Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Child sex abuse, celebrity culture in true crime docuseries.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Michael Jackson: The Verdict
What's the Story?
MICHAEL JACKSON: THE VERDICT is a three-part docuseries that examines the late singer's 2005 child molestation trial. In 2003 44-year-old Michael Jackson agreed to be interviewed by then-BBC journalist Martin Bashir, who was best known for his 1995 award-winning Panorama interview with the late Princess Diana of Wales. These interviews became part of Living with Michael Jackson, a British documentary in which the reclusive singer shared details about his life. Jackson, who had settled a child abuse case out of court in 1995, wanted to use the opportunity to show the world how innocent his eccentric lifestyle was, which included having young boys sleep in his bed at Neverland Ranch. But after appearing with him in the documentary, 13-year-old Gavin Arizo accused Jackson of giving him alcohol and sexually abusing him. This eventually led to Jackson's arrest and a sensational 14-week trial in 2005, after which the singer was acquitted of all charges by a jury. Now journalists like former tabloid-reporter Diane Dimond, who's credited with breaking the story of the abuse allegations against the singer, along with former investigators, attorneys, Jackson employees, and juror Melissa Herard share their accounts of these events. Archive print and TV news footage, in addition to moments from Jackson's performances, interviews, and video testimonies, combined with other recorded images and conversations with friends, family, and accusers, also help fill out the story.
Is It Any Good?
The tabloid-like true crime series purports to offer new details surrounding Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial by piecing together events from the various perspectives of people who were there. But despite featuring a few new details about what happened in the courtroom and bits of previously unseen archival footage, Michael Jackson: The Verdict doesn't offer anything that changes the overly rehashed story. It does serve as an indictment of the media, who are accused, in part, of hijacking the prosecution's narrative during that time. This isn't new or surprising, but there's a certain irony here, given that Martin Bashir, whose documentary is credited with sparking the 2003 criminal investigation into Jackson, was later found to have used unethical journalistic practices when interviewing Princess Diana, and given the fact that Diane Dimond has built much of her career writing about and publicly commenting on Michael Jackson's legacy of legal woes. But to its credit, Michael Jackson: The Verdict reminds us of the far-reaching consequences of celebrity and celebrity culture. Fans of the late pop star will be interested, but if you're looking for anything that will shed new light on his guilt or innocence, you won't find it here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difference between a court finding someone innocent vs. finding someone guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. What role did this play in Michael Jackson's trial?
What does Michael Jackson: The Verdict reveal about the different roles media played in Michael Jackson's life? Is it easy for any celebrity to balance these roles?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 3, 2026
- Cast : Michael Jackson , Diane Dimond , Brian Oxman
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : June 8, 2026
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate