More than 15 years after his death, Michael Jackson is making headlines as new and disturbing audio footage has been released of the music superstar talking about his relationship with children. The footage is set to be included in “The Trial,” a four-part docuseries from UK production company Wonderhood Studios, which premieres on the British public broadcaster Channel 4 on Feb. 4.
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Throughout his career, the “Thriller” singer has had a complicated relationship with children. Despite donating millions of dollars to charities that support sick and underprivileged children, he also dealt with a slew of child sexual abuse allegations.
In this previously unreleased audio footage, Jackson can be heard making a shocking statement about how he would deal with never being able to contact another child again.
“If you told me right now . . . Michael, you could never see another child…I would kill myself,” the singer can be heard saying on tape.
In other audio recordings, Jackson can be heard talking about how children were fascinated by him, which led them to want to touch and hug him.
“Kids end up just falling in love with my personality – sometimes it gets me into trouble,” Jackson said.
In addition to the new audio recordings, video footage used in the doc shows Jackson, who frequently invited children to stay at his Neverland Ranch, having a picnic with a then-13-year-old cancer patient, Gavin Arviso, alone on his property. Arviso later accused Jackson of sexual abuse in 2005 and testified against him at trial.
“The Trial” chronicles the events leading up to his criminal case going to trial in 2005, including a February 2003 television documentary, “Living With Michael Jackson,” by British journalist Martin Bashir. Details revealed in the film led to a raid on Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in November 2023.
Jackson was arrested and indicted on several criminal counts, including child molestation, abduction and false imprisonment. Jackson was ultimately acquitted on all charges.
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