HBO’s Michael Jackson Abuse Documentary “Leaving Neverland” a Must-See

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Caleb Pendleton, Op-Ed Editor

HBO’s recent documentary called “Leaving Neverland” reignited the accusation of Michael Jackson molesting children. Wade Robson and James Safechuck have come forward, confessing molestation claims against the deceased singer. In this four-hour documentary, told in two parts and directed by Dan Reed, both victims go into horrific detail about how they both were abused in all sorts of ways by Michael Jackson as kids.

Safechuck got to know Michael while filming a commercial for Pepsi with him while Robson won a competition for being a Michael Jackson impersonator. Robson said that the abuse started when he was seven-years-old and said Michael Jackson would “perform sex acts with and in front of the kids.” Michael Jackson had supposedly told the kids that they could never tell anyone what was happening or they will be pulled apart and go to jail for the rest of their lives. The movement to clear Jackson’s name has existed since he was first accused of molestation in 1993 (the case was later settled out of court for $23m), but it has become increasingly vocal since Leaving Neverland was announced in January, re-sparking the accusations with horrific scenes of testimonies from two alleged former victims. The Jackson family calls the documentary a “public lynching”, citing concerns over the credibility of Robson and Safechuck, both of whom previously testified that Jackson never abused them. They now say they felt pressured into supporting the singer.

Jackson’s ranch is called “Neverland” after the famous Peter Pan and Jack never growing up.  Even the parents of the men who have accused Michael Jackson of molestation thought he was like a son just because of his childish actions. He had an amusement park on his Neverland Lawn with chimpanzees, rides, stands and all sorts of things to make a fun time for kids. HBO has been sued for 100 million dollars by the Michael Jackson Estate for damage against Michael Jackson’s name. The film has put Jackson’s empire that is worth up to 2 billion dollars into jeopardy. They also note that both Robson and Safechuck have been unsuccessful in their attempts to sue the Jackson estate – although both men’s cases are now on appeal.

Oprah Winfrey, another sexual abuse survivor, interviewed Robson, Reed, and Safechuck  in front of 100 other survivors of sexual abuse. Oprah Winfrey quoted that Reed was “able to illustrate in these four hours what I’ve tried to explain in 217,” (217 of her shows that talk about this topic). This just shows how detailed these men went into showing what happened with Michael Jackson and the reality of surviving sexual abuse.