After years of speculation, Macaulay Culkin has once again addressed his relationship with Michael Jackson, firmly stating that the pop legend never acted inappropriately toward him.
The 44-year-old actor became friends with Jackson at the age of 10, following his rise to fame with Home Alone. Their 22-year age gap raised eyebrows, especially after Jackson admitted to sleeping in the same bed as Culkin and his younger brother, Kieran. Given the late singer’s history of sexual abuse allegations, their friendship has long been a subject of controversy.
Culkin’s Take: “It Was a Normal Friendship”
In a 2019 interview on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Culkin explained that Jackson reached out to him because they both experienced childhood fame at an extreme level:
“He reached out to me because a lot of things were happening big and fast with me, and I think he identified with that. It’s almost easy to say it was weird or whatever, but it wasn’t because it made sense.”
Despite public scrutiny, Culkin insists their bond was purely platonic:
“Here’s the thing at the end of the day: We were friends. It’s one of my friendships that people question only because of the fact that he was the most famous person in the world.”
Did Jackson Ever Act Inappropriately?
In a 2020 Esquire interview, Culkin firmly denied ever witnessing or experiencing any inappropriate behavior from Jackson:
“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.”
He added that, given Jackson’s passing, there would be no reason to lie if something had happened:
“If I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything.”
Jackson’s Legacy & Ongoing Controversy
Jackson was first accused of sexual abuse in 1993 but settled out of court. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of child molestation charges. After his death in 2009, new allegations resurfaced, notably in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which detailed claims from Wade Robson and James Safechuck. A sequel to the documentary was released on March 18, 2025, reigniting debates over Jackson’s legacy.
Culkin was notably absent from the documentary and continues to defend his friendship with Jackson. In a lighthearted anecdote, he recalled an awkward moment with James Franco on a flight, when the actor brought up Leaving Neverland:
“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.’”
While Jackson’s legacy remains deeply polarizing, Culkin has made it clear—he never experienced any wrongdoing from the pop icon.
