Michael Jackson Made ‘Bombshell’ Admission On Camera That Led to an Investigation
In Martin Bashir’s 2003 documentary Living With Michael Jackson, the pop star admitted on camera to sharing his bed with children. At this point, Jackson had already faced allegations of child sexual abuse, so the admission came as a shock. Bashir recalled what it was like to hear Jackson say this to him.
Martin Bashir recalled a shocking admission Michael Jackson made
Bashir spent 2002 interviewing Jackson for his documentary. He said he worried about bringing up the child abuse allegations. Because of this, it came as a shock when Jackson introduced him to a child.
“I was anxious about what was going to happen when I put these difficult questions to him,” Bashir said in Netflix’s Michael Jackson: The Verdict. “But, as we moved towards the end of the filming, he said, ‘I want you to meet somebody.’ I said, ‘Right, who do you want me to meet?’ He said, ‘He’s a little boy, and we’ve healed him of cancer.'”
The boy was Gavin Arvizo, who accused Jackson of molestation in 2003.
“And then, Michael volunteers during the conversation that they sleep in the bed together,” Bashir said.
Jackson didn’t see a problem with sharing a bed with a child.
“Why can’t you share your bed?” Jackson asked. “The most loving thing to do is share your bed with someone.”
The admission astonished Bashir. He’d been prepared for a difficult conversation, but Jackson offered up this information willingly.
“All of us, the production team, are completely gobsmacked,” Bashir said. “I mean, we can’t believe what’s going on in front of us.”
People had long wondered about Jackson’s relationship with the children who stayed at Neverland Ranch, and now he cleared it up, at least in part, on camera.
“I realized that we had something that was hugely significant, but I didn’t realize the extent of the bombshell until the broadcast,” Bashir said.
After the documentary’s release, Jackson accused Bashir of misrepresenting him. Still, the admission led to an investigation into claims of child abuse. While a grand jury indicted Jackson, he was later acquitted of all charges.
