What Macaulay Culkin really said about Michael Jackson as Netflix doc sparks trial debate

*Warning: Some may find this content distressing*

The new Netflix documentary Michael Jackson: The Verdict reexamines the high-profile 2005 criminal trial of the singer and the child sexual abuse allegations brought by Gavin Arvizo.

Across three episodes, it details the allegations, court case, and public response, while speaking with key players involved in the trial, including jurors, who ultimately found Jackson not guilty after 12 weeks of proceedings. 

One name that frequently comes up is Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin, who formed a friendship with Jackson when he was 10 years old, and later starred in his ‘Black or White’ music video. 

As is shown in the Netflix docuseries, former Neverland chef Phillip LeMarque testified as a prosecution witness, alleging that he saw Jackson molesting Culkin while they were playing the Thriller video game. 

But Culkin, who was 24 years old by the time of the trial, appeared as a defence witness, where he spoke in favour of the singer. 

Although The Verdict touches on this, there’s no deep dive on what Culkin actually said. However, court documents show he firmly denied ever being abused by Jackson.

What Macaulay Culkin told the court

During his testimony, Culkin described Jackson as a close friend who he first met when he was nine or ten years old after the singer contacted him following the success of Home Alone. 

He told the court they remained friends for more than a decade, with Culkin visiting Neverland “more than a dozen times” between the ages of around 10 to 14, and said they had spoken just days before he took the witness stand.

Recalling the first time he went to Jackson’s ranch with his brother and parents, he described Jackson as “a nice guy.”

“I remember he laughed because I referred to all the Ninja Turtles by their first names, and things like that,” Culkin said. “And so it was one of those kinds of things where it was just very casual, really.”

The actor went on to describe a number of other instances of meeting with Jackson, including in New York, Los Angeles, and London, and that the pair probably spoke on the phone around “over 100 times.”

When asked directly whether Jackson had ever molested him, Culkin responded: “Never.”

He was then asked whether Jackson had ever touched him in a sexual or inappropriate way, to which he replied: “Absolutely not.”

Asked what he thought of the allegations against Jackson, Culkin said: “I think they’re absolutely ridiculous.”

The actor acknowledged that he had occasionally slept in Jackson’s bedroom, and confirmed that there was a “ding-dong” sounding alarm that went off when anyone would approach the room. 

But Culkin repeatedly insisted that nothing inappropriate ever happened and described the ranch as having an “open-door policy”, saying family members and other guests frequently came and went. 

He also testified that his parents were aware of the sleeping arrangements and never appeared concerned by them.

During cross-examination, prosecutors questioned Culkin extensively about sharing a bed with Jackson as a child. 

While he accepted that this had happened on several occasions, he maintained that he had never been abused and rejected suggestions that he may not have known what happened while he was asleep.

“As far as I know, he’s never molested me,” Culkin told the court.

The actor also explained that he felt a connection with Jackson because both had experienced fame at an unusually young age.

“He understood what it was like to be put in a position that I was in… It was a comforting thing,” he testified. 

In the years since the trial, Culkin has continued to defend Jackson against allegations that he abused him. 

Speaking with Esquire in 2020, he said, “Look, I’m gonna begin with the line – it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on. 

“If anything, I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything.”

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Featured image credit: Netflix