Because Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005, at which trial Robson himself defended the late singer, many fans are ready to believe the whole thing is false.

It is not for this publication to pass judgment on the content of their stories. From LeavingNeverlandLies.net website, Lies of Leaving Neverland exposes the lies and contradictions in HBO’s fraudulent one-sided smear of Michael Jackson in Leaving Neverland. BTS pays tribute to legendary singer-dancer Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson: Court dismisses lawsuit from accuser James Safechuck, BTS ‘Dynamite’ Teaser: K-pop band pays tribute to ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson channel launching on SiriusXM, Kanye West Salutes Michael Jackson in New Interview With Pharrell, Lionel Richie Leads All-Star ‘Idol’ Rendition of ‘We Are The World’: Watch, Kew Media Collapsed Owing $13M To Clients Including Netflix & ‘Leaving Neverland’ Producer Amos, Michael Jackson’s eldest son, Prince, tries to makes dad ‘proud’ with coronavirus charity work, Heal the World: Former, current UN ambassadors release Micheal Jackson cover in tribute to health workers, Social Media Roundup: Long Island Musicians Recreate Moving Rendition Of ‘We Are The World’, Macaulay Culkin defends Michael Jackson in new interview: ‘I never saw him do anything’. And to be honest, it's hard to prove definitively either way. A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit from one of Michael Jackson’s accusers, who claimed Jackson’s companies allowed the star to abuse him and other children. Written by Lionel Richie and the late Michael Jackson, the charity single ruled the […]. James Safechuck has said the singer started abusing him when he was 10. From a filmmaking standpoint, Neverland has problems. (Even today, Robson’s mother sounds awed at the memory of her first trip to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch: “It’s like a fairy land.”) It’s all in the service of answering the question every viewer is bound to ask: But how on Earth did these boys end up having “sleepovers” with a grown man? As music fans continue to champion a potential Verzuz battle between Kanye West and Pharrell, on Thursday (June 11), they received endless gems in a new interview between the two hip-hop luminaries. And Neverland all but ignores Robson and Safechuck’s lawsuits against the Jackson estate — both of which were dismissed and are currently under appeal. Jackson was acquitted of child molestation, their individual relationships with Jackson. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

Director Dan Reed underscores the horror of Robson and Safechuck’s allegations by intercutting their very graphic descriptions of sexual abuse with photos of them as baby-faced little boys — sometimes as they stand, smiling, next to the man they claim molested them. The singer took an immediate interest in the boys and quickly became a close family friend — having dinner at their houses, chatting daily on the phone with the boys and their moms, inviting them on trips. It’s a tragic part of Robson’s story, certainly, but not particularly relevant to his allegations against Jackson.

Jackson's estate recently released a statement about Leaving Neverland, stating the documentary's director failed to contact them before the film was shown at Sundance. Kew Media Distribution’s collapse has left more than 250 of its clients £10.8M ($13.4M) out of pocket, according to a report that lays bare the financial damage of the TV and film sales house’s demise. Part 1 of Neverland effectively establishes — through interviews with Robson and Safechuck, as well as their moms and siblings — how surreal, overwhelming, and intoxicating it was for these ordinary families to be the subject of so much attention from the most famous man on the planet. No matter what you think of Robson’s and Safechuck’s claims — which the singer’s estate call “absolutely false” — it is all but impossible to leave Neverland unscathed. As a reckoning, though, it is unforgettable.


Legally, Reed and HBO have no obligation to include a denial by Jackson’s estate — you cannot defame a dead man, as it were. The month-long Michael Jackson channel was announced Wednesday by the singer’s estate. "Those concerned should be given an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond," part of the statement says. Of course not. Though Robson’s suit is mentioned in the film, neither he nor Safechuck are questioned about the ongoing litigation or their motives for pursuing it. The King of Pop is joining The Boss and Old Blue Eyes on SiriusXM satellite radio. Leaving Neverland has already drawn tons of interest — but you'll have to determine what you believe after you watch it yourself. It is just one more loss, in this case a lost opportunity for Neverland to strengthen its foundation. For a documentary to be a true work of journalism, however, it is incumbent upon the filmmaker to solicit comments from the opposing side — in this case Jackson’s estate, his family, etc. (On Feb. 21, the estate filed a lawsuit against HBO over Leaving Neverland.) If you lived through the ‘80s, you’ll remember “We Are The World” was just about the biggest number of them all.
"I think we can all agree that the false allegations being made in your 'documentary' are 'significant allegations'… it is hard to imagine more significant accusations that can possibly be made against anyone.". Amid the coronavirus crisis, Prince Jackson says he is doing his part to help others due to the values his late father, Michael Jackson, instilled upon him. If there is one word to describe the experience of watching HBO’s Leaving Neverland, it is loss. Safechuck said that everything he and Jackson allegedly did sexually was, to him at the time, "in the context of a loving, close relationship.". Does the existence of these lawsuits or the absence of comment from a Jackson representative mean Robson and Safechuck are lying? Robson, who went on to become a well-known choreographer and music producer, tells his story with a mixture of confidence and anger.

There are a variety of reasons for this, including confusing feelings of love and abuse due to grooming, fear of retaliation from the abuser, or fear of hurting the abuser themselves. Reed sometimes allows his four-hour narrative to wander; one tangent in particular involves Robson’s father, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and later died by suicide. Grade: B. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Featuring a “Dream Team” of pop stars, the song dropped in 1985 to shine a light on famine in Africa. For Wade Robson and James Safechuck — who allege in the HBO film that Michael Jackson sexually molested them for years when they were boys — there is lost innocence, lost trust in their parents, lost years of happiness as they struggled as adults to deal with the alleged abuse.

An attorney for the estate, Howard Weitzman, said in the statement that the documentary was made with monetary motives more than anything else with disregard for seeking views of the subject from all angles. "Had they made an objective film it would have allowed viewers to make up their own minds about these allegations, instead of having a television network dictate to them that they must accept these false claims about Michael Jackson," Weitzman said. It is incredibly powerful and excruciating to watch. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. It's not a mathematic equation., such as "Do 1 + 1 = 2 or not?" In an interview published Tuesday, the “Home Alone” actor tells Esquire Jackson was never inappropriate with him. Michael Jackson has been dead for almost 10 years, well after being cleared of the 2005 child molestation charges against him. The King of Pop’s scion inherited his gift of philanthropy. (or conversely) "True or False, 1+1 = 5"> Instead of framing your question the way you have, perhaps you should ask, "Do you believe concur with the conclusions of "Leaving Neverland"? It’s a familiar song many people know and love. In a recent interview with Gayle King on CBS This Morning, Robson and Safechuck explained that their individual relationships with Jackson grew over time and both allege they had been groomed, along with their parents, to allow the alleged sexual abuse to continue for as long as it did.

Now the 1985 hit “We are the World,” by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, has some local flair. — which the estate insists Reed did not do. For review purposes, let us leave it at this: As a documentary in the strictest sense of the word, Leaving Neverland is a failure. With his sad eyes and soft voice, Safechuck seems haunted, and he sometimes speaks in the second person (“your love for him is growing”) as if to distance himself from the memories. In the trailer for the documentary, Robson says that he has come out now to finally speak the truth that he’s kept quiet about for so long. "Leaving Neverland" is NEITHER true or false.

Macaulay Culkin is continuing to stand by Michael Jackson, following the late artist’s sexual abuse controversy.