Michael Jackson has been a hot topic in the months following the release of the explosive documentary, Leaving Neverland .
The molestation allegations against Jackson brought forward by Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the documentary have caused a ripple through Hollywood, and it seems everyone has an opinion.
The latest celebrity to break their silence on the allegations is Akon.
He and Jackson worked together in 2008 on the duet “Hold My Hand” that wouldn’t be released until after Jackson’s death in 2010.
While sitting down with Hot 97 to chat about his future endeavors, Michael Jackson came up in conversation.
Akon said that Jackson was always at the top of his list of artists he wanted to work with.
Akon remembers instantly connecting with Jackson, and recalled how much fun the two had on their collaboration.
When the interview shifted to the allegations rbought forward in Leaving Neverland , Akon admitted it was tough to hear.
“That’s kind of hard to swallow because me knowing him and knowing a lot of the backstories of it… It’s crazy how cruel corporations can be.”
“Michael was one of the most powerful men in the music business,” he continued.
When asked about the “flaw” of him being too close to “too many children,” Akon replied, “But it wasn’t even a flaw, that was all humanitarian and just him having a love for kids period.”
“Mike had a theme park in his backyard that’s for children, but it was more so for himself because he never had a childhood himself.”
When asked if he believed the allegations, Akon responded, “I’m a realist, if Mike was a creep or he was a pedophile or something like that… I’m not gonna sit here and defend him. I must tell you straight up, ‘Yo bruh that dude right there, I can’t rock with him.'”
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He continued, “It’s no different from R. Kelly. I know R. Kelly but when I found that’s what it was, I would tell him to his face, ‘Bro, you [explective] up for that shit.'”
He concluded, “On Mike’s behalf, these are people that was paid off, one or two people and they parents come back and recount like, you can’t even prove none of that stuff and half that stuff you can prove that they was paid off to even say those things.”
Watch the full interview here .
