'Gobsmacked' Journalist Martin Bashir Recalls Michael Jackson's Stunning Admission About Sharing a Bed With Children During Controversial 2003 Interview
Martin Bashir revealed how shocked he was when Michael Jackson confessed he shared his bed with a boy.
June 4 2026, Updated 6:09 p.m. ET
The journalist behind the bombshell 2003 documentary Living With Michael Jackson has revealed he and his crew were left "gobsmacked" when the King of Pop casually admitted to sharing his bed with a young cancer patient, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Martin Bashir spent three months embedded in Michael Jackson's world, documenting the singer's eccentric private life before exposing it to the world. Now, in a new docuseries, the 63-year-old veteran journalist is pulling back the curtain on how the jaw-dropping revelation came to light.
Martin Bashir Treated Michael Jackson With Respect
Michael Jackson let journalist Martin Bashir into the innermost workings of his life.
In the new Netflix docuseries Michael Jackson: The Verdict, Bashir recalled that he instructed his crew to "behave appropriately" and that if they showed enough sensitivity and professionalism toward Jackson, "things would happen" on camera.
What Bashir didn't expect was for Jackson to openly discuss sharing his bed with young boys on camera, particularly given the cloud of controversy that had already surrounded the singer for years, with allegations that he was a serial pedophile.
Jackson first faced allegations of child molestation in 1993, when the family of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler filed a civil lawsuit accusing the Billie Jean hitmaker of sexual abuse. The case was settled out of court the following year, making Jackson's candid remarks to Bashir all the more startling.
Michael Jackson Introduced Gavin Arvizo to Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir and his crew spent three months with Michael Jackson for the documentary.
"I was anxious about what was going to happen when I put these difficult questions to him," Bashir explained in the docuseries. "But, as we moved towards the end of the filming, he said, 'I want you to meet somebody.' I said, 'Right, who do you want me to meet?' He said, 'He's a little boy and we've healed him of cancer.'"
To his shock, Jackson brought out then-12-year-old Gavin Arvizo, who would go on to formally accuse Jackson in November 2003 of sexually molesting him, nine months after Living With Michael Jackson first aired in the U.K.
Michael Jackson Claimed 'The Most Loving Thing to Do Is Share Your Bed'
Michael Jackson suggested it was 'loving' to share a bed with someone.
Arvizo held Jackson's hand while resting his head on the Grammy winner's shoulder.
"And then, Michael volunteers during the conversation that they sleep in the bed together," Bashire detailed.
Jackson then made not just the journalist but the entire crew's jaws drop when he asked, "Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is share your bed with someone."
"All of us, the production team, are completely gobsmacked. I mean, we can't believe what's going on in front of us," Bashir spilled.
Michael Jackson Called Doc a 'Gross Distortion of the Truth'
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Michael Jacksom admitted he shared his bad with boys at his home, Neverland Ranch.
Bashir revealed in the docuseries that while Jackson confirmed there were guest quarters at his creepy, amusement-park-like Neverland Ranch, the Thriller singer boasted "whenever kids come here, they always want to stay with me."
"I realized that we had something that was hugely significant, but I didn't realize the extent of the bombshell until the broadcast," the former BBC presenter shared.
After the documentary premiered, Jackson's team released a lengthy statement calling it a "gross distortion of the truth and a tawdry attempt to misrepresent his life."
The missive stated, "Michael feels deeply angry that the program could have led viewers to conclude that he abuses children in any way. Michael Jackson has never, and would never, treat a child inappropriately or expose them to any harm, and totally refutes any suggestions to the contrary."
Arvizo went on to formally accuse Jackson of molesting him, leading to the singer's November 2003 arrest. The case went to trial, and Jackson was acquitted on all 10 counts against him in June 2005.
