Bill Whitfield, Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard, has offered his thoughts on the child sex abuse allegations against the King of Pop, as well as his belief on what led to Jackson’s death.
In an interview with The Sun on Jackson’s 66th birthday on August 29, Whitfield described the pop icon as “sad and lost” due of the claims against him before his death in 2009.
Whitfield, who began working as Jackson’s bodyguard in 2006, insisted that the singer would “never hurt a child,” and said , “This isn’t the man I knew.” He stated that if there was any truth to the allegations, it would have been apparent to those who spent time with Jackson.
“I was with him daily and saw his genuine love for children and people of all races,” Whitfield told the newspaper. “It wasn’t in his character. You had to be around him to know him, and I was there. So no, that wasn’t him”, he told The SUN.
Jackson, who died in 2009, was first accused of child molestation in 1993 when the Los Angeles Police Department investigated charges that he abused Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old. Although the lawsuit was dismissed after Jackson paid a $23 million settlement, the claims resurfaced in 2003 when Jackson was accused with child abuse again.
Gavin Arvizo accused Jackson of giving him and his brother drink, showing them pornography, and masturbating in front of them, and Jackson went on trial in 2005 for these charges.Although Jackson was cleared of all charges in June 2005, the intensive scrutiny and public backlash had a negative impact on the artist.
After the trial, Jackson retired from large performances, but in 2009, he launched a comeback tour called This Is It. However, his condition deteriorated, impeding rehearsals. Jackson died from a heroin overdose three weeks before the tour’s start date.
Whitfield remarked on Jackson’s dying days, seeing that the singer was under tremendous pressure. “He was clearly stressed out. And stress kills,” Whitfield said, adding that he often pondered if Jackson’s death was intentional but eventually concluded that it was a result of external demands and stress.
“There were so many people who wanted to be near him and so many who wanted something from him. That can be overwhelming,” he explained. “I certainly believe the level of stress he was going through on a personal and business level played a part.”
Despite the controversies surrounding Jackson’s life, Whitfield said he remembers him with pride, knowing that he witnessed the greatness of one of the most influential performers in music history.