The Chandlers filed a civil lawsuit against Jackson in September 1993.[2] They and Jackson reached a financial settlement in January 1994; Jackson and his legal team stressed that this was not an admission of guilt.[2] The lawsuit was settled on January 25, 1994, with $15,331,250 to be held in a trust fund for Jordan, $1.5 million for each of his parents, and $5 million for the family's lawyer, for a total of approximately $23 million.[2] The document shows that the Chandlers dropped the child molestation allegations from their complaint, with Jackson's settlement being filed over claims of negligence.[2] It was later revealed that this settlement did not prevent the Chandlers from testifying in the criminal case.[2]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) kept records on the American singer Michael Jackson, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act on December 22, 2009, following Jackson's death.[2] In response to perceived threats against Jackson and allegations of child sexual assault made against him, the FBI made several investigations into Jackson, none of which led to charges.[2] According to the files, the FBI ended its investigations into Jackson in 2005 and found no evidence of criminal conduct on his part.[2]

The FBI posts files it collected about Michael Jackson to its Web site, including documents about the singer’s encounters with law enforcement.[7] The files focus mostly on the FBI's support of investigations into child molestation allegations against the entertainer from the early 1990s until 2005.[7] According to the report, the FBI found no evidence of any criminal conduct by Jackson in the allegations it reviewed.[7]

People v. Jackson (full title: 1133603: The People of the State of California v. Michael Joseph Jackson) was a 2005 criminal trial held in Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, California. The American pop singer Michael Jackson was charged with molesting Gavin Arvizo, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged abuse, at his Neverland Ranch estate in Los Olivos, California. ... On December 18, 2003, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent for the purpose of committing a felony. ... The jury deliberated for about 32 hours over seven days. On the initial vote, nine jurors voted to acquit Jackson, while three voted guilty. On June 13, 2005, they returned a verdict of not guilty on all charges. ... In 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by 13-year-old boy Jordan Chandler. In January 1994, Jackson settled the lawsuit made against him for $23 million.

Government documents released today show that the FBI assisted Santa Barbara, Calif., officials in their attempt to get cooperation from a person who could have been a key witness in the 2005 child molestation case against Michael Jackson: the boy who accused the pop star of molesting him in 1993.[4] No criminal charges were ever filed in the 1993 case; instead the then 12-year-old boy refused to cooperate with officials and accepted a multi-million dollar settlement from Jackson.[4] Jackson was acquitted of all charges in the 2005 case, which went to trial.[4]

The jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation case has spoken, acquitting the pop star on charges that the star molested a teenage cancer survivor who briefly resided with him between 2002 and 2003. Jackson was cleared of ten charges in all. They included four counts alleging he molested, or attempted to molest, the then 13-year-old accuser; four counts alleging he’d plied the boy with alcohol; and one count alleging he’d conspired to hold the boy and his family hostage at Jackson’s sprawling Neverland Ranch. ... The evidence against Jackson was copious in quantity, but very poor in quality, and that’s what led to the jury’s acquittal. There was virtually no physical evidence.

In 1993, Jackson was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, who accused the singer of molesting him repeatedly over a five-month period.[1] In return, the Chandler family filed a civil lawsuit against Jackson, accusing him of sexual battery, seduction, willful misconduct, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud and negligence in a campaign to entice the boy.[1] Following the allegations, Jackson agreed to pay the Chandler family roughly $25 million to settle the lawsuit.[1] Chandler reportedly stopped cooperating with prosecutors after the settlement, and the investigation was subsequently closed.[1] The Jackson estate has repeatedly denied abuse accusations, and Jackson was acquitted of separate child molestation charges in 2005.[1]

Today, January 5, 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released more than 300 pages of information they kept on the recently deceased Michael Jackson.[3] Within the file, there was another allegation of child abuse that came up after Jackson was acquitted by a jury in 2004, but the alleged victim told law enforcement that he "had no interest in testifying against" Mr. Jackson and "would legally fight any attempt to do so," causing the Bureau to close that investigation.[3] The article notes that Jackson had been accused of child molestation in the past and that the FBI provided assistance in those investigations.[3]

“Michael Jackson: The Verdict,” a three-part documentary directed by Nick Green and released Wednesday, chronicles his 2005 trial in Santa Maria that began with a search raid of the pop star’s sprawling Neverland Ranch and ended with a jury finding him not guilty on 10 counts, including four counts of child molestation. ... Netflix has announced a new three-part docuseries that will revisit the 2005 trial in which Michael Jackson was acquitted on charges of child molestation. ... “The Verdict” lays out, step by step, how the trial ended in Jackson’s full acquittal. One major contributor, the docuseries seems to argue, is the downfall of the prosecution at the hands of its own witnesses.

