While the biographical film “Michael”, dedicated to the life of the King of Pop, continues to attract spectators to cinemas around the world, Netflix talks to us about one of the most controversial chapters of his existence. “Michael Jackson: the verdict” is a three-episode docuseries that traces the 2005 criminal trial, one of the most followed judicial and media events of the new millennium.
The goal of the project is not to chronicle the artist’s career or celebrate his musical successes, but to focus exclusively on the weeks that brought Michael Jackson before a California court. A case that monopolized newspapers and television for months, dividing public opinion and leaving a debate that continues today.
The true story and what the docuseries tells
“Michael Jackson: the verdict” takes us back to 2005, when the singer faced a trial that lasted about twelve weeks and was followed daily by the international media. The accusations against the artist sparked extraordinary public attention, making each hearing a global event.
The series reconstructs step by step that judicial proceeding, which culminated on 13 June 2005 with the artist’s acquittal on all charges. To do so, the authors collected direct testimonies from people who experienced the process from inside or from a few meters away. Speaking in front of the cameras were some members of the jury who participated in the final verdict, journalists who followed the hearings on a daily basis, witnesses present during the proceedings and figures close to both the prosecution and the defense. Through their memories, details emerge about the atmosphere inside and outside the courtroom, about the strategies adopted by the parties and about the impressions aroused by the evidence presented over the weeks.
A central element of the docuseries is the comparison between different points of view. The testimonies are not limited to reporting the facts, but also offer personal reflections on the trial and the jury’s final decision, thus conveying the complexity of a story that continues to generate discussions over twenty years later.
How many episodes are there and when are they released on Netflix
The docuseries consists of three episodes and debuts on Netflix on Wednesday 3 June 2026.
Directed by Nick Green and produced by Candle True Stories, the series was developed with the aim of re-reading the events from a historical perspective. A particularly interesting aspect concerns the absence of images shot inside the courtroom: during the trial, in fact, cameras were not authorized to enter the court. For this reason, the narrative relies on archive footage, television reports of the time, images relating to the investigations and events of Neverland Ranch, as well as new interviews conducted specifically for the project.
