I had a conversation with someone close to me about "separating art from the artist"…

He had an interesting perspective.

He was saying that even if he had been convinced that Michael Jackson was guilty of wrongdoing, enjoying his music after his death would not be the same as listening while he was still alive—none of the money spent now would be contributing to his personal comfort.

"So you don’t have to boycott Wagner, "he continued, "even though he was said to be a miserable human being. Nothing you spend to see or listen to his music performed is going into his pockets now."

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uncalled4 · 56-60, M

Everybody has their own threshold. Whatever you can say about MJ, the man did not have a regular childhood and was abused by his parents and probably his siblings too. That's not a justification for anything he may or may not have done, but it provides context in an environment of cyclical abuse.

I draw a line between that and a person who clearly chose to victimize because they could.