Sympathy

Michael looked at Hugo, who had an embarrassed smile on his face. The smile at the corner of his mouth unconsciously grew larger. This was truly an interesting young man. Michael could tell from the entire process of watching the performance earlier that Hugo was very polite. Even towards strangers, he maintained a good attitude. Both his apologies and smiles were sincere. Not to mention Hugo's focus and dedication during the performance. It was impossible for such a young man to be arrogant.

In fact, Michael was a person with a strong sense of vigilance. He believed that only children did not lie in this world. Hugo wasn't a child, but in his smile, Michael found a childlike innocence. Although Michael didn't know much about Hugo, at least regarding the matter of being arrogant, Michael knew it was malicious media hype. And when it came to media malicious hype, Michael was well aware of it.

"What can we do about it? It's our job, isn't it?" Hugo was surprised by Michael's words. He didn't expect Michael to respond positively and not believe the rumors spread by the media.

Michael nodded with a smile. "The best way to counter these rumors from the media is to do our best because the truth cannot be shaken by these falsehoods."

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to Hugo's mind. He finally understood why Michael initiated a conversation with him. On the one hand, it was because they were both actors, colleagues in a sense, and Michael wouldn't refuse contact with certain people in the industry. On the other hand, it was because of Hugo's professionalism displayed during the theater performance, which sparked Michael's interest. But the most important reason was the similarity in their recent experiences.

When it comes to Michael Jackson, in addition to his remarkable achievements, one cannot ignore the negative news that surrounded his entire life. These negative reports escalated as Michael's glory grew, showcasing the utmost ugliness of human nature and ultimately leading to the decline of this legendary superstar of his generation.

"The more famous you are, the more controversies you'll face." This statement was most fitting for Michael. As the most influential pop music superstar after The Beatles on a global scale, criticism and gossip about Michael never ceased. These included rumors like Michael sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to achieve eternal youth or buying the bones of Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man" from 19th-century England. Although these absurd rumors circulated in the media, it disturbed Michael greatly.

This situation reached its peak at the end of last year when Michael was about to shoot a new Pepsi advertisement. There were rumors that he wanted to cast a white child to portray himself, which involved serious racial discrimination issues and caused a major controversy. Michael had to hold a press conference with his lawyers to deny the rumors, and it was in this context that The Oprah Winfrey Show took place.

Michael was a former child star, and his African-American identity was well known. However, during the entire 1980s, Michael gradually became whiter, even to the extent of having "white skin". It was as if Hugo, when he saw Michael today, found his snow-white skin extremely eye-catching. The media continuously speculated maliciously, with journalists believing that Michael was bleaching his skin in an attempt to become "white" and distance himself from his black heritage.

These acts, which involved strong allegations of racial discrimination and denial of heritage, stirred up a storm. Every time Michael went out, he deliberately covered himself completely, with sunglasses, masks, and sun umbrellas becoming essential items. This gave the media ample ammunition to attack him. Michael remained in the vortex of the storm, his image severely damaged under the media's relentless exaggeration. It also made Michael deeply resentful of the media and even developed a sense of aversion towards people in general.

Actually, this point could have been seen from the Rodney King incident last year. For the sake of their own interests, the media can completely distort the truth, manipulate images, and resort to any means necessary for the sake of news. This kind of situation is not uncommon, and it has turned the so-called "media freedom" in the United States into a joke. The high degree of freedom granted to the media by American law is intended to encourage the media to uncover the truth, inform the public, and uphold the public's right to know. However, the media now uses its tools to satisfy its own selfish desires, even at the expense of harming others.

Compared to the four police officers involved in the Rodney King incident, the media's behavior towards Michael was absolutely excessive.

The reason why Michael's skin started to become white was actually because he suffered from a hereditary skin condition called vitiligo. The change in his skin color was due to the loss of pigmentation, causing white patches to appear all over his skin. He had to use thick white foundation to cover up his condition. What was even more serious was that Michael also suffered from the skin disease lupus, which not only caused uneven skin color but also posed a risk of death. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation would accelerate its deterioration, so he had to take all necessary precautions whenever he went out.

Michael clarified these explanations on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but Hugo knew that the general public had already formed a fixed impression due to the repeated defamation by the media. Even if they temporarily believed him due to Michael's explanation, it was only temporary. Once the media started to stir things up again, people would come at Michael like reeds in the corner.

