this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2025
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[–] jbone@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It looked more like a man enjoying a belated childhood than a man with malicious intent towards children.

There are many ways to make up for a missed childhood, especially when you have access to large financial resources. Hanging out with young pre-teen boys, swapping them around with regularity and having sleepovers with them is not the sole way to deal with childhood abuse from your father.

One option would have been to move out of the spotlight in LA and move to some place like São Tomé and Príncipe and follow through with some new hobbies; open a restaurant, open a small record studio, set up a charity program and get involved in day to day management and development. A wide range of possibilities were open to Jackson.

While the documentary does not provide formal evidence to back the statements made by the two men, I thought their story seemed convincing. If they were lying, they have some very good acting skills.

[–] 01011@monero.town 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They were in LA trying to be a part of the entertainment industry, of course they had adequate acting skills.

[–] jbone@lemmy.dbzer0.com -2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Neither of them were actors though, one works as a choreographer and the other one is a cameraman I believe.

I've been to LA, it's not like every single person who lives in the city is a master actor. This is a ridiculous idea.

You found the statements of the two men unconvincing. I find the idea that Jackson was merely trying to re-live his childhood by hanging out with young pre-teen boys and going on sleepovers with them unconvincing.

[–] 01011@monero.town 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The entertainment industry is about "attitude" i.e. your willingness/ability to bullshit. Furthermore, just because they were not working actors does not mean they did not take acting lessons at some point or pick up tips from those in the industry.

My point being, there's nothing that I've seen or heard to dispute the theory that they lied.

[–] jbone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Except the fact that Jackson did constantly hang out with young pre-teen boys and admitted to sleeping with them in his bed.

Not only that, he engaged in this behaviour for more than a decade. It's not just "re-living childhood," it was a constant part of his life.

He could have stopped hanging out with young pre-teen boys after the first abuse scandal in the early 90s, yet he didn't.

[–] 01011@monero.town 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Sharing a bed is not the same thing as sexual molestation. Nobody is doubting that MJ was an oddball but to jump from that to child molestor is a leap.

And there's no time limit on re-living your childhood.

[–] jbone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

I don't think we will come to a common understanding on this topic.

I finished watching the second part and I don't believe the two men are lying and I think they are telling the truth.

If Jackon was never involved with young pre-teen boys in any manner, I would be willing to give Jackson more benefit of the doubt. But this is not the case.