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What percentage of fans still believe Michael Jackson was innocent?
Executive summary
Polling shows substantial public doubt about Michael Jackson’s innocence rather than broad belief in it: multiple national surveys around 2019 and later report that roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of U.S. adults say he was innocent, while larger shares say he was guilty or are unsure (YouGov found 19–21% saying innocent [1] [2] [3]; Gallup/CNN-era polling reports majorities saying allegations are true [4] [5]). Coverage also highlights sharp racial differences and continuing debate driven by documentaries, lawsuits and advocacy campaigns [3] [6].
1. Public numbers: a minority say “innocent,” much larger shares say “guilty” or are unsure
Recent public-opinion work cited in the provided reporting does not show a majority calling Jackson innocent. YouGov surveys around the 2019 Leaving Neverland moment repeatedly found about 19% who were convinced Jackson was not guilty, with about 41–48% saying he was likely guilty and the remainder unsure or neutral [2] [1]. A separate YouGov summary noted just 21% of U.S. adults thought he was innocent in a 2019 poll [3]. Gallup-linked reporting similarly shows a majority of Americans in earlier high-profile polls judged the allegations “definitely or probably true,” again leaving a minority taking the opposite view [4] [5].
2. The numbers vary by poll wording, timing and audience exposure
Poll results shifted with timing, question wording and media context. YouGov’s uptick in guilty judgments followed HBO’s Leaving Neverland airing, even though only a minority watched the film directly — many more had heard about it — demonstrating how publicity can move opinions [1]. Gallup and older CNN/USA Today questions in high-attention moments also showed majorities viewing allegations as true; earlier and differently phrased polls produced somewhat different splits [4] [5]. That means any single percentage depends strongly on when and how the question was asked [1] [4].
3. Race and demographics produce large opinion gaps
All sources supplied underline a pronounced racial divide: YouGov’s reporting and Gallup summaries show Black respondents were more likely to view Jackson as innocent or remain favorable toward him, while white respondents were more likely to believe the allegations [3] [5]. The YouGov breakdown cited 43% of Black respondents saying Jackson was innocent versus only 15% of white respondents in one snapshot [3]. These gaps indicate that “what percentage of fans believe he was innocent” will differ depending on which demographic you treat as the relevant “fan” population [3] [5].
4. “Fans” versus the general public: available sources focus on the public, not a verified fan-base
The polling cited in the available reporting measures public opinion among national adult samples, not a rigorously defined cohort of “fans.” YouGov and Gallup asked broad public samples whether Jackson was guilty or innocent [1] [4]. Available sources do not present a dedicated, representative poll of self-identified fans that would yield a precise “percentage of fans” who still believe he was innocent — that specific subgroup figure is not found in the current reporting (not found in current reporting).
5. Organized campaigns and counter-information shape perceptions
Beyond mainstream polls, pro-innocence groups and websites (for example, The Michael Jackson Innocent Project and MJinnocent) actively promote the claim that Jackson was innocent and encourage supporters to stream his music or engage in publicity campaigns [7] [8]. Opposing sites and critics similarly gather and publish material arguing he was not innocent [9]. These organized efforts indicate that vocal, networked minorities on both sides influence public visibility and the debate, which can skew perceptions about how widespread any view is [7] [8] [9].
6. What to take away — cautious conclusion and open questions
Taken together, the best-supported conclusion in the supplied reporting is that only a minority of the general U.S. public—roughly 19–21% in YouGov snapshots—declared Jackson innocent in polls around 2019, while larger shares said he was likely guilty or were unsure, and Gallup-era polling shows majorities viewing allegations as true [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. However, because “fans” as a distinct, representative group were not separately polled in the cited sources, available reporting does not provide a precise, up-to-date percentage of self-identified fans who still believe he was innocent (not found in current reporting). The debate remains polarized and racially patterned, and advocacy campaigns on both sides aim to shape what the public — and fans — believe [3] [7] [8] [6].