Mark Lester commented addressed Leaving Neverland as well as the film's "horrendous accusations." During a podcast interview, the actor revealed that Jackson "always seemed inwardly very, very happy" until 2005. "When he was accused of molesting a boy - that really had a deep impact on him and that affected him very, very much," he added.
"I was there at Neverland when those kids, well part of the time when those kids were there, and I knew exactly what a bunch of little yobos they were. And they were taking advantage of Michael's hospitality.
"It was only after when...Michael's manager at the time suggested that they leave after having stayed there for three months on Michael's hospitality and goodwill...And it was only just a week they were asked to leave that the mother came forward with these horrendous accusations."
Lester says the Leaving Neverland documentary portrays a persona he does not recognize. "It's not the man I knew. Michael was [an] extremely warm, generous and kind-hearted man," he offered. "And I've taken my children, on numerous occasions, to meet Michael. We've stayed in Neverland and I never witnessed anything other than a very kind and wonderful guy.
"In fact to the point where when my two daughters were with me, and they were probably five and seven at the time, we spent the week with Michael in Neverland and at the end of the week I said to my kids....what was your best moment at Neverland?"
Mark Lester developed a longtime friendship with Michael Jackson. Their bond was so strong that Jackson asked the actor to be his sperm donor for his future kids. "I thought he wanted me to sleep with his wife, Debbie Rowe, and I thought 'oh my god, no'. There's a line where you must draw," Lester said. "About a month later he contacted me again to say 'I've set you up in this clinic, would you go along.' I thought he was still joking."
He eventually agreed to donate his sperm. Paris Jackson is rumored to be his biological daughter but Lester insists all of the young Jacksons are Michael's kids regardless of genetics.