Michael Jackson and the accusations of child abuse that continue to surround his figure 10 years after his death
Michael Jackson is perhaps the greatest pop star that ever lived.
A decade after his death - on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50 - he is still considered an icon, while the specter of accusations of child abuse continues to surround him.
In 2005, Jackson was found not guilty of sexually abusing a child under the age of 13. More than ten years earlier, in 1993, he had been investigated for the same crime and the case was settled with an out-of-court settlement.
These scandals did not dramatically affect worldwide sales of Jackson's classics or stop a massive tribute from his fans at Staples Center when he passed away in Los Angeles.
"At that time his music was everywhere; radio and television played it constantly," recalled Matthew Price, a BBC journalist who covered the event.
"As journalists we talked about the legend, the king of pop, but we talked much less about the rumors of Michael Jackson's alleged sexual relations with children. The word 'pedophile' was simply not used," he said last March on the program of BBC Beyond Today.
But this year - in light of the #MeToo movement that brought down celebrities like Kevin Spacey and Bill Cosby after being accused of sexual harassment and abuse - an HBO documentary raised new accusations against Jackson and opened the debate about the permanence of his musical legacy. facing the specter of abuse.
Jackson's family declared that there is "not a single piece of evidence" to prove the claims made in the film Leaving Neverland ("Abandoning Neverland") and sued HBO for $ 100 million.
The documentary caused some to stop listening to Jackson's music and radio stations in countries like New Zealand and Canada to stop playing it. Others, however, felt that making their musical work disappear is not the solution.
"Up to this point"
"After the first two hours, it seemed intense and quite exhausting. When I finished watching him, I noticed that my cell phone had about 15 or 16 songs from him. I deleted them and I said to myself: 'up to here'", said Scott Bryan, a BBC music journalist who had access to the documentary before its release on March 3.
A similar reaction had the New York Times music critic Wesley Morris, who addressed the existential conflict that supposed him to admire Jackson's work despite these accusations in an article entitled "Michael Jackson casts a spell. Leaving Neverland breaks it."
In the four-hour film, two men describe in explicit detail what Jackson allegedly did to them when they were children and loved and trusted him.
Wade Robson and James Safechuck allege they were victims of sexual abuse by the musician for seven and five years, respectively, during the 1990s.
Once the documentary was released, hundreds of users on social networks expressed their indignation and some decreed that they would never hear the music of their now "exidolo" again.
The purpose of the film, however, was not to promote rejection of the work of some of the most brilliant artists in modern music, director Dan Reed told the BBC.
"Jackson was a fantastic performer and we should be able to keep hearing his music and at the same time realize that he was a pedophile predator," Reed said.
How widespread can the rejection be?
Reed's claim that he was a "pedophile predator" is questioned and rejected by many of Jackson's loyal fans, who often defend his innocence.
Peter Bowes covered the legal process against Jackson in 2005 for the BBC and recalls that his fans "were the most devoted" he had ever met and "believed 100% in him," he tells BBC Mundo.
"The outcome of a trial has a lot to do with how people are remembered. And, unlike Bill Cosby, Jackson was found not guilty," he adds.
Bowes explains that one of the key witnesses for Jackson's defense in that trial was Wade Robson, one of the protagonists of the documentary Leaving Neverland.
"Robson was 22 at the time and he consistently denied that Jackson had harmed or sexually abused him," he recalls.
He himself has said in different interviews that at that time he did not want to admit that he had been abused for personal reasons and that he also wanted to protect the artist.
Can the music of someone so famous and renowned be made to disappear?
Some expected the documentary screening to make a big splash and affect sales of Jackson's music, but it hasn't.
In fact, combined sales of songs and albums increased by 10% in the days after the film's release, according to the specialized firm Nielsen Music.
Likewise, streaming views of videos and songs also increased by 6%, to almost 20 million compared to 18.7 million the previous week.
Radio stations, on the other hand, did register a 13% decrease in the reproduction of their songs between March 3 and 5.
Similarly, the Cirque du Soleil show centered on Jackson has remained, as has a $ 250 million contract that representatives of the artist's estate have with Sony Music to distribute his music for the next seven years.
After decades of accusations against him, one wonders what can change now.
"With the #MeToo movement, I think we are experiencing a cultural change in how people relate to celebrities," said BBC music journalist Scott Bryan.
"It's going to be very difficult to feel like you can just erase someone like him. But at the same time I don't think there is any celebration either," he added.
For Bowes, it is more likely that in 20 years Jackson will continue to be remembered for his music than for the allegations of child abuse.
"Really shocking evidence would have to appear to change things. He will always be the king of pop and there will always be a shadow of suspicion over him," he said.
