Michael Jackson, often known as the King of Pop, was a global superstar and undoubtedly one of the biggest entertainers in the world. He attained a level of popularity that most musicians spend their entire careers trying to match.
The late music legend ranked seventh among all-time best-selling artists on the RIAA’s list after selling more than 75 million albums only in the United States.
The Jackson 5 was the first group to ever have four of its singles become number one records on the chart because to the remarkable career that Michael Jackson began at a very young age alongside his brothers.
The consistently popular song “ABC” from the quartet’s four songs won them their first Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo/Group.
The singer of “Beat It” saw his career take off by the time he went solo and the 1980s arrived. His 1979 album “Off The Wall” and the widely regarded “Thriller,” which sold 29 million copies combined, were elected into the Grammys’ Hall of Fame in 2008.
He was also renowned for his extraordinary dancing ability and creativity, with millions of people all around the world trying to imitate his well-known moonwalk distinctive dance style. The late entertainer also made history by becoming the first performer to win eight consecutive Grammys in a single night.
He also received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the prestigious Grammy Legend Award for extraordinary excellence. Among other things, his youth band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sordid Allegations Were Made against Michael Jackson during the Height of His Fame
Jackson won the hearts of countless people all across the world with his talents and generosity. However, complaints made against the performer in 1993 and 2003 claimed that he engaged in terrible misconduct with young boys.
Additionally, exactly ten years after his death, James Safechuck and Wade Robson produced the two-part, four-hour documentary “Leaving Neverland,” which exposed Jackson’s unbelievable deeds. Jackson made friends with Safechuck and Robson when they were young, and the two later claimed that Jackson had abused them.
Even though the claims finally surfaced four years ago, there were persistent rumors about Jackson abusing young boys for years prior to his passing. The “Bad” musician made friends with Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old child, in 1992. A year later, the youngster and his family (mother, sister) started visiting Michael Jackson frequently and went on international excursions with him.
Jordan and Jackson frequently slept in the same room during this time, according to Chandler’s family. Even though Jordan first denied being molested by Jackson, Evan Chandler, Jordan’s father, saw something wasn’t right and began assembling evidence against Jackson in order to seek either a restraining order or custody litigation against him.
Jackson’s former maid revealed that he had even contacted her one day to inquire about her knowledge after suspecting she knew something during his deposition.
However, Evan revealed in mid-July 1993 that his son had confided in him about the frequent indecent behaviors Jackson would commit with him.
By the end of August, Evan had made the artist offer $20 million in exchange for keeping his identity a secret. Dr. Mathis Abrams, Jordan’s psychiatrist, called the police as soon as Jordan told him what had transpired.
The Sexually Exploited Child Unit of the LAPD launched an inquiry into the claims. Despite carrying out numerous warranted searches of Jackson’s numerous properties, police were unable to uncover any evidence that would have justified filing a criminal complaint.
During this time, the artist’s friends and family, including Robson and another kid called Brett Barnes, supported his persona. The lads acknowledged sleeping in the same bed as Jackson, but they insisted nothing untoward occurred.
Police conducted a strip search on the celebrity after the Chandler family filed a $30 million lawsuit against Jackson and another minor made an accusation against the King of Pop. Grand juries that heard testimony from the Chandler family in 1994, following Jackson’s settlement with them, decided not to indict him.
By the time the timeline of alleged abuse reached February 2003, British journalist Martin Bashir had recorded a documentary, “Living with Michael Jackson.” In the documentary, Jackson spoke about his friendship with a young boy, Gavin Arvizo, who had cancer. As the two held hands and talked about the sleepovers they had (which was a regular occurrence with all his young guests), Jackson disclosed:
“It’s not sexual, we’re going to sleep. I tuck them in… It’s very charming, it’s very sweet.”
Outrage over the documentary rekindled attention in the first accusations that had been made. Jackson was charged in December of the same year; his criminal trial started in 2005; and after a few months, Jackson was declared not guilty of all charges.
Robson filed a lawsuit against the Jackson estate four years after Jackson passed away with his own claims of abuse, and Safechuck followed suit a year later.
Both men asserted in the 2019 documentary that Jackson started molesting them when they were very young. Jackson even held a pretend wedding ceremony in secret, where he received a wedding ring, according to Safechuck.
Additionally, he claimed that whenever someone was due to enter the room while they were engaging in inappropriate behavior, Jackson would force them to practice drills.
Following Jackson’s passing, many people than only Robson and Safechuck spoke out. Adrian McManus, the star’s former maid who served him for four years, came down to give a candid interview about what she saw in 2019.
McManus claimed to have seen other sides to the late popstar, who was often reserved, and she talked about his manipulative dark side. McManus claimed that Jackson thought highly of her work when she first started working for him, despite her perception that they weren’t a good fit.
She claimed that he was quite explicit about how important loyalty was to him. When about his time in Neverland, McManus said:
“The first time I cleaned his bedroom, I didn’t even know where to start.”
Jackson was seen spending a lot of time with kids in Neverland footage. When she observed that only boys were invited to Jackson’s star-studded mansion in the Dinsey wonderland-inspired neighborhood, McManus first became suspicious of Jackson’s obsessive fixation with children.
The boys, she claimed, would immediately place their belongings in his room when they got there.
Along with sharing a bed with them, Jackson apparently took baths with them, according to McManus. McManus reported that each morning following the sleepovers, she would clean Jackson’s room and discover soiled underwear strewn about the room.
Jackson’s former maid revealed that he had even contacted her one day to inquire about her knowledge after suspecting she knew something during his deposition. In a later part of the interview, McManus said:
“There was a lot of Vaseline at Neverland. Sometimes it was found in the golf carts when Mr. Jackson would take off with the boys.”
McManus said that Jackson had given her $300 and a thank you card in exchange for her allegiance to him, but she refrained from speaking out about what she observed due to her dread of the popstar and the alleged threats she received from his fans. She also explained how her four years of employment had left her with nothing.
Despite suing Jackson on the grounds of wrongful termination together with other employees, they were unsuccessful. She was also sued by the artist’s estate, which charged that she had broken into the house and taken objects, sold them to the press, and then stolen more things.
Even though her testimony and accusations were called into doubt, McManus continued to insist that she was telling the truth and now has peace of mind after finally coming out. McManus is still in debt to the Jackson estate.
Jackson’s most ardent supporters have likewise viewed Robson and Safecuck’s claims with skepticism, and some of them refuse to take the accusations at face value.