Jordan Chandler

The American pop musician Michael Jackson faced allegations of child sexual abuse in 1993 and 2003.

Additional claims emerged posthumously.

In 1993, Evan Chandler, a dentist and screenwriter based in Los Angeles, accused Jackson of sexually abusing Chandler's 13-year-old son, Jordan.

Jackson had befriended Jordan after renting a vehicle from Jordan's stepfather.

Though Evan Chandler initially encouraged the friendship, he later confronted his ex-wife, who had custody of Jordan, with suspicions that the relationship was inappropriate.

Chandler wanted to resolve the issue with a financial settlement, but he and Jackson could not agree on an amount.

In July, Jordan told a psychiatrist and police that Jackson had sexually abused him, triggering an investigation.

Some of Jackson's staff reported inappropriate behavior, but the police dismissed their accounts as not credible as they had sold their stories to tabloids or had grievances against Jackson.

Jackson's legal team maintained that Chandler was attempting to extort Jackson, citing a phone recording in which he said he was going to "humiliate" Jackson and "win big-time".

In August 1993, as the second leg of Jackson's Dangerous World Tour began, news of the allegations broke and received worldwide media attention.

Jackson canceled the remainder of the tour, citing health problems arising from the scandal.

That September, the Chandlers filed a lawsuit against Jackson.

According to Consequence of Sound, in 1993, the American pop star Michael Jackson was the most popular musician in the world. That February, Jackson's car broke down and was towed to a local garage, Rent-A-Wreck.

The Rent-A-Wreck owner David Schwartz called his wife, June Chandler-Schwartz, to meet Jackson.

She brought her son from a previous marriage, Jordan Chandler.

Jordan's father, Evan Chandler, was a dentist who treated Hollywood celebrities.

He was also a screenwriter who co-wrote the 1993 comedy ''Robin Hood: Men In Tights.

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Jackson and Jordan became close; the National Enquirer ran a featured story titled "Michael's New Adopted Family", implying that Jackson had "stolen" Jordan from Evan.

Jackson invited Jordan, his stepsister and his mother to visit his home, Neverland Ranch, on the weekends.

They would also take trips to Las Vegas and Florida.

These trips interfered with Jordan's scheduled visits with Evan, with Jordan preferring to visit Neverland Ranch.

In May, Evan encouraged Jackson to spend more time with Jordan.

Evan suggested that Jackson should build an extension onto Jackson's house; when they were denied planning permission, Chandler suggested Jackson buy him a house.

In the same month, Jordan and June flew with Jackson to Monaco for the World Music Awards.

According to June's lawyer, Michael Freeman, Evan was jealous and felt left out.

Upon their return, Jackson stayed in the Schwartz-Chandler home for five days; Jackson slept in a room with Jordan and his stepbrother.

Chandler said this is when he became suspicious of sexual misconduct by Jackson, although he said that Jackson and Jordan were clothed when he saw them in bed together, and never claimed to have witnessed sexual misconduct.

Jordan and Jackson's contact ended in June 1993.

On July 8, 1993, Schwartz phoned Evan to discuss Jordan’s relationship with Jackson.

Unbeknownst to Evan, Schwartz recorded the phone call.

Chandler was hostile about Jackson, describing him as "evil".

He said he had hired "the nastiest son of a bitch he could find", the lawyer Barry Rothman, to humiliate Jackson, and said:

"Once I make that phone call, this guy is going to destroy everybody in sight in any devious, nasty, cruel way that he can do it. I've given him full authority to do that ... If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over ... This man is going to be humiliated beyond belief. He will not believe what is going to happen to him, beyond his worst nightmares. He will not sell one more record."

They and Jackson reached a financial settlement in January 1994; Jackson and his legal team stressed that this was not an admission of guilt.

The investigation found no physical evidence against Jackson.

In September 1994, the investigation was closed after the Chandlers declined to cooperate, leaving the case without its main witness.

The allegations affected Jackson's public image and commercial standing.

Several of his endorsement deals were canceled, including his decade-long Pepsi endorsement.

Further allegations of abuse by Jackson led to the People v. Jackson trial in 2005, in which Jackson was found not guilty on all charges.