He also earned the scorn of some self-appointed moral guardians when one of his videos showed him smashing a car window and grabbing his crotch more flagrantly than usual; he excised the footage as soon as the eyebrows were raised. No one could have anticipated, however, the charges that rocked the entertainment world in 1993. A 13-year-old boy, identified only as a "friend" of the singer's, asserted that Jackson had sexually abused him during his stay at Neverland. Jackson was on tour when the allegations were made public, and he promptly brought the series of performances to a halt, claiming exhaustion and addiction to painkillers. After extensive legal wrangling and much mud-slinging from both the boy's family and lawyers and Jackson's defense team, Jackson opted to settle out of court for an estimated $20 million. Though he settled, Jackson denied any wrongdoing. Despite investigation of a second boy who said he'd slept in the same bed with Jackson—but alleged no improper behavior on the entertainer's part—the Los Angeles District Attorney brought his investigation to a close in 1994. Jackson's attorney said this was due to lack of evidence, though others claimed it was the boy's refusal to testify that weakened the case. Meanwhile, longtime friends of Jackson's had issued passionate statements in his defense. "I am mortified and disgusted by what has been reported with no evidence of anything untoward," fumed producer Bruce Swedien, as quoted in Rolling Stone. "Michael is one of the most decent people I've ever met in my life. These allegations are preposterous." Jackson's own public statement expressed confidence that he would be fully exonerated. "I am grateful for the overwhelming support of my fans throughout the world," it concluded. "I love you all."

Yet the scandal devastated Jackson and heightened speculation that his career was over. He lost his Pepsi endorsement as well as a deal to develop several films in which he hoped to star. "They just pulled the plug when the scandal broke," noted director John Landis—who had helmed the epic "Thriller" video—to Entertainment Weekly. The rumor-mongering over the alleged molestation continued, as the media and industry insiders played the age-old game of trying to pin down Michael Jackson's personal life. In 1994, Jackson shocked the public again—in a very different way. He and Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock innovator and cultural icon Elvis Presley, were married in a secret ceremony in the Dominican Republic.