‘Not irrelevant’: The Boys star weighs in on Michael Jackson abuse allegations debate

Warning: This article contains references to child sexual abuse allegations

The Boys star Erin Moriarty has spoken up about the sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson in relation to Spike Lee’s response to the new biopic, saying it’s “not irrelevant” in this context. 

Discussion surrounding the allegations has intensified following the release of Michael, which covers the singer’s life and music career from the 1960s through to 1988 – five years before the first accusations were made public. 

According to Bloomberg, the film’s original third act was supposed to cover these events, but a legal clause found in the 1994 settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler was discovered that forbade the case’s mention in any media. 

The Jackson estate reportedly paid producer Graham King an additional $10million and director Antoine Fuqua an extra $15million to rewrite and reshoot this part of the movie. 

Ultimately, the finished product didn’t go down too well with critics, who gave Michael an overall score of 39% – a contrast to its 97% audience rating.

Filmmaker Spike Lee chimed in on the conversation and defended the creative decisions, telling CNN, “If you’re a movie critic, and you’re complaining about the stuff – all this other stuff – but the movie ends at ’88…

“The stuff you’re talking about, accusations, happen [later]. So you’re critiquing the film on something that you want in, but it doesn’t work in the timeline of the film.”

These are the exact comments Erin Moriarty – best known for playing Annie, aka Starlight in The Boys – is responding to. 

Erin Moriarty says there’s “nuance here”

Sharing the Spike Lee quotes in an Instagram Story, Erin wrote, “I think there’s nuance here worth acknowledging. 

“Allegations of this severity do matter. They are not irrelevant context; particularly within an industry that has historically minimised or enabled sexual abuse and grooming. 

“The quality of the film may not be in question. But I think it’s fair to question the broader celebration of it, and what message that may say to survivors.”

The Boys star has received a lot of praise online for speaking on the matter when it’s been so contentious. 

“Respect to Erin for saying this publicly knowing it could cost her professionally. That takes more guts than making the film did,” wrote one on Reddit. 

Another said, “She’s very brave coming out and saying this, considering all the sh*t she gets from ‘fans’ of The Boys.”

Michael Jackson allegations explained

The first major allegations against the singer surfaced in 1993, when Evan Chandler accused him of sexually abusing his 13-year-old son, Jordan Chandler. 

Jackson denied the claims, and while the criminal investigation did not lead to charges, he settled a civil lawsuit out of court in 1994 for a reported $22 million, with no admission of guilt.

A second wave of allegations emerged in 2003, when documentary filmmaker Martin Bashir placed focus on Michael’s relationship with a young cancer patient named Gavin Arvizo.

In the aftermath of the documentary, titled Living with Michael Jackson, authorities reopened the investigation and Arvizo eventually alleged he had been molested by the singer. 

This led to a high-profile criminal trial in 2005 following charges of conspiracy involving child abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion, which Michael again denied. He was later acquitted on all counts by a jury.

Following Jackson’s death in 2009, further allegations were brought in civil cases, including claims from choreographer Wade Robson and actor James Safechuck, who alleged abuse during their childhoods.

Their accounts were later detailed in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which reignited global scrutiny of Jackson’s legacy, though his estate has strongly denied the allegations and challenged the claims in court.

The legal cases tied to these later accusations have been subject to ongoing appeals and rulings, with no criminal convictions ever made against Jackson during his lifetime.

More recently, Edward, Dominic and Aldo Cascio and their sister Marie-Nicole Porte – who were once described as Jackson’s “second family” – filed a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate on allegations of child sex abuse and trafficking.

In light of the Michael biopic hitting theatres, the siblings spoke with the New York Times, with Eddie claiming that the singer abused them for years while teaching them to defend him against the allegations.

The estate’s attorney Martin Singer denied the claims and said in a statement, “This lawsuit is a desperate money grab by additional members of the Cascio family.”

Film Shrine has contacted the Jackson estate representatives for comment. 

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Featured image credit: Prime Video/Lionsgate