During the later part of his career, Michael Jackson faced several allegations that he molested young boys.
The police investigated him in 1993. Another accusation led to a trial in 2005 that became a pop culture spectacle, complete with crowds of supporters waiting outside the courthouse. Jackson was acquitted and died four years later while preparing for a string of concert dates he hoped would revive his career.
A new documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” has rekindled interest in the accusations. The film had its debut at the Sundance Film Festival and airs on HBO March 3 and 4.
Neverland Firsthand features interviews with Jackson’s inner circle—and harshly rebukes the pedophilia allegations made in the HBO film. “Not in a million years did I ever see a child around.
[Never miss a pop music story: Get our weekly newsletter, Louder.]
The first accusation
In August 1993, when Jackson was still a major star on the pop charts and touring to support his album “Dangerous,” the Los Angeles Police Department began investigating claims that Jackson had molested a 13-year-old boy. Executing search warrants for a condominium in Los Angeles and Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, Calif., the police seized videotapes but found no incriminating evidence.
On Sept. 14, while Jackson was on tour in Moscow, the boy’s parents sued the star, saying that Jackson had “repeatedly committed sexual battery” on their son. Among the accusations were that Jackson had performed oral sex on the boy and masturbated him.
Anthony Pellicano, a private investigator working for Jackson, called the suit part of an extortion attempt. “A demand for $20 million was made and presented,” he said. “It was flatly and consistently refused.” (Years later, Pellicano, known as a top Hollywood “fixer,” was accused of making death threats against journalists, and in 2008 was sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal wiretapping.)
As the case drew headlines, the Jackson camp introduced the news media to children who gave interviews supporting the star. One, a 10-year-old boy named Wade Robson, told CNN about harmless “slumber parties” in Jackson’s bedroom. As prosecutors continued to pursue a criminal case, another boy, James Safechuck, who had appeared with Jackson in a Pepsi commercial, gave sworn testimony on Jackson’s behalf.
On Dec. 20, 1993, Jackson was strip-searched by police at Neverland, and photographs were taken of his genitals to compare to a description given by the boy. Two days later, Jackson spoke on live television, denying the accusations and excoriating the news media.
“I am not guilty of these allegations,” Jackson said. “But if I am guilty of anything, it is of giving all that I have to give to help children all over the world.”
In January 1994, Jackson settled the case for $23 million, with $5 million going to the family’s lawyers. Prosecutors dropped the criminal case after the boy declined to cooperate.
[Michael Jackson cast a spell. “Leaving Neverland” breaks it, our critic writes.]
Fallout from a documentary
In February 2003, with Jackson’s music career in decline, the documentary “Living With Michael Jackson,” based on interviews by the journalist Martin Bashir, was broadcast in Britain and the United States. In it, Jackson openly discussed sharing his bedroom with a young cancer survivor, and called people who object to such behavior “ignorant.”
The documentary sparked a criminal investigation, and in December, Jackson was charged with child molesting, serving alcohol to a minor, conspiracy and kidnapping. He faced up to 20 years in prison.
The molestation trial
Jackson’s trial began on Feb. 28, 2005. Throughout, the global news media paid close attention to Jackson’s erratic behavior, like arriving in floral pajamas.
The boy from the documentary, who was 14 at the time of the trial, testified that Jackson had masturbated him. His brother said he had witnessed the abuse, and that Jackson had showed them both pornography and served them wine, calling it “Jesus juice.” A former housekeeper, Blanca Francia, said she had seen Jackson taking a shower with Wade Robson, the young man who had spoken to the media in support of Jackson in 1993.
Jackson’s lawyers portrayed the boy at the center of the case and his family as practiced grifters, and several witnesses who had been close with Jackson as children — like the actor Macaulay Culkin, then 24 years old — took the stand to deny any abuse. Robson, by this point a choreographer for stars like Britney Spears, testified that he had spent the night at Neverland more than 20 times but that Jackson had never molested him or taken a shower with him.
Safechuck, who had defended Jackson earlier, did not testify.
Jackson was found not guilty of all charges on June 13, 2005; outside the courthouse, a fan released 10 white doves, one for each count that was acquitted. Jackson died four years later, at age 50, on the eve of a comeback attempt.
[Will “Leaving Neverland” imperil the thriving Michael Jackson estate?]
