An Irish judge has requested that Eminem give evidence as part of that long running legal action being taken by Irish concert promoter MCD in relation to a concert the rapper was due to headline in September 2005, but which was cancelled when he pulled out of his touring commitments because of "exhaustion".
As previously reported, MCD are suing three British insurance companies who they claim have failed to meet their commitments to cover the promoter's costs relating to the cancelled concert, which was due to be staged at Slane Castle. The judge hearing the civil case said this week that Eminem's evidence as to the circumstances behind the gig cancellation was important and "possibly crucial" in reaching a decision on the 1.5 million euro lawsuit. The Irish court will look to force Eminem to give evidence to a judge of the US District Court in his home state of Michigan. That testimony will then be able to be presented and used in the Dublin court room.
The move follows indications from Eminem's people that the hip hop star would not be willing to take to the witness stand in Ireland. But Eminem may as yet also try to resist giving evidence in the trial even in his own country, because the Irish judge has refused to keep the rapper's testimony private. Eminem is known to be nervous about discussing the circumstances which caused the cancellation of his 2005 tour, presumably because of reports he backed out of his live commitments so to receive treatment for a dependency on sleep medication. But the judge hearing the MCD case said this week that keeping the Eminem evidence confidential would set dangerous constitutional precedents in Ireland, where court processes need to be open to public scrutiny.
The Dublin court's request will go to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and from there to the US Secretary of State and onto the courts in Michigan.