Michael Jackson might be the most famous pop star of all time. With more than 500 million records sold, it’s hard to overstate his impact on popular culture, and on the generation of fans who grew up with his music.

His strange personal life became part of his mystique. He occasionally slept in an oxygen chamber, and he collected exotic animals, including a pet monkey named Bubbles. But there were darker stories as well. Stories about him abusing young boys.

In 1993, Jackson was publicly accused of molesting a child. In 2003, there was another accusation, and this time he was arrested.

Despite all of this, Jackson’s fans remained fiercely loyal to him right up to his death in 2009. 

Then, in 2019, director Dan Reed released a documentary called Leaving Neverland that profiled two men who alleged they had been abused by Jackson. The documentary was a watershed moment. For the first time, it seemed like people might finally be willing to reckon with who the King of Pop really was, and the things he might have done.  

Feedback for us? You can email us directly at [email protected].