Michael Jackson’s bodyguard has fiercely defended the late popstar while dismissing his two accusers as opportunists ‘looking to make a quick buck.’
Jimmy Van Norman, who worked as Jackson’s security detail for a decade, accused both Wade Robson and James Safechuck of ‘being full of s**t’ and trying to sell a bogus story, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com.
Van Norman spoke out ahead of the release of Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson, the sequel to the controversial 2019 documentary on Real Stories YouTube, which revisited the men’s molestation claims against the King of Pop.
The second installment, which premieres on Tuesday, follows Robson and Safechuck’s ongoing legal battle as they double down on their claims that the late star sexually abused them as children for years.
Van Norman, however, was adamant that he never witnessed any inappropriate behavior with Robson, Safechuck, or any of the other children Jackson hosted at his Neverland Ranch in the late 80s and 90s.
‘If I ever thought anything untoward was going on with children, I would’ve freaking killed him myself,’ he told DailyMail.com.
Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard Jimmy Van Norman remains committed to defending the popstar amid the upcoming release of a new documentary of the sex abuse allegations against him
Wade Robson (left) and James Safechuck both filed lawsuits against Jackson’s production company, claimed they were sexually abused by Jackson as children in documentary Leaving Neverland
‘No doubt about that. I was never going to put up with that. And other guys that worked there, too, would have done the same thing,’ he added.
Safechuck and Robson’s cases against Jackson’s company MJJ Productions are still pending decades after the alleged offenses. They have twice been kicked out of court only to be reinstated.
Reflecting on his time at the property, the private VIP security consultant, who previously worked for other A-list stars such as Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift, said Robson had always appeared happy and was frequently accompanied by his mother during their visits to Jackson’s estate.
He argued that Jackson was just generous and kind to children and recalled how the singer even supported a cancer-stricken boy from Arizona, calling him daily, despite never having met him.
In interviews with DailyMail.com, Robson, 42, has pointed the finger at Jackson’s staff and security personnel, suggesting they had turned a blind eye to the alleged abuse.
‘[There were] so many times that bodyguards that worked for Michael were right outside of the door when the abuse was going on, whether that was at Neverland or in trailers at a recording studio,’ he said.
Van Norman, who worked as Jackson’s security detail for a decade, was adamant that he never witnessed any inappropriate behavior involving children at Neverland Ranch
Van Norman (left) attended hearings in Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial in 2005
‘There were always people around that worked for him. There was knowledge that there was something weird going on and nobody in the organization did anything about it.
‘How do they sleep at night, hiding everything that Michael was really up to?’
Van Norman fired back at Robson’s claims, telling DailyMail.com: ‘Wade is looking for sensationalism trying to say that we were all involved. That is untrue.
‘That statement appears to make me an accomplice. I did nothing wrong.
‘I was there and saw nothing out of the ordinary that would make me concerned. They are trying to sell a B.S. story,’ he added.
‘My priority would be to protect a child. That’s what we were here for. We’re not here to abuse anyone or allow anyone to be abused.’
Jackson’s superstar career and legacy became clouded by rumors of pedophilia beginning in 1993, when he was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler in a lawsuit filed by the boy’s father.
A criminal investigation found no physical evidence of abuse, but Jackson ultimately settled the civil suit with the family in January 1994 for $23million.
Robson was five when he met the pop star and went on to appear in three Jackson music videos
Safechuck said he was ten when he and his family were invited into the singer’s fairy-tale existence as his career reached its peak
He later faced further allegations, as well as a high-profile, sensational criminal trial on child molestation charges involving 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo in 2005.
Safechuck and Robson were defense witnesses in the case, which saw Jackson acquitted of all charges.
The King of Pop died in 2009 at the age of 50 of a cardiac arrest he suffered after having Propofol administered as a sleep aid.
But his legacy has fallen under renewed scrutiny in recent years over the ongoing molestation claims, which were reignited by Safechuck and Robson in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.
And while the film’s new sequel has revived public scrutiny over Jackson’s relationships with young boys, Van Norman remains committed to defending his former employer’s memory.
‘When I heard these allegations first from them, I felt they’re just looking to make some money because they got cut off from the Golden Goose, so to speak,’ he said.
‘They waited until after Michael died because he could not defend himself.
Michael Jackson went on trial at the Santa Barbara County courthouse in May, 2005
Supporters of Michael Jackson gathered outside the Superior Court of California in Santa Maria in 2005, one day before jury selection in Jackson’s child molestation trial
‘Wade is someone who thinks everybody owes him. Nobody owes him a dime. It is a money grab.’
Speaking on Jackson’s decision to settle the 1994 case Van Norman said: ‘He was told it was easier to settle it rather than deal with all the media coverage of the claims.
‘They made it go away rather than having Michael’s life dragged through court. Afterward Jordie disowned his father and now Jordie can’t talk because he’s got the money. What does that tell you? There was no criminal case.’
Van Norman admitted that Jackson should have quit hosting children at his house after the settlement to avoid further accusations.
He said the superstar was desperate to recapture the childhood he lost while performing with the Jackson 5.
‘Michael was a little kid himself. He was a freaking genius, but he was a little kid. I loved Michael to death, but he did not have normalcy growing up,’ he said.
The sexual abuse claims against Michael Jackson will return to TV this week, as a sequel series to Leaving Neverland airs
The King of Pop died in 2009 at the age of 50, but his legacy has fallen under renewed scrutiny in recent years over the ongoing molestation claims
‘He had to be a man when he was five as a performer and that left him with trust issues with adults and so he felt safe around kids.’
‘Michael was such a kind, sweet, giving person. Why would they want to hurt him and his family after his death?
‘I feel there is something wrong with Wade. And they will have to watch out for the rest of their lives now because it’s the fans of Michael that are crazy.
Van Norman, who lives in Missouri, recalled how Michael was most often with the kids while parents were on the property and had given their blessings for them to hang out.
‘I knew Wade and his mom. Very seldom were the kids on their own away from their families on the ranch. And if the kids did go by themselves, it was the parents that sent them there.
‘So if you’re going to blame somebody for allowing the children to be alone with Michael it starts with them.
‘If you look at the last family who accused Michael of wrongdoing – the Arvizos – they were just a bunch of users and abusers.’
He also claimed that Arvizo and his brother were ‘big enough to kick the crap out of Michael.’
Van Norman added that none of the children’s families accused the star of wrongdoing or illegal acts during their stay at private quarters at the ranch, during the time he was working at the ranch.
‘If a kid was molested, you would have known something, because the next day he would just start acting differently. And I am sorry, all those kids went back. They all went back multiple times and they always had smiles on their faces.
‘I didn’t hang around with them. I observed.
‘Michael was never just picking up some kid and saying, come on to the ranch. They came up there with their families.’
Van Norman is currently developing a movie or TV series about her time working with Michael and working with a non political movement Demand Peace.
‘I actually have a movie script about my time with Michael, which focuses on him and the fans,
‘And it’s actually a comedy about my true experiences. We are shopping it around as we speak.
‘Demand Peace is run by my brother and centers on why we need a positive mindset.
‘It doesn’t take much to be nice to people. We do not need wars, if they want wars let the old two old guy leaders fight it out rather than youngsters being sent there in the army.
‘We are building a Demand Peace festival where we can spread the message and hopefully get stars like Santana and Pink to perform.’
