Inside Gavin Arvizo’s private family life now after becoming the face of Michael Jackson’s trial

Netflix’s Michael Jackson: The Verdict revisits the singer’s 2005 criminal trial and the events leading up to it, and Gavin Arvizo was at the centre of the case. Now, more than 20 years later, loads of people are wondering what happened to him. So, here’s everything we know about Michael Jackson accuser Gavin Arvizo’s family life and where he is now.

Gavin first met Michael Jackson when he was around 10 years old. At the time, he was recovering from cancer and had undergone major treatment. According to Biography.com, Gavin was involved with programmes for underprivileged children at the Los Angeles comedy club The Laugh Factory.

via Netflix

After learning Gavin was a fan, Jackson reportedly sent him gifts and later visited him in hospital. The friendship eventually became public and Gavin later appeared alongside Jackson in the 2003 documentary Living With Michael Jackson, which was made by British journalist Martin Bashir.

Gavin Arvizo’s allegations led to Jackson’s criminal trial

via Netflix

Following the documentary, Gavin accused Jackson of giving him alcohol, showing him p*rn*graphy and molesting him. Jackson strongly denied the allegations.

The accusations led to Jackson being charged and eventually standing trial in 2005. The case attracted huge international media attention and became one of the most closely watched celebrity trials in modern history.

After months of testimony, jurors found Jackson not guilty on all counts. According to CNN, several jurors later said they believed there was not enough evidence to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.

Back then, Gavin was just 13 years old. Today, more than two decades later, he appears to be living a very private life away from the media spotlight.

Gavin has largely stayed out of the public eye

via Netflix

Unlike some other people connected to the Michael Jackson allegations, such as Wade Robson and James Safechuck, Gavin has never become a public figure. In fact, he has rarely spoken publicly since the trial ended.

According to The Wrap, Gavin turned down numerous interview requests over the years and has deliberately chosen to live a quiet life. Family friend Louise Palanker, who has known Gavin since childhood, told the publication that he was not interested in having his life defined by the Michael Jackson case.

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“He doesn’t really want to talk about it right now,” Palanker said. “He just wants to become a man and have a family and a career and not have this be the standout portion of who he is.”

Palanker also revealed that Gavin does not enjoy seeing the case return to public discussion. “He really just wants to live his life,” she said. “He doesn’t like it when Michael Jackson comes back into the news.”

Gavin got married in his twenties

via Netflix

One of the biggest updates about Gavin’s personal life came in 2013. According to The Daily Beast, Gavin married when he was 24 years old. It was reported that he tied the knot in front of family and friends, including people who had supported him throughout the legal proceedings years earlier.

Also, apparently, a DJ at the event unknowingly played a Michael Jackson song during the celebrations. The outlet wrote, “Last week, he wed in front of the prosecutor, his mom, now named Janet Jackson, and a DJ who unknowingly spun an MJ tune.”

Very little else has been publicly revealed about Gavin’s wife, as he appears to have kept his relationship largely private.

Gavin has focused on building a career

via Netflix

As well as settling into married life, Gavin has also focused on work. He was working as a paralegal in 2013 and was hoping to take the LSAT, the admissions test used for law school in the United States.

Several years later, Louise Palanker told The Wrap that Gavin had worked in several different roles over the years. “He works in sales right now, he has been a teacher in a Catholic school for a while,” she said.

Palanker also revealed, “But he’s very interested in business and also in law school.”

As of 2026, Gavin appears to be doing exactly what he said he wanted to do years ago: Live a normal life. Public information about him remains extremely limited, which seems to be by choice.

Michael Jackson: The Verdict is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.