Michael Jackson ‘incapable’ of child sex abuse claims Oliver! star Mark Lester as he slams new details as ‘unnecessary’ and says superstar was just ‘naive’
THE childhood star of Oliver! who had a lifelong friendship with Michael Jackson claims the pop star was "just naive" and could never have abused kids.
Mark Lester today launched an impassioned defence of the King of Pop following a slew of new accusations to emerge in the documentary Leaving Neverland.
Wade Robson and James Safechuck have both claimed that Jacko was a paedophile - and describe in painstaking detail the acts he allegedly committed.
Today Mark, who found fame aged eight as the child star of the 1968 movie Oliver!, said he felt "sick" and "disgusted" when he heard the allegations.
He added: "I did some more digging on it and I felt angry and disgusted by the whole thing - at the detail that is being brought into the public domain, which is totally unnecessary.
"I've never met these two guys but from what I can gather, whether it's true or not, I understand that they had both sworn previously on oath that Michael had done nothing of the sort."
THE ALLEGATION
Allegations against Jackson first became public in 1993, when Jordan Chandler, 13, sued Jackson for sexual abuse, leading to a criminal investigation.
Wade, then 11, gave a media interview to insist that on his own sleepovers with the singer, nothing sexual had happened. Wade now says Jackson "brainwashed" him into being a "good soldier".
Then in 2005, Wade was called to testify at the criminal trial when Jackson was charged with - and cleared of - abusing another 13-year-old, Gavin Arvizo.
Wade denied ever having been abused by Jackson, but in 2012, after seeing a psychotherapist, he finally decided to speak out.
'MICHAEL WAS NAIVE'
Mark said: "All I can say is that that is not the man I knew, the man I knew as Michael Jackson would be incapable of doing anything like that.
"Michael was naive to have other people's kids having around but to him he didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that.
"He seemed to think that inviting children to Neverland and having sleepovers with kids was OK.
"I never witnessed anything untoward. The kids were having the time of their lives.. to them it was just like being in heaven.
"It's surprising how few people have come out in support of Michael. I haven't seen it (the documentary), I don't really want to see it. I think the whole point was to dish up the dirt.
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"The man that I knew was a very gentle man, kind, respectful. He was absolutely endearing to my children when I took my kids to Neverland.
"They absolutely adored Michael. He was just a sweet and lovely guy and that's the man I remember."
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