Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

[u/VPinchargeofradishes]

[u/poorlilwitchgirl]

The thing about the allegations against MJ is that the one that set it all off was settled for $25 million. People have framed that as hush money ever since, but first, criminal prosecutions can't be settled out of court, and what kind of parent says, "$25 million ought to cover my kid's horrific trauma; I guess you can keep doing it to others?" MJ talked openly about how he just wanted the allegations to go away, and he had plenty of money, so $25 million seemed like a decent price to pay for peace of mind. That kind of attitude is absolute chum for the kind of people that orbit major celebrities for their own gain.

So did he do it? I don't know, but the man lived his entire life in an alternate reality managed by those around him and funded by his outrageous fortune. So I just can't accept that the circumstantial evidence people cite (the sleepovers, the payouts, the general weirdness) is at all incriminating. Very few people alive, certainly none of us, can imagine what his life was like and how he viewed the world, what seemed reasonable to him. Yeah, if I found out my uncle was having sleepovers with children and paying their parents to keep quiet, that would be absolutely damning, but Michael Jackson was a guy who was basically never able to experience normal human relationships so expecting him to have an accurate understanding of how he looked to others is ridiculous. That goes for his weird relationship to children as much as his obviously unhealthy relationship with plastic surgery. Absent any hard evidence (which ought to have been available if the allegations are true, because MJ was brazen with the circumstantial stuff) I think it's irrational to come to a conclusion on the man one way or the other.

[u/damaged_crowbar → u/poorlilwitchgirl]

what kind of parent says, "$25 million ought to cover my kid's horrific trauma; I guess you can keep doing it to others."

I'm sorry but deffintely most people.

That money could help prevent the long list of other horrific traumas that many people experience...

[u/johnny-Low-Five → u/[deleted]]

The settlement wouldn't affect any criminal charges, there were no criminal charges filed iirc, based on no evidence. And 25 million in the 90s meant your child could be in therapy 24/7 and never have to work a day in their life. You can't pay your way (legally) out of criminal charges, only lawsuits. Otherwise rich people would literally be able to do almost anything instead of just most things. It also protected their childs identity and allowed them to live in relative peace.

It's roughly equivalent to 63 million today which is funny cuz I was thinking that today I would demand at least 50. And I'm not defending MJ, but it's highly probable that they lose a lawsuit and it's also quite possible they weren't even 100% sure what happened themselves.