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Evan Chandler (born Evan Robert Charmatz; January 25, 1944 – November 5, 2009) was an American screenwriter and dentist. In 1993, he accused pop singer Michael Jackson of child sexual abuse against his son Jordan. The civil case was settled out of court. No criminal charges were filed. Chandler committed suicide five months after Michael Jackson's death.

Early life and career

Evan Robert Charmatz was born in 1944 in Bronx, New York.

In her autobiographical book Shockaholic, actress and screenwriter Carrie Fisher wrote that Chandler could be persuaded via financial incentives to send an anesthesiologist to a patient's house to administer drugs including morphine.

Chandler was also a screenwriter, co-writing the 1993 comedy film Robin Hood: Men in Tights. The idea for the film came from his son Jordan while Chandler was tending to J. David Shapiro.

Accusations against Michael Jackson and settlement

In 1993, Chandler accused pop star Michael Jackson of molesting Chandler's son Jordan after his son told him of the allegations while under the influence of sodium amytal during a dental procedure. At the time, Chandler was in the midst of a custody battle for the boy with his ex-wife, June Chandler-Schwartz. The 1993 molestation case ended after Jackson reached a settlement with Chandler for a reported U.S. $22 million, although this amount was never confirmed by Jackson and no formal charges were brought after two independent grand juries decided not to indict him.Jackson categorically denied any sexual misconduct in the settlement papers.

Post-trial and death

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During the 1993 investigation, Jackson hired private investigator Anthony Pellicano and released a recorded telephone conversation between Chandler and Dave Schwartz, the new husband of his ex-wife, June, and stepfather to Jordan. Jackson's defense cited this tape as proof that Chandler's allegations were nothing but an attempt to extort money from the star and regain custody of Jordan, especially considering Chandler was more than $60,000 behind child support payments and had already approached Jackson several times asking for money. Chandler was recorded saying, "If I go through with this, I win big time. There's no way that I lose. I've checked that out inside out...I will get everything I want, and they will be totally — they will be destroyed forever. They will be destroyed. June is gonna lose Jordy. She will have no right to ever see him again." This phone call took place on July 8; Evan would claim Jordan had confessed the abuse to him on July 16.

Following the settlement, Chandler had multiple plastic surgeries to mask his identity as he claimed abuse and harassment from angry Jackson fans.

According to a USA Today article written by journalist DeWayne Wickham, in 1996, Chandler attempted to sue Jackson a second time, citing the star's HiStory album as a breach of their confidentiality agreement.

It is also believed he is the ghostwriter of All that Glitters, a book about the allegations written by his brother Raymond that was released in 2004 following a new set of molestation accusations against Jackson.

It was revealed by June Chandler-Schwartz during Jackson's 2005 trial that her son, who, according to his uncle, fled the country to avoid testifying against Jackson, had filed for legal emancipation from his parents and had no contact with his mother since 1994. In 2006, court documents filed in the state of New Jersey revealed that Evan Chandler was sued by Jordan after he nearly killed him with a barbell and mace in August 2005. Jordan obtained a permanent restraining order against his father as a result.

Evan Chandler committed suicide on November 5, 2009, in Jersey City, New Jersey by a self-inflicted wound. He left no suicide note.

References

1. Parry, Ryan (November 19, 2009). "Michael Jackson sex case dad Evan Chandler wanted justice but ended up destroyed". Daily Mirror. London. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
2. Fischer, Mary A. (October 1994). "Was Michael Jackson Framed?". GQ.
3. Goldman, Andrew (January 6, 2012). "Nothing Shocks Carrie Fisher". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
4. Galbraith, Jane (June 13, 1993). "Toothy Tales of Hollywood . . . Script Dentist!". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
5. "1993: Michael Jackson accused of child abuse". BBC. February 8, 2003. Retrieved November 11, 2006.
6. Pareles, Jon (June 18, 1995). "POP VIEW; Michael Jackson Is Angry, Understand?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
7. "Jackson Grand Jury Disbanded – 1994" (PDF). Showbiz Today. CNN. May 2, 1994. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2011.
8. "Jackson Case". The Independent. London. May 2, 1994. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
9. Fischer, Mary (2012). Was Michael Jackson Framed?: The Untold Story That Brought Down a Superstar. ISBN 978-0786754137.
10. Perone, Tim (November 18, 2009). "Father of Jacko molestation accuser kills self in NJ". New York Post. New York. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
11. "CBS June Chandler". CBS June Chandler. CBS News. Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
12. "June Chandler Testimony". June Chandler Testimony. Archived from the original on December 5, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
13. Hutchinson, Bill (November 18, 2009). "Evan Chandler, dad of boy who accused Michael Jackson of molestation, commits suicide in New Jersey". NYDailyNews.com. New York. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
14. Perone, Tim (November 18, 2009). "Jacko molest-rap dad kills himself". New York Post. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
15. Allen, Nick (November 17, 2009). "Michael Jackson: father of Jordan Chandler shoots himself dead". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved October 8, 2018.

• 1944 births
• 2009 deaths
• Businesspeople who committed suicide
• Dentists who committed suicide
• Male suicides
• American dentists
• Screenwriters from New York (state)
• 20th-century American businesspeople
• Writers from Jersey City, New Jersey
• People from the Bronx
• Suicides by firearm in New Jersey
• American male writers who committed suicide
• Michael Jackson sexual abuse allegations