In November 2003, Michael Jackson was arrested when 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo accused the King of Pop of molesting him. By this point, it was widely known Jackson had sleepovers with children at his Neverland Ranch, and similar allegations had already been made against him. Still, Jackson maintained his innocence when he was charged with 10 counts in total, including lewd conduct with a minor, conspiracy to commit child abduction, intoxicating a minor with alcohol, false imprisonment, and extortion. ... After 14 weeks of testimony and 32 hours of deliberation, Jackson was found not guilty of all charges in June 2005. In the end, the jury determined there was just not enough physical evidence to prove the accusations beyond a reasonable doubt. “We expected probably better evidence, something that was a little more convincing. And it just wasn’t there,” one juror told CNN at the time.

Netflix’s official description of the docuseries notes that in 2003 Michael Jackson “was charged with multiple counts of child molestation, setting off a media firestorm and courtroom proceedings that captivated millions.” It states that “It has been 20 years since the trial of Michael Jackson in which he was found not guilty. Yet, to this day, controversy still rages.” The series “moves through the investigation, arrest, arguments, and turning points that led to Jackson’s acquittal,” and features interviews with jurors, attorneys, and witnesses in an effort to lay out the case “beat by beat.”

The once secret documents reveal previously unknown allegations of sexual abuse, and that local police were so concerned about the media circus surrounding the 2005 Michael Jackson child molestation trial, they asked the FBI to assess whether it was a soft target for terrorism.[6] FBI forensic scientists poured over Jackson's computers looking for evidence of child pornography and agents helped with interview strategies for a victim who alleged that Jackson abused him in 1993.[6] In the broadcast, it is stated that after hundreds of pages and many hours of investigation "there's not one scrap of evidence that Michael Jackson ever harmed a child" and that "The FBI looked at all of these matters and said, 'There's nothing here.'"[6]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California appeals court on Friday revived lawsuits from two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them for years when they were boys. A three-judge panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found that the lawsuits of Wade Robson and James Safechuck should not have been dismissed by a lower court, and that the men can validly claim that the two Jackson-owned corporations that were named as defendants in the cases had a responsibility to protect them. ... It’s the second time the lawsuits — brought by Robson in 2013 and Safechuck the following year — have been brought back after dismissal. The men’s lawsuits had already bounced back from a 2017 dismissal, when Young threw them out for being beyond the statute of limitations. ... The Jackson estate has adamantly and repeatedly denied that Jackson abused either of the boys, and has emphasized that Robson testified at Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial, where Jackson was acquitted, that he had not been abused, and Safechuck said the same to authorities.

In 1993, Michael Jackson faced accusations of child molestation from Evan Chandler, whose son Jordan was allegedly involved.[5] Despite media scrutiny and a criminal investigation, no evidence was found to support the allegations, leading to Jackson's acquittal.[5] The case involved negotiations for a financial settlement, but ultimately, inconsistencies in Chandler's claims and lack of corroborating evidence led to Jackson being cleared of all charges.[5] Chandler asked $20 million from Jackson to terminate the case; Jackson’s legal team initially dropped the offer to $1 million, then Chandler lowered the offer to $15 million, which Jackson’s legal team denied.[5] Thirty children were questioned, but all denied that Jackson was a child molester, and police and DCFS reports noted inconsistent details in Chandler’s story.[5]

The documentary Leaving Neverland has revived allegations of sexual abuse against Michael Jackson. As early as 1993, young boys and their parents began accusing Jackson of sexual abuse. He denied all the accusations and was never convicted of any crime. ... In 1993, the family of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler accused Jackson of sexually abusing the boy. Jackson maintained his innocence, but the civil case was settled in January 1994. The settlement was reportedly for $23 million. Criminal charges were not filed, though police investigated.

Lawsuits alleging sexual abuse from Michael Jackson was revived by a California appeals court. Wade Robson and James Safechuck allege Jackson abused them when they were boys. The appeals court says the lawsuit should have never been dismissed because the men have sound basis to claim Jackson's companies should have protected them. ... Robson and Safechuck’s lawsuits had previously been dismissed as the judges said they were filed outside the statute of limitations. The new California law that temporarily broadened the scope of sexual abuse cases enabled the appeals court to restore them.

