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Even in death, Michael Jackson still troubled
With the delete of late pop icon, Michael Jackson’s name from the MTV Video Vanguard Award which used to have the legendary singer’s name in the prefix, the late pop idol, though already dead, sex abuse cases is still hanging on his shadow.
MTV`s move came in the wake of the HBO`s controversial documentary which focuses on some disturbing sexual-abuse allegations by former Jackson proteges Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
Recall that a two-part documentary Leaving Neverland, which began airing on HBO in March, tells the story of two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accuse Michael Jackson of having sexually abused them for years, beginning when they were respectively about seven and 10 years old.
Michael Jackson’s estate continues to deny all allegations, as the entertainer did in his lifetime. His estate has sued HBO for distributing the Dan Reed-directed documentary, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January; in its filings, the estate called Leaving Neverland a “posthumous character assassination.”
It’s no secret that, before and even after his death in 2009, Jackson was the subject of multiple sexual abuse accusations and police investigations as well as civil and criminal lawsuits. This timeline lays out key dates, known allegations and the main accusations the artist and his estate have faced, going back more than a quarter century.
They both claim that Jackson maintained an intimate relationship with them. Jackson himself was a recipient of the Vanguard Award in 1988, and later to honour the pop king, MTV renamed and added his name to the award in 1991.
The news, however, wasn`t announced by the network but became evident when a press release was sent out to announce rapper Missy Elliott as this year`s Vanguard recipient.
The award didn`t have Jackson`s name on it.
Rihanna, Beyonce, Kanye West, Britney Spears, U2 and Jennifer Lopez are some of the stars bestowed with the award.
Elliott, while accepting the award at the event mentioned Jackson during her acceptance speech.”The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award means so much to me,” she said.
