I agree. Also, he was acquitted on all counts.
Not only was he one of the best performers, he was also an incredible composer. He heard “Beat It” in his head so clearly, he recorded a demo of the whole song using an 8 channel mixer and cassette.
https://www.michaeljackson.com/news/listen-to-michael-jacksons-beat-it-demo-from-thriller-40/
There’s a good chance he really was innocent, but being weird around kids like that is enough to tank your career regardless, which is probably for the best.
It’s an odd case. Whilst most agree that he wasn’t a full blown child rapist, it’s clear that he had an interest in young boys that went further than just fantasy, but people choose to ignore it because “BeAt It ThO!!!”.
You can appreciate art whilst knowing that the artist was sick.
His father was physically and emotionally abusive to him and his siblings, forcing them to forgo their childhood for fame. He built and lived in an amusement park and would invite kids over to enjoy it. His story reads more like a trauma victim looking to live his missing childhood through others than “a sick artist.”