Michael Jackson is caught in the crosshairs of the latest Donald Trump scandal, but, unlike the president, a former employee is speaking out in his defense. The Department of Justice released thousands of redacted files pertaining to the late Jeffrey Epstein on Dec. 19, thrusting the deceased supers tar’s name into countless headlines. Among the trove of documents were a photo of Jackson, his children Paris and Prince, Diana Ross, her son Evan Ross, as well as Bill Clinton. A second and more shocking image showed the “Thriller” artist and the disgraced financier posing for a snapshot in front of a portrait of a woman. Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard comes forward with details about the singer’s time at Jeffrey Epstein’s house. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian-Pool/Getty Images) The images were taken inside of the well-connected businessman’s Palm Beach, Florida, home over two decades ago. Discourse about Epstein’s rumored accomplices and clients connected to his nefarious dealings with underage girls lent itself to speculation about the King of Pop. Matt Fiddes, Jackson’s former bodyguard and friend of more than a decade, slammed narratives insinuating that the singer had personal ties to the convicted predator. The photos were taken during a 2003 tour of the late financier’s home that was on the market, according to Fiddes’ recollection. Misinformation alert:A newly circulated photo shows Michael Jackson with Jeffrey Epstein during their only meeting at Epstein’s Palm Beach home (not the island), when Michael was searching for properties. One of Epstein’s victims has stated that Jackson did nothing… pic.twitter.com/25FOQ7GRS8— CHEFIN (@ATTACHNUDES) December 19, 2025 Fiddes said that Jackson was looking to purchase a residence, and the former teacher’s abode was one of about 30 that they toured over the course of a week. “Michael wanted to live on Palm Beach so he can be close to his friend Barry Gibb,” claimed Fiddes in the comment section of an Instagram post. Jackson and the Bee Gees guitarist had reportedly been working on music together. “We never even knew who Epstein was he was not famous then,” Fiddes wrote. “He like the other house owners we viewed that week wanted a picture with Michael… Michael never had a clue who he was or the other property owners we met.”  View this post on Instagram A post shared by billboard (@billboard) The retired security professional explained that the media made a big deal of the property search at the time and that he was “surprised the truth is not being told” as the images have surfaced. Furthermore, despite his close-knit dealings with the wealthy, Fiddes reassured fans that “Epstein was not in his [Jackson’s] financial circles. All nonsense!”  A similar account of the brief encounter with the convicted offender was shared in a video, too. In the comments, a follower wrote, “Thank you for clarifying this, they want michael to be guilty so bad.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Matt Fiddes (@officialmattfiddes) Elsewhere online, others kept their focus on Trump and his connection to Epstein. “That’s a perfect example of why Trump was reluctant to have the files released. He knew there would be guilt by association in the most innocuous of circumstances,” said one person. “Funny how out of everyone catching strays from that initial dump, trump was conveniently unseen in spite of the fact that we’ve seen the pictures and videos with him and Epstein for years. Funny how that works,” wrote an IG Threads user. We have seen dozens of photos, videos, messages all featuring trump and Epstein — more than he can be seen playing with his own son! pic.twitter.com/SiIgDohF65— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) December 22, 2025 The Republican leader described his Epstein as a “terrific guy” that he’d known for 15 years in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” according to the New York Magazine. Over the past year, his stance has shifted in an attempt to downplay their past dealings. ‘Everyone Catching Strays’: Michael Jackson’s Former Bodyguard Tells a Different Story About Singer’s Time at Epstein’s House—and Fans Don’t Know Who to Believe ...read more read less