Fresh accusations and lawsuits
In 2013, four years after Jackson’s death, Robson sued the star’s estate, saying that Jackson had molested him for seven years, beginning when he was age 7. In an interview on the “Today” show, he said that “brainwashing” by Jackson had led him to testify on the star’s behalf. Lawyers for Jackson’s estate blasted Robson’s credibility, saying that in the past he had repeatedly denied abuse. Robson’s case was later thrown out by a judge for being filed too late.
Safechuck filed his own suit in 2014, saying that Jackson had abused him “hundreds” of times from 1988 to 1992, beginning when a 10-year-old Safechuck — and his mother — accompanied Jackson on his “Bad” concert tour. According to his complaint, Jackson kissed Safechuck’s genitals and gave him jewelry as rewards for performing sexual acts. His case was also dismissed. Both men’s suits are under appeal.
A new documentary roils Jackson’s family
On Jan. 25, “Leaving Neverland,” a two-part, four-hour film by Dan Reed, with Robson and Safechuck describing accusations of abuse in great detail, opened at the Sundance Film Festival. Before the screening, the festival director told the audience that health care providers were available to help anyone disturbed by the film.
The Jackson estate condemned the film as “yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson.” In a statement, the Jackson family called it “a public lynching” and added: “We are furious that the media, who without a shred of proof or single piece of physical evidence, chose to believe the word of two admitted liars over the word of hundreds of families and friends around the world who spent time with Michael, many at Neverland, and experienced his legendary kindness and global generosity.”
The estate also filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court for arbitration against HBO, saying that with “Leaving Neverland” the channel was in breach of a nondisparagement clause in a 1992 contract for a Jackson concert film. The estate said it was seeking damages that “could exceed $100 million.”
Robson, in particular, has come under scrutiny. In 2011, he approached the Michael Jackson estate wanting to direct the new Michael Jackson/Cirque du Soleil production, ONE. The estate hired someone else for the job. A year later, he shopped a book about claims of sexual abuse by Jackson, but no publisher picked it up. In 2013, he filed a $1.5 billion dollar civil lawsuit against the Jackson estate, along with Safechuck. The lawsuit was dismissed by a probate court in 2017. Then, this year’s Sundance Film Festival premiered Leaving Neverland.
Both testified under oath in Jackson’s defense years ago and denied any sexual abuse for years. It’s important to note that many child victims do, in fact, defend the very people that abuse them. The reasons many survivors remain silent are complex. In addition to self-hatred, confusion and guilt, victims of childhood sexual abuse also face issues of self-blame, shame, fear, protection, admiration and disillusionment. These feelings often last well into adulthood.
It’s also important to point out that abusers are dangerous con artists. We teach children about “stranger danger” but the reality is that more than 80% of child sexual abuse crimes are committed by someone the child knows. In this case, each believed they were Jackson’s best-friend at the time, and both were in love with the superstar.Both men say they wanted to protect Jackson from his then-accusers.
Sexual molestation in childhood causes extreme confusion that lingers well into adulthood as many struggle to face, and understand, what happened to them as children. It is because of this that sexual abuse, including rape, is the most under-reported crime. According to RAINN, out of every 1,000 rapes, 995 perpetrators will walk free and perpetrators of sexual violence are less likely to go to jail or prison than other criminals.
Both men’s mothers, siblings and wives also speak out in the film, as does Robson’s grandmother. The two mothers describe getting lost in the fairytale and not suspecting anything was amiss until it was too late. Each also felt they had close relationships with Jackson. Both of their marriages suffered, as well.
Jackson’s family and millions of fans struggle to grapple with accusations he had anything to do with harming children. Why is it so hard for us to believe when celebrities are accused of heinous acts? They are, after all, human just like us. The human condition is nothing less than extremely complicated; we’re all broken and damaged in one way or another. We’re each capable of sin regardless our standing in society. Fame, as we know, isn’t a safeguard against bad behavior.
Will this taint the superstar’s legacy? He went to his grave denying any and all accusations against him. His legion of fans and family, it appears, will do the same. The long-term ramifications of this documentary to Jackson’s legacy aren’t yet known.
Many will believe Safechuck and Robson. Others will stand by the Jackson family. To many, Jackson will forever remain an infallible larger-than-life legend. To others, he was a pedophile.