Michael Jackson was given shots of a “chemical castration” drug to curb his sexual appetites during the time that he frequently shared a bed with young boys, the London Mirror reported this week. Dr. Alimorad Farshchian began treating Jackson in 2001, when he became concerned about the pop star’s sleepovers with young boys at the Neverland Ranch. Farshchian’s spokesman said the doctor had prescribed Depo Provera, a drug given to sex offenders to suppress their sex drives. “He was trying to help Michael,” the spokesman told the newspaper. Ian Barkley, Jackson’s “official” photographer for several years, said the injections were an attempt “to help Michael suppress some of his issues.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful northThe Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
