Netflix launches 'Michael Jackson: The Verdict' docuseries revisiting 2005 trial

Netflix debuted a three‑episode documentary series, Michael Jackson: The Verdict, on 3 June 2026. The program re‑examines the pop star’s 2005 criminal trial in Santa Maria, California, in which he was charged with child molestation and ultimately acquitted on all counts.

Drawing on archival footage, court records and new interviews with jurors, journalists, and legal participants, the series traces the case from the first 1993 accusations by Jordan Chandler, the 1994 civil settlement, the 2003 fallout from the “Living With Michael Jackson” documentary, through the renewed police investigation, the 2003 raid on Neverland Ranch, and the February‑June 2005 courtroom proceedings. It also highlights the media’s role in shaping public perception and the lasting controversy surrounding the artist’s legacy. The documentary aims to provide a more forensic reconstruction of a trial that was previously unseen by the public.