This is one time Michael Jackson's happy to beat it.
A judge ruled the Gloved One was not liable for having a patient moved from a hospital room to accommodate his bout of the flu. In turn, Jackson was dropped as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the relatives of the relocated patient—a woman who wound up dying at the hospital after being transferred.
Per the Santa Maria Times, Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville approved a request by Jackson's attorney, Timothy Gorry, which was supported by Marian Medical Center, the facility that's being sued, to leave him out of the complaint.
However, the judge left in place allegations against the hospital.
The incident took place during Jackson's 2005 child-molestation trial, in which he was eventually acquitted.
Testimony was put on hold as Jackson, complaining of flu-like symptoms, was rushed to the hospital.
According to the lawsuit, filed by the family of Manuela Gomez Ruiz, officials at Marian Medical Center and Jackson inflicted emotional and mental distress as well as elder abuse on the 73-year-old Santa Maria native who was moved out of a two-bed trauma unit so Jackson could have privacy.
The family alleges Ruiz was subjected to an "outrageous, circus-like atmosphere" due to Jackson's demands, and as a result, she suffered a fatal heart attack later that day and was denied critical care that may have saved her life.
The next hearing in the case is set for June 2.
While the entertainer hasn't performed live or released a studio album since 2001, he has been making a comeback of sorts. His Thriller 25, a 25th-anniversary remix edition featuring the likes of Will.i.am and Kanye West, has been certified gold since its release in February.