Getty US pop star and entertainer Michael Jackson performs before an estimated audience of 60,000 in Brunei on July 16, 1996.
It’s been a decade since the death of Michael Jackson. The pop superstar remains one of the world’s most controversial figures due to the allegations that he sexually abused children starting in the 1990s. Read on for a full list of Jackson’s alleged victims and those who claim that he abused them.
1979 – Terry George
Terry George was 13 when he befriended Jackson during a leg of the Jackson 5’s European tour. The two became friendly and exchanged numbers, and before long, they were talking regularly on the phone. During one of these calls, however, Terry claims that Jackson asked him if he masturbated.
“Would you believe me that I am doing it right now?” Jackson then said. Terry did not press charges, and did not speak openly about the interaction with the pop star until he was being sued by Jordan Chandler and his family in 1993.
1990 – James Safechuck
In 2014, James Safechuck filed a lawsuit that said Jackson abused him hundreds of times between the years 1988 and 1992. He accused Jackson of kissing his genitals and giving him jewelry as a reward for sexual favors.
He also said that the singer introduced him to masturbation around the age of 10, the same year that he arranged a mock wedding for them. Safechuck, who appeared in the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, says that the abuse continued until he was 14.
1991 – Wade Robson
Wade Robson was invited to stay at Neverland Ranch when he was 7, and claims that Jackson molested him over the course of the next two years. Housekeepers and maids who worked at the Ranch during this time have backed up Robson’s claims, saying that he and Jackson would take showers together, and that they would regularly sleep in the same bed without shirts on.
Robson defended Jackson during his 1993 and 2005 trials, but he came forth with his own accusations in 2013. He attempted to bring a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate, but it was thrown out because a judge ruled that too much time had passed.
1993 – Jordan Chandler
Jordan Chandler publicly accused Jackson of molesting him in 1993. According to the former’s testimony, Jackson befriended him and invited him to stay at his Neverland Ranch. While there, Jackson masturbated him and then performed oral sex on him. They reportedly shared a bed for three months. Jordan also said that Jackson warned him not to tell anyone about their interactions, and that he would go to juvenile detention if he did.
Jordan’s father Evan filed a lawsuit against Jackson, and the latter settled out of court without admitting wrongdoing. In January 1994,the Chandler family was paid $23 million. They refused to cooperate further with the criminal case, citing death threats from fans.
2003 – Garin Arvizo
Gavin Arvizo was a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer when he met Jackson. He was visited by the singer in the hospital, and by the time he recovered, he had been invited to stay at Neverland Ranch.
During Jackson’s 2005 trial, Gavin and his younger brother testified, saying that the singer had shown them pornography, forced alcohol upon them, and masturbated in front of them several times. Despite their claims, Jackson was acquitted, and Gavin has since declined offers to sell his story.