Jacko Lightens His Legal Load

Michael Jackson drops breach-of-contract lawsuit against former accountants; no word on whether they reached a settlement

Could it be that Michael Jackson's legal docket is dwindling?

The Thriller artist has dropped the 2006 lawsuit he filed against his former accountants, whom he had accused of making deals without his consent and falling behind on paying taxes and other sums—including workers' compensation to Jacko's employees—on his behalf, according to a document filed April 14 in L.A. Superior Court.

The paperwork does not state whether Jackson reached a settlement in his dispute with the firm of Bernstein, Fox, Whitman, Goldman & Sloan (he was asking for damages in the hundreds of thousands), or if he dropped the case for other reasons.

A countersuit filed the day after Jackson lodged his complaint, alleging the singer had rung up a $1 million tab with the company and failed to pay, has already been dismissed.