Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a well-known American Orthodox rabbi and media personality, has once again found himself at the center of controversy following his recent involvement in a British documentary about Michael Jackson. Shmuley reportedly sat for seven hours of filming for the production, which he claims will be a defense of Michael Jackson amidst ongoing debates about the icon’s legacy and personal life.
However, the reaction online has been swift and overwhelmingly negative. Fans of Michael Jackson have taken to social media in droves to express their outrage, accusing Rabbi Shmuley of hypocrisy and betrayal. Many see his participation as part of a pattern of opportunism and manipulation, pointing to his previous involvement with Michael Jackson during a particularly vulnerable period of his life.
In the early 2000s, Rabbi Shmuley developed a brief “friendship” with Michael and later released a book titled The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation. The book was based on recorded private conversations between the two, which many fans and critics saw as a breach of trust. The publication painted a complex and often troubling portrait of Michael and was widely viewed as exploitative, particularly given its timing shortly after Michael’s death in 2009.
Now, with news of his involvement in this new documentary, fans are not convinced of his intentions. “Shmuley is part of the problem,” reads one viral post. Others accuse him of trying to rehabilitate his own image by aligning himself once again with Michael’s complex legacy. Despite Shmuley’s assertion that the documentary will present a defense of Michael Jackson, the fan community remains deeply skeptical, unwilling to forgive what many see as a fundamental betrayal.
Not to mention this is for another British Documentary and as we know, any positive press about Michael with the UK media is rarely good!
Actually, after the newest LN, he appeared in some discussion panel where he fiercly defended Michael. I myself was very surprised, because after the 2019 LN his attitude was radically different. We all remember his infamous words: “I don’t believe that these two men are lying”. However, based on this recent panel discussion, I would assume he has changed his views somewhere along the way.