #MJInnocent.

"We've been ridiculed, vilified and marginalized. Yet we still stood strong and never wavered," Taj wrote. "We withstood all peer and public pressure, because we knew the truth. Armed with passion and the facts, we never backed down. All for MJ. I'm so proud of us."