Michael Jackson said he was abused as a child, Friend claims

In a stunning disclosure published on May 16, 2026, Emmy-winning producer Geoffrey Mark alleged that pop music legend Michael Jackson confessed to being molested as a child.

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Mark, a close friend who spent time with Jackson during intimate gatherings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, stated that the King of Pop detailed being “inappropriately touched by an adult” during his years as a child performer.

He said However, rather than recognizing the behavior as criminal, Jackson had normalized the predator’s actions, referring to the encounters as “playtime.”

The disclosure comes at a time when worldwide audiences are focusing on the singer’s legacy through the hit musical biopic Michael.

While the film has approached half a billion dollars in box office earnings, it does not include Mark’s accounts or the various public allegations of child molestation that followed Jackson throughout his adult life.

Mark explained that Jackson’s admissions occurred during private dinners at the Los Angeles mansion of their mutual friend, dermatologist Dr. Arnold Klein, after Mark shared his own history of childhood trauma.

According to Mark, Jackson appeared confused by the idea that such actions should cause distress, as he had been conditioned to believe it was completely natural.

Reflecting on the psychological impact of this upbringing, Mark suggested that this deep childhood trauma left Jackson emotionally stunted, blurring his understanding of right and wrong.

He noted that while eight former child companions have publicly accused the singer of abuse, Jackson may have believed he was simply entertaining children in the manner he had been entertained.

Mark emphasized that he does not view Jackson as inherently evil, but rather as a deeply damaged individual who ultimately turned to prescription medication and alcohol to dull the underlying pain of his past.

Throughout his life, Jackson consistently denied all criminal allegations, famously paying an out-of-court settlement exceeding $20 million to accuser Jordie Chandler in the 1990s before being acquitted of all felony counts during a highly publicized criminal trial in 2005.

While Jackson frequently spoke about the physical abuse he suffered from his father, Joe Jackson, during his childhood in Gary, Indiana, this marks the first time an intimate acquaintance has come forward with accounts of the singer identifying as a victim of sexual abuse.