AIBU to be shocked by public celebration of Michael Jackson?

[2021x]

Now the MJ film is out my social media feed is flooded with people doing the dances and talking about the movie etc. My local cinema is holding special events and screenings.

I personally have no doubt that he was a predatory paedophile. All the signs are there, especially how he talks about how he would never hurt a child and sharing a bed with them is the "most loving thing you can do in the world". He manipulated the world into thinking he had a "child-like persona" but was able to manage a music career worth millions... which someone who is naive would never be able to manage.

I also do not judge people who enjoy his music. It was very popular at the time, and would be associated with all types nostaligic memories. I listen to problematic artists all the time, but I don't pretend that they weren't abusive.

AIBU to be astounded that any business/media outlet would be seen dead even associating with him let alone celebrating such a horrifically abusive man.

@MargoChanningsglass the fact is that evidence is the foundation of a credible case. Without evidence an allegation is just a claim If claims alone were enough anyone could accuse anyone of anything .

Legally yes.

They've chucked Prince Andrew out of the Royal Family. He paid a huge amount also for it to go away, and I dont remember seeing him in the dock. In the early Epstein days those young girls from poor families werent believed in lieu of the great billionaire philanthropist.

Saville cleverly picked girls from homes who he knew wouldnt talk and only after his death with no trial hes finally seen for what he was.

Michael may never legally be held to account either. But I certainly see a pattern and morally the dogs in the streets know the truth about him, whatever the outcome is.

I hope its the right one

My MIL shared a bed with 2 sisters until she left home.
Strangely enough she didn't spend her adulthood having days long "sleepovers" with prepubescent girls, flicking through photobooks shot by paedophiles.

edited to point out that Jackson's huge house and bedroom had plenty of room, so why snuggle down in his own bed with children?

Really??
Presumably he shared a room/bed with a sibling growing up, rather than random, unrelated others?
And then he had Neverland which had cottages and other places where parents visitors could stay rather than invite them into his room.

Dolly Parton famously grew up in poverty sharing a tiny house with numerous siblings, ive never heard of her inviting small children to share her room/bed "because its all she knew"

And for the hundredth time, this kind of excuse just wouldnt be accepted or tolerated if it was Joe bloggs who lived down your road :
Aww bless, hes stuck at age 10, so innocent, thats why all his close friends are 10 year old boys...
He grew up with many siblings sharing a room so he has sleepovers with some of the young boys in our road because thats what hes used to...
Oh nothing bad happens its just that he had a really difficult childhood,and had to grow up fast so they just have pillow fights and watch movies, its actually really sweet....

You're being disingenuous here and denying reality. If it was anyone else that evidence there would be no debate.

Definitely has not been debunked.

What difference does the size of his bedroom make? The kids slept in his bed.

I personally haven't followed this case, but this is what is on the internet. I find it hard to believe that if he was guilty, then not even one case was proven?

No, Michael Jackson was not convicted of child abuse. On June 13, 2005, a California jury found him not guilty on all 14 counts—including child molestation, conspiracy, and giving alcohol to a minor—following a 14-week trial regarding allegations by Gavin Arvizo. 1, 2, 3]
Key details regarding the allegations and trials:
2005 Trial Acquittal: Jackson was acquitted of all charges related to a 13-year-old boy.
1993 Allegations: A separate accusation in 1993 by Jordan Chandler did not lead to a criminal trial and was settled in a civil lawsuit.
Posthumous Allegations: Following his death in 2009, allegations were renewed by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.
FBI Files: FBI files released later did not show evidence of a "payoff" scheme to silence victims, as sometimes rumored. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Throughout his life and following his death, the Michael Jackson Estate has vehemently denied all allegations

I mean you (MJ apologists) are all putting a lot of faith in the US judicial system and that famously has acquitted many a guilty (rich) man with the means to pay the best lawyers available.

And many rich people in the U.S have been found guilty of the charges they were on trial for, because there was unequivocal evidence of their guilt.

So, no, that wasn’t your gotcha.

Sorry? But it does happens so yes, that is my gotcha along with all the other overwhelming evidence that the man was a nasty child abuser.

My friend thinks hes innocent

But then she thinks Oscar Pistorious thought Reeva was a burglar, OJ was innocent and Andy Windsor wasnt really in the photo

Oh and Ted Bundy is quite handsome and well spoken

Like Feldman really is a reliable witness, he’s not. Read his wiki biography. I personally think some children with their parents were after money, that’s been proved by the payouts and the fact that one mother was involved in another court case. The rest I don’t know. I did watch Finding Neverland. I’ll watch it again (or part 2). I was never a huge Jackson fan though I grew up with his music as a teenager. Doesn’t stop me watching the musical about him (I was given a free ticket) or seeing the film, he was supremely talented.

The ‘celebrating’ continues:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2026/05/06/michael-poised-to-pass-500-million-at-worldwide-box-office-this-weekend/

Exactly. I dont remember which accuser it was, but one of them was able to accurately describe markings on the underside of Jackson's penis, which turned out to be accurate.

Naughty naughty trying to rile folk up😅, in my case i didn't like his persona or music while he was alive and before the allegations.

And I differ from a lot on here as im a fan of another huge musician who is far from perfect, I can celebrate the talent from the persona and hugely admire his talent while acknowledging his flaws.

Its quite funny when his fans come on with a "ner ner' attitude such as this one, a little childish really, and it worries me somewhat that they still have given no explanation of his behaviour with children. Its like they hsve their fingers in their ears really.

Its ok really, to like his music and if the film does well fine, but please stop deluding yourself that this great artist was actually a horrible person and involved serious crimes against children

Jordy Chandler. Someone posted earlier on this thread there were conflicting reports about this.

Former detectives, like Bill Dworin, claimed the 1993 photos "corroborated" Chandler’s description. However, this was never formally proven in court because the case was settled out of court.

Or there's millions of deluded people who think MJ was a wonderful man who'd never hurt a fly, letalone do anything so obscene as have a child in his bed. Maybe that is more realistic... 🤔

What’s a more realistic option is that the adults who’re turning out in droves to see the film can separate the wonderful music and genius from the crimes he may have committed. It’s not a novel concept, regardless if the perpetrator has been convicted or not e.g. Polanski, Bowie, Allen, Lennon and many more. Or they don’t care.

Michael had one 13 year old victim sleep with him for 30 nights in a row. It’s fucking weird

The boy's mother testified that Jackson begged and pleaded to allow her son to sleep in his room, describing Jackson as "sobbing, shaking, [and] trembling

I do think a lot of his supporters are in denial or very naive because the truth is much too dark and ugly.

It’s too nasty of a pill to swallow to believe their idol is predator. They can’t fathom someone doing something so horrible so they deny. “He didn’t have a childhood”

Well that's exactly what I said above. The issue is the fans who blindly defend his innocence.

But what part of anything you’ve said doesn’t make MJ a paedophile?

Watching Michael Jackson: The Trial.

It's harrowing.

I watched Micheal Jackson an American tragedy on BBC iPlayer yesterday. It’s really uncomfortable watching him with the 3 children he had custody over, especially Blanket. It’s also obvious that the police investigating him believe he was guilty of abusing children.
The phone recording of Jordy Chandlers dad trying to get money was disgusting, that little boy was so let down.
I also think Gavin came across as extremely honest in his police interview.