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LOS ANGELES (CN) – Michael Jackson’s co-star in the “Thriller” video says the King of Pop has not paid her royalties from the 1983 video for the past four years. Ola Ray says her employment contract promised her 2.5% of gross income from “Thriller” merchandise that uses her name, image or voice. She claims Jackson owes her a percentage of gross profits from “Thriller” album sales, and a share of gross income from the 14-minute video and from an hour-long documentary called “The Making of Thriller.” Ray says Jackson and his production company, Optimum Productions, made video games, comic books, toys, CD and DVD collections, dramatic and musical works and many other products based on the “Thriller” video. Ray claims that Jackson “was obligated to pay Ray a sum equal to the applicable AFTRA scale as an advance against 5% of 90% royalty if Jackson and Optimum used Ray’s voice for any commercial purpose.” She also claims that Jackson has not filed the required accounting of his royalties with the Screen Actors Guild or shown them to her. Ray is represented in Superior Court by Jason Feldman.
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