Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Audio recordings of Michael Jackson detailing the dynamics of his relationships with children are set to air in a new documentary.
The King of Pop, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, is heard discussing how being friends with youngsters ‘sometimes gets him into trouble’ in the trailer for Michael Jackson: The Trial.
The four-part Channel 4 series, which starts airing on Wednesday (4 January), delves into the music legend’s notorious 2005 trial, his rise to fame and how he lived his life in the spotlight.
21 years ago, the eyes of the world were on Jackson as he spent four months on trial after teenager Gavin Arvizo alleged that the star had plied him with alcohol, showed him pornography, and molested him.
Ultimately, Jackson was found not guilty on all charges.
Michael Jackson: The Trial is set to go beyond the media frenzy which ensued during the father-of-three’s court case and explore ‘profound questions about fame, race and the American justice system’.
The documentary trailer includes previously unheard audio recordings of Jackson, which executive producer Tom Anstiss says offer a ‘rare and privileged window into Michael’s psyche and his soul’.
Take a look at it here:
In the clips, Jackson can be heard saying: “Children wanna just touch me and hug me…Kids end up falling in love with my personality. Sometimes it gets me into trouble.”
According to the New York Post, the singer also made another shocking remark regarding his friendships with children.
The publication claims that recordings captured Jackson saying: “If you told me right now, ‘Michael, you could never see another child’…I would kill myself.”
An insider who is said to have heard the audio recordings featured in Michael Jackson: The Trial claimed they are littered with ‘very uneasy phrases and language’ from Jackson.
Jackson seen leaving court in June 2005 during the notorious trial, where he was later acquitted on all charges (Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)
“There is something extremely unusual and eerie about Michael Jackson’s infatuation with children – especially those who are not his own,” they told the Post.
“To hear his voice discuss children in this manner, given he had been accused on molestation, raises many questions about his mental health, mindset and sadly, intentions.
“This is Michael at his most open giving us an insight into how he was in love with children…infatuated with wanting to be around them. These are very uneasy phrases and language to hear from a single man in his 40s.”
Michael Jackson: The Trial’s executive producer, Anstiss, said Jackson is on the brink of tears in some of the recordings.
“The unheard audio tapes of Michael Jackson offer a rare and privileged window into Michael’s psyche and his soul,” he said of the upcoming documentary.
Michael Jackson: The Trial debuts on Wednesday (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
“They deliver a new understanding of who Michael Jackson really was, what he thought and the seismic moments that shaped his life.
“The tapes are emotionally raw and very real. At points, you can hear Michael is close to tears.”
The synopsis for Michael Jackson: The Trial promises viewers ‘exclusive new footage and unheard audio tapes’, as well as testimonies from ‘insiders from Jackson’s entourage and the police’.
Jackson’s former PR agent, Vincent Amen, is among those who appear in the documentary, and he sensationally claimed a ‘cover-up’ took place to protect the pop star when talking to The Telegraph.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.