Miya Pearson
Michael Jackson was accused of sexual abuse by several young men, including Wade Robson, James Jimmy Safechuck, and Jordan Jordie Chandler. The allegations date back to the early 1990s, when Jackson was in his thirties, and the accusers were as young as seven years old. In the documentary Leaving Neverland, Robson and Safechuck recount how Jackson befriended and seduced them before sexually abusing them. Jackson and his team have vehemently denied all allegations, and his estate has taken legal action against the distribution of the documentary. Despite the lack of incriminating evidence found during police investigations, Jackson faced civil and criminal lawsuits and was acquitted on multiple felony counts related to child molestation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of nights slept with a 13-year-old boy | More than 30 nights in a row |
| Age of the boy | 12 or 13 years old |
| Name of the boy | Jordan Chandler, also known as Jordie |
| Year of the incident | 1992 or 1993 |
| Location of the incident | The boy's house and his father's house |
| Presence of the mother | Yes |
| Presence of other boys | Yes, including Wade Robson, Jimmy Safechuck, and Macaulay Culkin |
| Outcome of the investigation | No incriminating evidence found; Jackson settled out of court with the Chandler family for $22 million |
What You'll Learn
Allegations by Wade Robson
Wade Robson first met Michael Jackson when he was five years old, after winning a dance competition in Australia. Robson, a sensitive, Thriller-obsessed little boy, was delighted to meet Jackson, who was then on the Bad tour. Robson, an Australian, moved with his mother and sister to Los Angeles with Jackson's encouragement. In 1993, Robson's mother talked about her son's "slumber parties" with Jackson, saying that they would sometimes fall asleep out of exhaustion from playing. Robson himself told police that nothing sexual had happened between them.
In 2005, during Jackson's trial for child molestation, Robson stated under oath that Jackson had never behaved inappropriately. However, in 2013, Robson reversed his position and filed a lawsuit against Jackson's estate, claiming that Jackson had sexually abused him on two visits to the US and after he moved to the US with his family, between the ages of seven and 14. Robson said his earlier denial was due to Jackson's "complete manipulation and brainwashing", and that his change of story was provoked by becoming a father and experiencing nervous breakdowns. Robson and James Safechuck's allegations are the focus of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.
In the documentary, Robson recalls how it felt to be forced to give oral sex to a grown man when he was seven years old. He also talks about how Jackson bought off their parents with first-class plane tickets, fancy hotels, and, in Safechuck's case, a family home. Robson says, “I was excited by the idea of being able to defend him. And being able to save him.” Robson and Safechuck's case was dismissed in April 2021 when a judge ruled that Jackson's companies had no legal duty to protect Robson. However, in October 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law giving those who allege childhood sexual abuse longer to file lawsuits.
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Allegations by James Safechuck
James (Jimmy) Safechuck first met Michael Jackson at the age of 10 when he was hired to appear in a Pepsi commercial alongside the singer. In the documentary Leaving Neverland, Safechuck says that Jackson befriended him and his family and lavished him with gifts. Safechuck and his family also said that Jackson flew them out on visits and vacations. On a trip to Hawaii, Safechuck alleges that Jackson first asked him to sleep with him in his bed.
Safechuck alleges that Jackson abused him on more than 100 occasions. In the documentary, he describes a mock wedding Jackson staged for them when he was 11, including an exchange of vows and a ring, which Safechuck showed to the camera. He also alleges that Jackson bought off his parents with first-class plane tickets, fancy hotels, and a family home.
In the documentary, Safechuck and Wade Robson discuss the abuse they claim they suffered at Jackson's hands. They describe how Jackson sexually abused them for years, from their childhood to their teenage years. Both men first told the truth to their therapists and families when they had children and understood how vulnerable they had been.
Michael Jackson and his estate have denied all allegations, and his estate has sued HBO for distributing the documentary. Jackson's lawyers have fought to protect him from facing the sexual abuse charges.
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Allegations by Jordan Chandler
In 1993, Jordan Chandler, a 12-year-old boy, alleged that Michael Jackson had sexually abused him. Jordan Chandler's father, Evan Chandler, was a dentist in Los Angeles. Jordan's mother, June Chandler, was estranged from her son for 11 years by the time of Jackson's 2005 trial.
