Lawyers for pop singer Janet Jackson were unsuccessful in their bid to have a lawsuit against her thrown out.

In a ruling made public yesterday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Rolando Acosta decided that a $120 million assault suit against Jackson can move forward, requiring the singer to give a deposition under oath.

According to New York Post reports, 41-year-old Leonard Salati alleges that two of Jackson's bodyguards grabbed him and choked him when he attempted to pass the singer a note at Club Marquee, February 2004.

Lawyers for Jackson hoped to have the case dismissed by arguing that Jackson and her boyfriend, co-defendant Jermaine Dupri, were accompanied by only one bodyguard that evening, who they described as a 5-foot-8 Caucasian man, weighing only 180 pounds. A copy of the guard's driver's license was submitted to support their claim. Salati had previously described his assailants as two African-American men, one weighing around 300 pounds.

Judge Acosta ruled to allow the case to move forward, and remarked that despite Jackson's claims, representatives for Club Marquee (which is also being sued) said that at least three bodyguards were present with Jackson on the evening in question, two of whom were African-American. The judge also added that the bodyguard's license "did not show that he is Caucasian. Indeed, to this court's untrained eye, he appears to be a medium dark Latino, [who] could pass as being African American."

Judge Acosta described Jackson's lawyers' legal maneuvering as a failed "Hail Mary" attempt to keep Jackson and Dupri from testifying.

"Notwithstanding counsel's valiant effort to shield Ms. Jackson," the judge wrote, the law grants "no exemptions based on celebrity status." He went on to say, she will have to give a deposition.

well i definately don't condone that behavior of choking at all, at the same time it must be scary sometimes being famous and to have a stranger walk up to you, perhaps the bodyguards panicked.

Does he have medical bills or something? Surely psychiatric therapy for his pain/suffering couldn't have amounted to $120 Million.

Nice amount.

Always makes cases more believable.

120 m.....yea right. I hope he wins $1.20

banks said:

Was Latrell Sprewell one of the bodyguards?

this better not interfere with the tour!

funkin4kix said:

my thoughts exactly

He better not be shown on tv or he will get choked 4real by a random Janet fan

PleasurePrinciple said:

ok, i know my mind is twisted because when I read the title I thought it was about some kinky sexual thing gone wrong.

Rhondab said:

i know like jermaine and janet wanted to play 20yrs old during the 3some and the other person wasnt wit it. so :choke:

must have been an orger!

Rhondab said:

I thought the same EXACT thing!...I was kinda disappointed

there is no way in hell this guy will collect $120 million

janet doesnt even have that much money, the american legal system is a joke! in the uk u'd get about $3000 max for that kind of thing

FunkyBrotha said:

According to Forbes magazine’s latest list, world renowned US television talk show host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey is the richest woman in entertainment, ahead of British author J.K. Rowling and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

with an estimated worth of 1.5 billion dollars, Winfrey easily tops the Forbes.com list, ahead of “Harry Potter” creator Rowling, who is supposedly worth one billion dollars, and businesswoman and home entertaining expert Martha Stewart, who comes in third with more than 600 million dollars.

The next four places are dominated by the pop powerhouses Madonna, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson take, with fortunes ranging from 325 million to 150 million dollars.
The top-placed Hollywood celebrity actress Julia Roberts is eight on the list with 140 million to her name.

If he sustained injury due to the assault, or incurred medical bills for appointments with a shrink due to suffering, or somehow missed the opportunity to make money while being choked, then he could be rewarded, but only in the amount of similar equivalence.

CinisterCee said:

Plus people sue for these ridiculous amount of cash hoping to receive a settlement from these entertainers.... Shit if getting choked by a bodyguard could net me a couple of mills... I'll be out at all the latest Hot Spots in NY
trying to get to close to one of them mofos

banks said:

And doesn't this just prove a point? This fan got too close and as a result was choked by bodyguards (who couldn't have been invisible), and now is escalating it to a very scary personal level by suing them?

CinisterCee said:

Exactly....and this is why he won't receive much of anything.. If anything at all..

Rhondab said:

I'm sorry but I thought the exact same thing. Hey with Janet, you never know.

Then I thought it was a fan trying to get pay back for 20YO. 120M seems a bit much to ask for.

20 Y.O. bitch!!

He'll be lucky to get 20 YEN

ummm i don't believe this story....

do they really think they are going to get that money.. they aren't getting anything for chocking him... maybe jail time... but he didn't have any serious life threatening damages... he should be glad if the courts award him nominal damages