Macauley Culkin.Getty
Child-star of home along Macaulay Culkin says "he never did anything" in an interview where he opens up about The King of Pop, accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse.
Macaulay Culkin has spoken out about claims that he was sexually abused by Michael Jackson saying "He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything."
The Home Alone star, now 39-year-old, gave a cover interview for the magazine Esquire, where, for the first time he spoke about the accusations against Michael Jackson who Culkin had considered his friend. As a child, Culkin was one of the children who spent time with Jackson in his California ranch, Neverland, like his former accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
Read more: Michael Jackson’s Irish American maid says he was a pedophile
Jackson passed away in 2009, due to an overdose of drugs. However, in 2019 the world was shocked by the further accusations of sexual assault put against the star in the documentary Leaving Neverland. The documentary shares the stories of two men who allege Jackson abused them at the ranch and in other locations when they were children. Jackson's family denies all accusations.
The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
Culkin, who godfather to Jackson's daughter, Paris, told Esquire when asked about suggestions he had been abused said "Look, I’m gonna begin with the line - it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything.
"And especially at this flashpoint in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on.
"If anything—I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything."
Macaulay Culkin, in 1993.
In the interview, he also pointed out that this is not the first time he's defended his friend, Jackson. Culkin explained that he once has to shut down actor James Franco for asking about it.
He told Esquire "Here's a good Michael Jackson story that doesn't involve Michael Jackson at all: I ran into James Franco on a plane. I'd bumped into him two or three times over the years. I give him a little nod as we're putting our bags overhead. Hey, how you doing? Good, how ya doing?"
"And it was right after the Leaving Neverland documentary came out, and he goes, "So, that documentary!" And that was all he said. I was like, "Uh-huh." Silence.
"So then he goes, "So what do you think?" And I turned to him and I go, "Do you wanna talk about your dead friend?" And he sheepishly went, "No, I don't." So I said, "Cool, man, it was nice to see you.""
Culkin, who was 22 years Jackson's junior, last star the pop star in 2005, when the actor testified on his behalf. Jackson had been accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy who had cancer.
Michael Jackson on stage.
Culkin said Jackson looked drained but joked with him "We better not talk. I don’t want to influence your testimony."
He said they hugged and laughed that day.
The younger actor said he and Jackson had bonded over the fact that they both had father's who forced fame on them. Culkin said the two would play around, doing prank calls.
He added that now, Paris (21), his godchild, Jackson's daughter have continued this friendship and silly antics. He admitted that together they steal spoons from public places for "harmless" fun. He said they even got matching tattoos.
He said he has advised Paris "Don’t forget to be silly, don’t forget to take something away from this whole experience, and don’t forget to stick something up your sleeve."
During his interview with Esquire Culkin also revealed that he had auditioned for Quentin Tarantino’s film Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, which eventually starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. Culkin said the audition did not go well.
"It was a disaster. I wouldn’t have hired me,” he said.
"I’m terrible at auditioning anyway, and this was my first audition in like eight years."
Read more: Confessions of Michael Jackson's Irish surgeon