1993 Child Sexual Abuse Accusations Against Michael Jackson
In the summer of 1993, Evan Chandler accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing his thirteen-year-old son, Jordan. The relationship between Jackson and Jordan began in May 1992. Chandler initially welcomed and encouraged the friendship, and bragged about his connection to a celebrity. The friendship became well known as the tabloid media reported that Jackson became a member of the Chandler family.
In June 1993, Chandler confronted his ex-wife June, who had custody of Jordan, with suspicions that their son had been in an inappropriate relationship with Jackson but June dismissed his worries. According to several sources, Chandler threatened to go public with the evidence he claimed he had on Jackson, who asked his lawyer Bert Fields to intervene. Chandler's lawyer, Barry K. Rothman, called psychiatrist Dr. Mathis Abrams and reported a hypothetical situation of sexual molestation mirroring what his son had alleged.
Without meeting Jordan, Abrams then sent Rothman a letter on July 15 stating there was "reasonable suspicion" of sexual abuse and if it had been a real case, he would be required by law to contact the Los Angeles County Department of Children’s Services (DCS). On August 4, Chandler and Jordan met with Jackson and Anthony Pellicano, Jackson's private investigator, and Chandler read out Abrams' letter. He then opened negotiations to resolve the issue with a financial settlement. On August 16, three days after Chandler and Rothman had rejected a $350,000 offer from Jackson's camp, June's attorney notified Rothman that he would be filing papers next morning to force Chandler to return Jordan to allow him to go on the Asian-leg of Jackson's Dangerous World Tour.
On the day Jackson began the second leg of his tour, news of the allegations broke to the public and received worldwide media attention. Jackson ultimately cancelled the remainder of the tour due to health problems arising from the scandal. In January 1994 Jackson reached a financial settlement with the Chandlers to resolve the matter and in September a criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence. Five months after Jackson's death, Evan Chandler committed suicide on November 5, 2009, in his luxury apartment in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Read more about 1993 Child Sexual Abuse Accusations Against Michael Jackson: Friendship, Tape Recording, Allegations and Negotiations, Media Reaction and Civil Suit Settlement, Aftermath, People V. Jackson
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