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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Michael Jackson and the new documentary

618 replies

joystir59 · 27/01/2019 12:08

Leaving Neverland, being shown at the Sundance film festival and in the spring on Channel 4....I love his music and have believed he was vilified by the racist media, and by greedy individuals and families after his money; but am really not so sure of his innocence any more. I guess that's my aibu- that we have to listen to his accusers don't we? I was sexually abused as a ternager, and not believed. It was a profoundly damaging experience.

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dayswithaY · 27/01/2019 16:40

I also don't give a crap how influential his music was or how great his dancing was. He's as much of a monster as Savile in my mind. Money buys you a lot.

CanIcryandlaugh20 · 27/01/2019 16:41

I personally think I can never spell his name but boy from home alone isn’t telling the truth maybe because his afraid I remember watching something with him as a teen and he definitely when through some stuff !

SmallButFierce · 27/01/2019 16:41

I know a scout leader who abused some of the scouts under his care - he picked out the most vulnerable ones and most of the rest of the boys had no idea anything was going on. It came as a complete shock to them and the parents as everyone thought he was great until the police came knocking.

Yabbers · 27/01/2019 16:43

What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Difficult to do after a person has died. You think Saville was innocent?

SmallButFierce · 27/01/2019 16:43

I mean none if the rest not most. It was a genuine surprise when this all came out to the people I knew and it took a long time for some of them to accept it was true.

Coalasblack · 27/01/2019 16:44

Absolutely 100% guilty. I switch over the radio if his music comes on.

Wonder how many of his fans would happily let their child sleep in the same bed as the lovely childlike man next door.

Burpsandfustles · 27/01/2019 16:44

It's astonishing and so bad I think like Saville it's so hard to believe.

The money... Not just for the families he paid off but everyone around him, relied on him for a living...

MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 27/01/2019 16:48

I think he was a calculating paedophile, not a vulnerable man-child

I think he was both.

PositiveVibez · 27/01/2019 16:48

Also to add, you don't pay a child £23 MILLION!!!!!! if you're innocent.

Newsername · 27/01/2019 16:48

His nephew Taj Jackson has apparently set up a gofundme page to make a counter documentary series to prove his innocence.

trumptrump · 27/01/2019 16:51

I always wonder about the statement Latoya made in the 90s. She said he was a paedeophile. She later retracted it. But it did always strike me as odd.

MrsChollySawcutt · 27/01/2019 16:51

I'm sure his nephew has - the whole family have a vested interest in keeping MJs name clean. If people stop buying his music and merch there won't be any lucrative royalties rolling in.

MadMum101 · 27/01/2019 16:51

For many abuse victims, there is so much shame, self blame and embarrassment around their sexual abuse that it is difficult to admit it to themselves, let alone publicly, let alone to admit a very famous, influential person who is constantly glorified did it.

The rest of their lives will be defined by them being an MJ abuse victim so I can imagine why someone who had fame in their own right wouldn't want to talk about.

I don't believe he was a mucked up Peter Pan figure with a lack of boundaries with regards to young boys at all. I believe he was a predator and his public persona was all an act, he was a great performer after all.

Make you wonder if his DC were engineered as his future playthings. I hope they're being taken care of.

Rogueaccountant · 27/01/2019 16:54

A character in South Park said “So what if he touched some children- he’s still Michael Jackson!”

Snoozysnoozy · 27/01/2019 16:59

I'm not sure if he's guilty of anything or if he genuinely never grew up.

The question I always all people is, would you leave your children with him? More often than not is a massive no way.

MargotLovedTom1 · 27/01/2019 17:00

What was vulnerable about him Minister? As I said in the post below the one you quoted, he had the means to utilise whatever measures necessary to deal with his fucked up psyche. However, he preferred to - what shall we call it? - 'self-medicate' by having sex with small boys?

MsLucyLastic · 27/01/2019 17:03

I always wonder whether those willing to overlook MJ's behaviour, due to his great musical talent, would have been as quick to overlook Ian Huntley's actions, on the basis of him being a great caretaker.

WetPaint4 · 27/01/2019 17:07

There's only been tiny amounts of doubt amongst the general public for years that Michael Jackson was very damaged. Most people knew and recognised it.

I'm sad that so many people - including Wade Robson and the other guy - have worked to cover it all up for so long. These two men were adults when the stories all came out, if you're gonna stay silent, fine, but don't make out the man was pure innocence if up to 10 years later you're going to change up your story.

I still enjoy his music, not so much the older stuff but from when he himself was just a child but it's so incredibly tainted. I just feel for all the children who have suffered and I'm angry at all the people who failed to step in.

MorningsEleven · 27/01/2019 17:10

He was as guilty as sin. I don't think he was a musical genius, I think he was a ventriloquist's dummy who got very lucky.

dayswithaY · 27/01/2019 17:13

I remember David Gest telling people on Big Brother or something that Michael 's high pitched child like speaking voice was all an act and he spoke to his friends in a gruff man's voice. That says a lot.

CandleWithHair · 27/01/2019 17:15

It can never be proven now he’s dead. Maybe he was but as some PP have said I’d really rather see all this attention and energy focused on the mega stars still living and breathing who’ve gotten away with being pedophiles to date.

MsLucyLastic · 27/01/2019 17:19

"if you're gonna stay silent, fine, but don't make out the man was pure innocence if up to 10 years later you're going to change up your story."

Nice bit of victim blaming there! How about acknowledging that MANY victims find it hard to speak out, for their own personal reasons?

Perhaps instead, the responsibility should be firmly placed on MJ for continuing to abuse, rather than other victims for not speaking up?

It is not unusual for paedophiles to groom entire families. That happens even without money and status. Add those factors in, with the plausible deniability being displayed on this thread e.g. "oh he had a damaged childhood" and yes, parents may have explained away the behaviour.

Paedophiles who get away with it, are doing so precisely BECAUSE it isn't obvious what they are doing. With the benefit of hindsight, sure. At the time? When you have been groomed by a famous, rich artist who is painted as eccentric anyway? Not so much.

picklemepopcorn · 27/01/2019 17:26

I don't think he was in any way in touch with reality- which would have made it hard for him to seek help. Many abusers don't truly understand what they are doing is wrong- they think their case is special, so it's ok. So they don't seek help no matter what resources are available to them.

I feel a bit sorry for the whole clan (not as much as for his victims, obvs)- it can't be easy to carry his name.

ShatnersBassoon · 27/01/2019 17:27

I’d really rather see all this attention and energy focused on the mega stars still living and breathing who’ve gotten away with being pedophiles to date.

Or how about as much attention and energy spent on living paedophiles, rather than sweeping the heinous crimes of the dead ones under the carpet? Are you saying Michael Jackson's victims shouldn't be causing a distraction now?

Iblinkedandiamold · 27/01/2019 17:31

I don't know, Hollywood is a strange world. He could've been guilty or he could have been going to out the paedophile ring that is prevalent in Hollywood, so they turned the tables on him. Then again I could be reading too much of Corey Feldman's tweets and starting to believe in conspiracy theories.