Jacksons accuser testifies
The week's news at a glance.
Santa Maria, Calif.
Michael Jackson’s lawyer grilled the pop star’s 15-year-old accuser on the witness stand this week, trying to expose inconsistencies in his story. The teen, who has accused Jackson of molesting him in 2003, acknowledged that he twice told a middle school dean that Jackson “didn’t do anything to me.” But the boy denied defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr.’s suggestion he concocted his molestation charges because he felt rejected by Jackson as a father figure. In his earlier testimony, the teen said that Jackson had given him wine and pornography, encouraged him to masturbate, and fondled him on at least two occasions.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raids
In the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?
Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classrooms
Pros and cons The devices could be major distractions