In the course of the investigation into Michael Jackson in 1993, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residences and collected various items, including art books featuring images of nude and semi-nude boys, which were labeled as "grooming material" in official reports.[5] The post notes that the FBI did not participate in these searches and never initiated an investigation into him; the Los Angeles Police Department and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department were responsible for conducting the searches and investigations.[5] It also states that while these items were documented, Jackson was not charged with any crime related to these specific books at that time, and he was later acquitted of all allegations in a separate trial in 2005.[5]

This is true. There was a discolored blotch on the underside of his penis that would only be visible when erect. The police took photographs and confirmed the blotch was there, corroborating the boy’s description. A few weeks later, MJ paid $23 million to the boy and his family. ... He had a long documented personal relationship with Jordan Chandler spanning years. He was sued by Jordy’s father for abusing his son in a year long court case. ... Three jurors agreed after the 2005 trial that Jackson was guilty. James and Wade said they lied to protect Jackson.

The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s official FAQ on the Jackson case explains that in December 2003, Michael Jackson was formally charged with multiple counts involving a child victim, and that a grand jury indictment in April 2004 added conspiracy and related charges. It notes that the case proceeded to trial as People v. Michael Joseph Jackson in early 2005. The DA’s summary confirms that on June 13, 2005, “the jury returned verdicts of not guilty on all counts and all lesser included offenses,” ending the criminal prosecution with a full acquittal.

Michael Jackson is still a mystery. It is really weird the way he treated children. All children had similar physical characteristics. I believe he abused more children than we know. ... Michael Jackson's estate made a sexual abuse settlement that's led to a legal fight. The settlement was reportedly made with a man who claimed Jackson sexually abused him as a child. The estate has denied wrongdoing, but the settlement has become part of ongoing legal disputes.

When Michael paid the Chandlers "20-odd million," his lawyer would have known that the Chandlers did not have to turn up for the criminal trial.[6] The post claims Michael was approached by Evan Chandler seeking a settlement in August 1993 and that Michael refused; a settlement was eventually reached four months later after media scrutiny.[6] It states that Michael and his lawyers insisted the criminal trial take place before the civil trial while Chandler did the opposite, and notes that Tom Mesereau said the settlement was reached because Michael's lawyers and business associates recommended it due to Jackson's health and their financial stakes.[6] The commenter adds that in 2005 Jackson was cleared of all charges he faced, but those did not include charges related to Jordan Chandler.[6]

A CNN post summarizing the long-running accusations notes that the child molestation and sexual abuse allegations Michael Jackson faced in life and after his death have long divided his fans and critics.[8] It references the 1993 civil settlement, the 2005 criminal trial in which he was acquitted, and the continued debate over the meaning of these legal outcomes.[8] The piece underscores that, despite acquittal and lack of criminal charges in some cases, public opinion remains sharply split.[8]

In 1993, Michael Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by 13-year-old boy Jordan Chandler. The abuse allegedly took place at Jackson's Neverland Ranch home in Santa Barbara, California. In January 1994, Jackson settled the lawsuit made against him for $23 million with $5 million going to the family's lawyers. The settlement was a civil matter and did not involve a criminal conviction.

Jackson paid $25 million to settle the Chandlers’ lawsuit, with $18 million going to Jordie, $2.5 million to each of the parents, and the rest to lawyers, according to this post.[4] The total reported payment was around $23 million, with $15.3 million allocated for the settlement and additional sums going to the family's representatives.[4] The post quotes Jackson as saying he paid that sum to avoid something "long and drawn out."[4]

The New York Times notes that in 2005 Jackson “was acquitted of charges that he had molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor, Gavin Arvizo, at his Neverland Ranch.” It explains that the jury found him not guilty on all counts after a highly publicized trial. The article also mentions that earlier accusations in 1993 led to an out-of-court settlement of a civil suit, and that later civil cases against his estate have continued to surface, reflecting the ongoing divide between the legal outcomes and public opinion about whether he “escaped justice.”

In this video description and discussion of the 1993 Jordy Chandler allegations of abuse against Michael Jackson, the speaker states that various accusers "all lost in Court" and refers to "one settlement which Michael regretted after his lawyer urged him to because of his schedule."[7] The clip frames the Chandler settlement as a strategic decision rather than an admission of guilt, suggesting Jackson followed legal advice to settle.[7]

A Reddit discussion in r/LeavingNeverlandHBO titled “How was Michael Jackson acquitted in 2005?” features commenters arguing that “it’s incredibly difficult… to convict on child molestation cases” and suggesting Jackson “got away [with] it because he was a rich celebrity.” Another commenter claims that jurors believed Jackson had abused other children but not the specific accuser in the 2005 case, emphasizing that the jury’s legal task was to decide only whether he abused Gavin Arvizo during the charged time period. These are lay interpretations and opinions, not official legal findings, but they illustrate a strand of public belief that Jackson escaped accountability despite the acquittal.