The reason why Hugo firmly believed in Michael was that after Michael passed away on June 26, 2009, his death was considered suspicious, and the police conducted an autopsy, which confirmed Michael's statements. He had never deceived anyone.

This was the cruelty of life. It wasn't until after Michael's passing that the malicious rumors that had plagued him for nearly thirty years truly came to light. But people no longer have the opportunity to express their apologies. Compared to Michael, what Hugo had experienced in the past month was nothing more than a light drizzle, at most a gentle breeze brushing against his face. Hugo couldn't imagine how his life would be if he were in Michael's position, enduring such terrible and malicious defamation.

No wonder Michael was so distrustful of the media and the public. No wonder he tried his best to avoid direct contact with people and refused any form of interview for extended periods of time... Hugo could understand. He firmly believed that if he were going through everything Michael was currently enduring, he would likely collapse. Trust has always been one of the most luxurious commodities in the world, and being subjected to public criticism is a heavy burden that not everyone can bear.

This was why Michael was willing to initiate a conversation with Hugo. Apart from the fact that they shared a similar experience, at the very least, Michael knew about Hugo's current situation. And Hugo's dedication to acting and the sincerity he had displayed had become the reasons why Michael paused his steps.

However, Michael still maintained his caution towards strangers. Hugo hadn't forgotten Michael's retreat after initially showing surprise, nor had he missed the detail that Michael always kept a distance of three steps from him, with his bodyguards remaining vigilant. It was not Michael's fault, was it? Hugo was grateful that Michael was willing to engage in a conversation with him, even if it was just a small amount of trust.

"The truth indeed cannot be shaken by mere falsehoods, but very often, the truth becomes covered up said falsehoods, and restoring it, it ain't so simple." Hugo meaningfully sighed looking at Michael, these old-fashioned words made Michael slightly freeze, eliciting a smile at the end.

"Indeed." Michael nodded, he was currently experiencing everything that made him think that many a time the general public is just a clueless "sheep" shepherded by the media to bury the truth. To scatter these sheep to reach the truth, might prove quite challenging. "The media always say that they are chasing the truth, but very often, they much rather select lies that they can benefit from."

Michael most likely said it to himself, in a low murmur, but at this time Hugo who was very attentive was able to catch it, and then he heard Michael, who slightly raised his voice, say, "Perhaps, in this world, only children don't know how to lie. No, not perhaps." The corners of Michael's mouth lit up with a smile again, "So I'm always willing to get along with children." What Michael did not say was that it was exactly the cheerful smile on Hugo's face as he watched the play, like an innocent child, that was the decisive factor in his willingness to stop.

But hearing Michael's words, Hugo's face smile suddenly froze, because he knew that it was Michael's most trusted child friend who turned Michael's spiritual world into ruins, making Michael completely lose his trust in humanity.

The first time was this year, in the summer of 1993, a child called Jordan Chandler, at the behest of his father, accused Michael of sexual assault. The purpose was to blackmail Michael which was later settled for twenty million dollars. This matter set off an unprecedented uproar in the global community. Countless media were convinced that Michael was guilty, and as in the case of Rodney King with a storm of public opinion, they pressured the prosecutor's office. Ultimately, Michael was forced to accept a very humiliating out-of-court settlement even though he refused to plead guilty. A formal investigation from the police on the matter of sexual assault allegations also couldn't produce any substantial evidence.

In the case of insufficient evidence, the Chandler family still pressed forward which dealt a huge blow to Michael's mental and physical health. On the one hand, the prosecution did not have any evidence to prove the alleged sexual assault, but on the one hand, Michael's physical and mental condition made it difficult to withstand the long litigation process. Finally, the two sides reached an out-of-court settlement. Michael paid the Chandler family twenty-two million dollars for this.

The second incident was from 2003 to 2005, when Gavin Arvizo, who had been suffering from cancer but was saved by Michael, returned the favor by accusing the latter sexualt assault. Even this time, despite insufficient evidence, the prosecutor's office under the pressure of public opinion targeted by the media, actually accepted the Arvizo family's request for litigation, forcing the start of the judicial proceedings.

This marathon lawsuit lasted two years, and although Michael won the case, proving his innocence, it nevertheless completely pushed him into the abyss. From then on, a generational superstar was felled.