Jordan Chandler alleged that Jackson had abused him on several occasions, including incidents of kissing, masturbation, and oral sex. In a police interview, he described Jackson's penis and said that Jackson had sexually abused him for months. He gave graphic accounts of masturbation and oral sex. According to the county's DCFS reports, Jordan had difficulty remembering the times and dates of his alleged molestation, but was consistent in his story.
Chandler and his legal team approached Jackson, asking for $20 million and threatening to go to criminal court. Jackson's team counter-offered with $1 million, which was declined. Eventually, Jackson settled out of court with the Chandlers for $22 million, with $15 million going to Jordan. Jackson and his legal team stressed that this was not an admission of guilt.
The allegations against Jackson received worldwide media attention and damaged his public image, health, and commercial standing. Several of his endorsement deals were canceled, including his decade-long Pepsi endorsement. Jackson canceled the remainder of his Dangerous World Tour, citing health problems arising from the scandal.
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Allegations by Gavin Arvizo
In 2003, Martin Bashir's documentary, "Living with Michael Jackson", exposed the singer's alleged sexual abuse of a teenage boy named Gavin Arvizo. The film showed video footage of Jackson holding hands with a then 13-year-old Arvizo and the singer discussing sharing a bed with young sleepover guests. This resulted in charges of 10 counts of child molestation and conspiracy being brought against Jackson in 2005.
Arvizo and his younger brother testified that Jackson showed them pornography, gave them alcohol, which he called "Jesus juice", and masturbated in front of them. They also said that Jackson molested Arvizo on multiple occasions. During Jackson's trial, Janet Arvizo, Gavin's mother, claimed that Jackson was holding her and the family hostage at Neverland. However, log books showed that she had willingly left and returned to Neverland multiple times during this period.
The defence argued that Arvizo's family had a history of soliciting people for cash and that they had been extorting Jackson. Comedians Jay Leno, Chris Tucker, and George Lopez all testified that they had given money to the Arvizo family. The defence also pointed to Janet Arvizo's erratic behaviour on the stand, which included interrupting, offering confusing answers, and scolding jurors.
Despite the testimonies of Arvizo, his siblings, and his mother, Jackson was found not guilty due to a lack of evidence and was acquitted of all counts.
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Allegations by Jason Francia
Jason Francia was the son of Blanca Francia, a maid who worked for Michael Jackson between 1986 and 1991. Initially, Francia denied being abused by Jackson and told the police that he did not remember Jackson ever putting his hand anywhere that made him uncomfortable. However, after the police's first interrogation of Francia in 1993, he was sent for therapy with a counsellor named Mike Craft, who was paid for by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. District Attorney Thomas Sneddon was present in Craft's office at least once while Francia was there.
Francia eventually alleged that on three different occasions, Jackson had touched his genital area inappropriately while tickling him: twice above the clothes and once inside his pants. He further alleged that every time Jackson tickled him, the singer put a hundred-dollar bill in his pants. Francia also testified that Jackson started tickling him while he sat on the singer's lap, and that he tickled Jackson back before they went to the floor, still tickling.
Francia's testimony was not found credible by the jury foreman, Paul Rodriguez, who compared it to that of Janet Arvizo (the mother of another accuser), which was widely regarded as a disastrous testimony for the prosecution. Francia had also previously complained about the investigators being "pushy" and that they had made him come out with a lot more stuff than what he wanted to say.
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Frequently asked questions
In the 2003 documentary *Living with Michael Jackson*, the singer discusses sharing a bed with a 12-year-old boy, who is later identified as Jordan Chandler. Jackson insisted that the sleepovers were not sexual.
Jordan Chandler accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse in 1993 when he was 13 years old. Chandler's father, Evan Chandler, also claimed that Jackson had abused his son. Jackson denied the allegations, and the Chandlers settled out of court for $22 million.
Yes. In addition to Jordan Chandler, five boys that Michael Jackson shared beds with have accused him of abuse: Jason Francia, Gavin Arvizo, Wade Robson, and James Safechuck. In 2005, Jackson was acquitted on 10 felony counts, including four counts of child molestation and one of attempted child molestation.
Michael Jackson denied all allegations of sexual abuse. In the documentary *Living with Michael Jackson*, he said, "It's not sexual, we're going to sleep. I tuck them in. It's very charming, it's very sweet."
