July 19, 2006 | Celeb Watch

Jacko must pay ex-porn director

Over the years, Michael Jackson has been the butt of many a gay-themed joke. He's also been the subject of much legal finger-pointing in a string of civil and criminal cases. And in his latest courtroom drama,  involving financial accusations made by a former gay porn director -- he's both.

F. Marc Schaffel, a filmmaker who once directed gay porn under the name Marc Fredericks, filed suit against Jackson earlier this year. According to the Associated Press, he originally was seeking $3.8 million in damages for alleged unpaid commissions, loans and expenses related to the production of two reputation-building videos for Jackson, as well as a music video for the unreleased "What More Can I Give," a song Jackson produced to raise funds for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

On Friday, a California judge ruled in favor of Schaffel, but granted him only $900,000, a fraction of his original claim.

"Obviously, I'm very happy," Schaffel told the AP. "We got less than I asked for but considering all the factors on what we were able to present, I'm pleased."

In the courtroom, GAYVN News reported, Jackson's lawyers focused their energy on Schaffel's past as director of such films as "The Man With the Golden Rod" and "Cocktales," which Jackson claims to have known nothing about, and for which Jackson eventually fired Schaffel. The jury, however, was interested only in financial relationships.

"Schaffel's life is his life and Michael's life is his life," one juror said.

Let's hope that Michael's life does not inspire Schaffel's work. Some things beg to be dramatized in the nude, after all, but others should never become skin flicks. Ever.

• Michael Jackson must pay damages to gay porn director [GayVN]
• Jackson jury reaches split decision [ABC News]