Jackson began performing with his four brothers in the pop group the Jackson 5 when he was a child. The group scored its first No. This time, he scored seven Top 10 singles, and the album won eight Grammies. Although his next album, Bad , sold only about half as many copies as Thriller , it was still a tremendous best-seller. That year, he released Dangerous. In the late s and early s, Jackson developed a reputation as an eccentric recluse.
He moved to a 2,acre ranch called Neverland, which he outfitted with wild animals and a Ferris wheel. He underwent a facelift and nose job and was rumored to have lightened his skin through chemical treatment, though he claimed his increasing pallor was due to a skin disease.
In , scandal broke when Jackson was publicly accused of child molestation and underwent investigation. The case settled out of court. In , Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley; the couple later divorced. Jackson married Deborah Rowe in , and the couple had two children, Prince and Paris, before divorcing in On June 13, , Jackson was acquitted of sexual molestation of a young boy, Gavin Arvizo, in criminal court.
A documentary, Leaving Neverland , raised two more credible allegations of sexual abuse from when Jackson was alive. Jackson's family and estate continue to deny the claims. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Get all of today's events in just one email featuring a range of topics. You can opt out at any time.
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