After the 2003 Living with Michael Jackson film, more than 40 officers searched Neverland amid an investigation tied to a 13-year-old. Michael faced multiple charges and was acquitted in 2005; he later vowed never to return and left the property.
Financial trouble followed: a 2008 loan default led to assets being removed and changes in management. The estate was renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch in 2017 and sold in 2020 to Ron Burkle for $22 million after several price reductions. The property has even hosted filming permitted in 2024 for a biopic.