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Jordan Chandler and Gavin Arvizo's cases against Michael Jackson could be at the centre of 'Leaving Neverland' sequel

Michael Jackson met Jordan Chandler when he was just 12 and Gavin Arvizo when he was 10. Their allegations of sexual abuse a few years later had resulted in highly publicized trials

The director of HBO's widely watched documentary 'Leaving Neverland' Dan Reed revealed that he is hopeful that a second documentary would help shine some more light at the alleged sexual abuse by the late pop icon Michael Jackson. 

Reed is hoping to be able to convince and persuade two of the alleged victims of the late pop legend and will focus on the stories and experiences of Jordan Chandler and Gavin Arvizo, whose allegations had resulted in previous trials. He earlier spoke to Mirror and shared, "What’s interesting is to look at the Jordan Chandler civil case and criminal trial. Those are two films I’d like to make. But Gavin and Jordan would have to come forward."

The Jordan Chandler case

Michael Jackson and Jordan Chandler met when Chandler was age 12 when Jackson's car had broken down in Los Angeles and he called a car rental agency owned by Chandler's stepfather. Chandler's stepdad agreed to give Jackson a free car to rent if he would call up Chandler who was a huge fan. Soon enough, Jackson had developed a bond with Chandler and his family. However, a year later in 1993, Jordan's father was made aware by his 13-year-old son that Michael had molested him when he was under anesthesia for a tooth extraction.

Chandler's father Evan had his son go to a psychiatrist who reported the incident to the authorities. It was then that the LA police along with the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department decided to launch a joint investigation against Jackson. Ultimately, no charges were filed as the authorities decided that the investigation was inconclusive. It was Chandler's father who filed a separate lawsuit against Jackson about charges of sexual battery when Jackson was on his Dangerous World Tour.

When the news of the lawsuit broke, Jackson resorted to canceling the rest of his tour and saw several of his endorsement deals dropping him. In 1994, Jackson had reached a final settlement with Jordan's family and had paid them around $23million to close the investigation despite any wrongdoing. Out of the money the Chandler family received, $15 million was kept for his studies while his parents received $1.5 million, with the remaining sum going to the family's legal team. Post the settlement, Jordan who was 14, attained legal emancipation from both of his parents and disappeared from the public eye. 

According to iNews, Dan Reed attempted to contact Jordan and said, "Jordan's not easily accessible. We did a bit of sleuthing to try and find him but decided to not push that any further as he appears to want to stay hidden." He reportedly has a new identity and life in NYC. 

The Gavin Arvizo case

Gavin Arvizo and Michael Jackson met Michael Jackson at the age of 10 when he was in hospitals where he was being treated for cancer. Jackson befriended Arvizo and started to send him gifts and then invited him to come to stay at Neverland. In 2003, Arvizo had admitted that Jackson had molested him a few times and a few months later, he was charged with partaking in lewd and lascivious acts with a child who was under the age of 14. 

Gavin came into the public eye after being featured in Martin Bashir’s 2003 documentary about Jackson titled 'Living with Michael Jackson'. In one scene, Jackson was seen holding hands with Arvizo and was asked about their relationship. In response to this, Jackson had shared, "It’s not sexual, we’re going to sleep. I tuck them in… It’s very charming, it’s very sweet. Kids want to be loved, they want to be touched, they want to be held."

It was in 2005 that a famous court case involving Gavin and his younger brother took place. Both Gavin and his younger brother testified that Jackson had shown them pornography and had also given them alcohol which he called "Jesus Juice". They further claimed that Jackson had also masturbated in front of them and then molested Gavin several times. However, in June the same year, Jackson was cleared of all charges. Post the announcement of the decision, one juror shared at a news conference, "We expected better evidence, something that was a little more convincing. It just wasn’t there."

When it comes to 'Leaving Neverland', Dan Reed shared, "I wrote to Gavin, a very long and carefully worded letter. I’m still very much hoping to hear from him. But he never replied." In the past, Jackson's estate has flatly denied the testimonies made by Chandler and Arvizo as well as the claims of Robson and Safechuck in 'Leaving Neverland'.