A son of the king of Bahrain reached an out-of-court settlement with Jackson in November over allegations that the "Thriller" singer had reneged on a recording contract and owed him US$7 million.

Jackson's current spokesman, Dr Tohme K. Tohme, did not return calls for comment.

After years of living as a virtual recluse, Jackson recently announced a run of 50 comeback concerts in London, starting in July. All have sold out.

Bain's lawsuit cited media reports which suggested the London concert deal, which she said she had helped to negotiate, was worth US$400 million in revenue to Jackson.

Bain said Jackson had agreed to pay her 10 percent of any deals he entered into as a result of her help but had not done so. She asked for US$44 million in damages, plus lawyers' fees.

(China Daily/Agencies May 7, 2009)