The director of Michael Jackson's doomed comeback shows, Kenny Ortega, has filed court papers demanding to be removed from Katherine Jackson's wrongful death lawsuit.
The pop star's mother took legal action against bosses at AEG Live, the company in charge of the Thriller star's planned This Is It shows in London, for fraud and negligence.
Jackson accused AEG chiefs of failing to undertake background checks on her son's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, who stands accused of administering the fatal dose of Propofol which killed the singer in June, 2009.
She also included producer/director Ortega as a defendant - and he's fighting to be disassociated from the lawsuit, according to TMZ.com.
He filed court papers earlier this week (begs03Jan11) asking to be removed as a defendant in Katherine's suit, claiming, "Kenneth Ortega is not alleged to be involved in the medical treatment or administration of drugs that allegedly caused Michael Jackson's death."
His lawyer says, "The naming of Kenneth Ortega as a defendant in this action, without any basis, without any substantive charging allegations against him, is a gross error."