A new three-part BBC documentary, Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy, attempts to provide a balanced examination of the pop star's life, from his rise to fame to the controversies that followed. The series features interviews with family, friends, and associates, including former spiritual adviser Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who describes Jackson as 'so utterly lonely' despite his global fame.
The documentary covers Jackson's childhood in Gary, Indiana, where he and his siblings lived in cramped conditions and feared their father Joe. La Toya Jackson recalls that 'Michael had a fear of my father – we all did,' adding that Joe would 'strangle us' if they got into trouble. The series also addresses Jackson's changing appearance, with childhood friend Michelle Breger calling his skin whitening 'heartbreaking'.
Prosecutor Ron Zonen, who worked on the child abuse cases against Jackson, states that 'it was remarkably obvious that he was molesting children.' The documentary includes contributions from Donald Trump, who says of the allegations, 'I know him very well, and I don't believe it.' Shana Mangatal, a former talent manager, discusses how the Jackson team sought to 'endear Michael to the black community' after the first allegations emerged in 1993.
The series is structured in three episodes: Fame, The Reckoning, and The Resurrection. It aims to contextualise Jackson's journey from child prodigy to global icon, the media circus, and the criminal trials that continue to divide his legacy. The documentary airs ahead of the release of the biopic Michael, which stars Jackson's nephew and reportedly stops before the 1993 allegations.
