Video: 'Michael Jackson talked about sharing his bed with kids, called it a 'beautiful thing'

(Monday, February 3, 2003, 9:00-10:50 p.m. GMT)  — American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist Michael Jackson, dubbed the “King of Pop” said tonight that he saw nothing wrong with having sleepovers with minors and sharing his bed and bedroom with various people during the premiere of the documentary Living With Michael Jackson on Britain’s ITV.

The documentary — filmed between May 2002 and January 2003 — showed Jackson holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a 12-year-old boy.

He told British journalist Martin Bashir that he saw nothing wrong with having sleepovers with minors and sharing his bed and bedroom with various people. He insisted that the sleepovers were not sexual and that his words had been misunderstood.

Video: 'Michael Jackson Martin Bashir Interview' (10 clips)

On Dec. 18, 2003, Santa Barbara authorities charged Jackson with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor with alcoholic drinks. Jackson denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

The People v. Jackson trial began on Jan. 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted until the end of May. Jackson found the experience stressful and it affected his health. If convicted, he would have faced up to 20 years in prison.

On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.

FBI files on Jackson, released in 2009, revealed the FBI’s role in the 2005 trial and the 1993 allegations and showed that the FBI found no evidence of criminal conduct on Jackson’s behalf.