Dr Sheetal Bhoola is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zululand, and director at StellarMaths (Sunningdale)
More than a decade after his death, Michael Jackson remains one of the most paradoxical figures in modern cultural history.
Celebrated as the King of Pop, the world’s best singer and dancer, an innovator of the arts and fundamentally a global icon, a man who can still accrue just over 3 billion dollars posthumously through his fame, talent, and fortune, Jackson is equally remembered as a man whose life and legacy have been shadowed by persistent allegations of child sexual abuse, which began in 1993.
The lack of conclusiveness, the seriousness of the allegations, as well as the debate around whether Jackson was guilty, even though he was acquitted of multiple charges of child sexual abuse, still lingers.
Public opinion, speculation, and the lacunae of evidence that lie between claims, testimonials, and proof continue to escalate globally. The recent release of his biopic has once again earned his brand millions of dollars and has sparked further curiosity into his life; the accusations, and the search for the truth.
