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It’s impossible to untangle Michael Jackson’s legacy as a timeless pop genius from the debate over his relationship with the children who spent time at Neverland Ranch. No criminal activity was ever proven. With Jackson gone and first-hand accounts of his conduct offering conflicting reports about the former star, the truth is hard to lock down.  

The Young and the Restless star Bryton James was around Michael Jackson during his childhood and defended the singer’s reputation. He said that Jackson preferred to be around kids due to the constraints of his celebrity. 

James believes that Jackson’s issues with fame were the reason he connected with children

James appeared on fellow soap opera star Maurice Bernard’s podcast State of Mind with Maurice Bernard in 2021 to discuss his career, personal life and how those parts of his life intersect. (The topic of Jackson comes up around the 9:10 mark.) James’ working relationship with the entertainer began when he took part in a LA Gear commercial. But he met Jackson a couple of years later. 

While James was working on Family Matters, he wrote a letter to the King of Pop. It was delivered via a receptionist working for Jackson’s production company. Jackson eventually wrote him back and asked James to present an NAACP Award alongside Raven Symone a year later. While at the show, James and his father met Jackson and some of his cousins before receiving an invitation to the Neverland Ranch. 

Bryton James smiling
Bryton James | Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images

James was 5 or 6 when this happened. But he maintains that Jackson’s interest in him was purely an act of emotional support rather than anything more sinister.

The singer had been in the public eye for his entire life and was arguably the most famous person on the planet in the early ’90s. To most adults, he was a commodity for business ventures or, in a memory James recounts, someone to chase after while he’s in the back of a cab. Youths were the only people he could interact with without his status impacting their dynamic. 

“The thing about Michael hanging around and enjoying being around children was that nobody treats him [normally]. Nobody is authentic with [him]. Even the biggest name celebrities I’ve seen around him, they could be one way in front of him and a different way later because there’s no one bigger than him,” James said. “A kid will say ‘hey, what’s wrong with your nose? It looks funny’ to him and he likes that. Kids are innocent and they’re honest and these are the only people in his life that would be like that with him.”

The singer acted as a sounding board to James during his childhood

Jackson didn’t just bring James around to help him cope with media scrutiny.

“He would just stay in contact with me, and I know his goal was to make sure that I was having a good time and having fun being a child in the entertainment industry because he didn’t, so that was always very important to him,” James said. 

The actor is unequivocal in defending Jackson from the sexual abuse accusations. James claims that Jackson’s bedroom was two stories big and that no one ever stayed in there alone with the entertainer. The first time he stayed at the ranch, James and his father were invited to stay in the room with Jackson and members of his family. 

In his memory, Jackson was simply looking out for the few people who could see him as a person, not a money-making idol. The allegations of criminal behavior weigh on James’ mind. “It’s been tough to sit and watch.”

Jackson’s life is a triumph and a tragedy 

For all of Jackson’s success as a globally beloved entertainer, trauma marked his life.

His father, Joe Jackson, abused Michael and his siblings until they became prodigies. The Jacksons weren’t allowed to have friends. They were forced to practice for five hours a day and received beatings if they misbehaved or didn’t perform to Joe’s standards. The patriarch’s disparaging comments about Michael’s nose also contributed to his compulsion for plastic surgery. 

He eventually found the grace to forgive his father. Michael credited his tough upbringing with his stratospheric career. 

Could his talent have been unleashed with a kinder approach? Even if not, was it all really worth it, given how irrevocably warped Michael’s psyche was as a result? Like many aspects of his life, we’ll never have a definitive answer.  

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