Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard has spoken out to defend the late pop star. Jackson is back in the news after an undated photo of him with Jeffrey Epstein surfaced in newly released court documents.

Jackson was pictured alongside the convicted financier in documents released by the Department of Justice on December 19, 2025. There is no indication that Jackson is accused of any wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior.

In the photo, the late musician is seen wearing a suit and large dark sunglasses while posing next to Epstein, who is dressed in a zip-up hoodie. Matt Fiddes, who says he was Jackson’s bodyguard at the time the photo was taken, has since spoken out to explain the circumstances behind it. Fiddes worked for Jackson for nearly a decade before the pop star died in 2009.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by 🥋Matt Fiddes (@officialmattfiddes)

On December 20, 2025, Fiddes took to his social media comments to defend his former boss. He wrote, “We were just viewing houses as Michael wanted to live on Palm Beach so he can be close to his friend Barry Gibb.” He further added, “We never even knew who Epstein was. He was not famous then.”

According to Fiddes, a real estate agent organized a weeklong series of house viewings for the late singer, one of which was at Epstein’s for-sale home. He claimed that “like the other house owners we viewed that week, wanted a picture with Michael.”

Fiddes argued that Jackson “never had a clue” who Epstein or any of the other property owners were. He continued, “Michael would always be polite to everyone he meets.” Fiddes puts the photo somewhere around 2003. 

Referring to the British musician, Fiddes noted that he was “recording daily with Barry Gibb back then.” He maintained that there was another bodyguard and Jackson’s then-doctor present when the encounter with Epstein happened. Fiddes refuted all claims of Epstein being in Jackson’s “financial circles,” calling the accusations “all nonsense.”

Fiddes also wrote, “It was making big news as we looked at houses with him on Palm Beach, so I am surprised the truth is not being told.”

In Friday’s release, the late pop star was also pictured alongside singer Diana Ross and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. The undated picture was published without context and doesn’t imply that anybody in it is guilty of any crime. 

Clinton’s press secretary, in a statement, said, “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever.”

The DOJ released more than 300,000 pages of Epstein-related documents before a court-mandated deadline. Ironically, most documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act contained heavy redactions. Authorities claimed the changes were implemented to protect the interests of over 1,200 victims and their relatives. 

Legal experts and survivors have cast doubt on that statement. Ashley Rubright, who encountered Epstein’s abuse at 15, noted: “Seeing completely redacted pages, there’s no way that that’s just to protect the victims’ identities, and there better be a good reason.”

Well-known lawyer Gloria Allred also voiced her concerns. She said, “We have had to notify the DOJ about names that should have been redacted that weren’t redacted… This is a major concern because the law clearly indicates… that the names and any identifying information of the survivors must be redacted.”

Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, who pushed the release of the files, stated the release was inadequate. Hence, they claimed to be “drafting articles of impeachment and inherent contempt” against Attorney General Pam Bondi. 

The DOJ has said more materials will be unsealed and released before the end of 2025.