I remember writing down that he might as well be dead. (He killed himself in 2002.). The Jacksons object to “Leaving Neverland” as yet another opportunistic grab for Jackson’s considerable fortunes (which skyrocketed once the singer was gone and unable to squander his millions). Twitter. Every sexual predator should be held accountable regardless of who they are. In the grocery store and everywhere else where ’80s music continues to be a default setting, I’m already hearing something newly disdainful in the ubiquitous playback of Jackson’s later hits (mostly from “Thriller” and “Bad”). Wormsby: Michael Jackson documentary, ‘Leaving Neverland,’ not credible. This is an opinion column.

Well, I believe survivors. It focuses on two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as children by the singer Michael Jackson. They found NOTHING to substantiate claims of child abuse. I hope that if it's too troubling to watch for you, you also take a break. Activist Kenidra Woods said she also believed the survivors. © 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. It’s remarkable what happens when you take Michael Jackson out of the latest Michael Jackson scandal. Even in death, Michael was murder on East Coast print deadlines, always breaking his own news in the early evening as pages were closing and presses were running. “I didn’t protect my son,” Stephanie says. A compelling aspect of “Leaving Neverland” is the similarity of the boys’ accounts of these encounters — and how they mirror accounts that came later, in 1993 (from an alleged victim, Jordan Chandler, whose parents settled out of court for an undisclosed amount believed to be as high as $25 million) and in 2005 (from an alleged victim, Gavin Arvizo, whose tentative and inconsistent testimony failed to sway a Santa Barbara County Superior Court jury). I've been around my uncle only thousands and thousands of hours. The biggest difference between then and now, of course, is that Jackson is dead, having succumbed to a lethal dose of tranquilizers at age 50. By Hollis Wormsby. They knew no better. In that fragile falsetto that became his public speaking voice, Michael decried his haters long before it was cool to have haters, playing his charitable side to an advantage. But both also struggled with their secrets.

He set it up like, ‘I’m going to show you something everybody does, and you’ll really enjoy it.’ It was like he was teaching me something new.”, Robson also specifically remembers the first time Jackson molested him, which began with fondling: “And then him guiding me to do the same thing to him, moving my hands to touch his penis,” Robson says. ", Co-host Gayle King asked, "How do you separate the man who's accused of these allegations and his music?".

I pray for the healing of every young boy he's victimized.#LeavingNeverland, As a former child actress, I can't help but watch this documentary and think about how wrong it is for children to be put in the position of performing for the soul purpose of pleasing adults. Donna Rice Hughes: Coming to terms with my own sex abuse in a 'Leaving Neverland' moment Michael Jackson was my childhood hero.
"That's the question you always ask in these situations: 'What do you do with the work the person has made, and how do you separate that from the horrible thing the person has done?'"

"Leaving Neverland" breaks it,", The Jackson family has denounced the film, Michael Jackson's family reacts to explosive claims in "Leaving Neverland", "Leaving Neverland" director says Michael Jackson's views are "strongly represented" in explosive documentary. Stream CBSN live or on demand for FREE on your TV, computer, tablet, or smartphone. Wade’s mother, Joy Robson, is a fascinating study in the gullibility that comes with being star-struck and treated to first-class service. (Were his insecurities telling us something about race, or about parental abuse, or closeted sexuality, or maybe about the very nature of self-identity? I think the real question in all these situations, whether it's the priesthood or celebrity, is how much power we give people and how much faith we put in them. By the time Jackson is routinely molesting her child, he has persuaded her to relocate with Wade and his sister to California, splitting up the Robson family, which possibly contributed to her husband Dennis’s mental decline. Robson and Safechuck talk at some length about their awe for the star, shared by children everywhere, and it is more effective than the brief clip of "Thriller" that survives the cut. The Michael Jackson molestation stories all wind up being eerily alike — the disarming ability to charm, the showering of gifts for the whole family, the air of innocence and friendship that made it all seem okay. He was maybe 10 feet away. Copyright © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc.All rights reserved. Leaving Neverland 'LIES' exposed: 'Wade Robson lied about more than Michael Jackson abuse' LEAVING NEVERLAND accuser Wade Robson "lied about more than the Michael Jackson abuse" and here is the proof. Taj Jackson, the singer's nephew, said in a tweet Sunday that Robson and Safechuck have no credibility. “Leaving Neverland” offers what might be the ultimate litmus test for consumers who keep finding themselves torn between loving the art and deploring the artist. 11663. Stay away, this dude is a total creep..," he tweeted. What they are talking about is not just the creepy affection, playful roughhousing and tender hand-holding we were once told was the innocent expression of love between a man (Jackson), who sacrificed his own childhood to bring joy to millions, and the star-struck boys he was thus entitled to enjoy as special pals. #LeavingNeverland. ), Michael Jackson's family denies new assault allegations, Jackson family sues HBO over 'Leaving Neverland' doc. Activist and author Blair Imani said on Twitter that she would not watch the film because it was triggering for her, but stressed the importance of believing survivors of abuse. Birmingham Times - March 28, 2019. Every sexual predator should be held accountable regardless of who they are.

The breakups, too, came with a hurt that felt authentic. A devastating and credible ‘Leaving Neverland’ will turn you off Michael Jackson for good. "I'm only 45 minutes in but am genuinely disturbed at how smiley and laughy the parents in #LeavingNeverland are while talking about the houses and vacations where their kids were molested," he tweeted. Staying with Michael in a Paris hotel suite, Jimmy recalls, “[Michael] introduced me to masturbation and that’s how it started. Remove the usual “King of Pop” soundtrack and all that glitters, and things get so much clearer. Well, I believe survivors. This is simply a laying out of a story that goes very neatly into the stories that we have been talking about with Michael Jackson. "I feel like the real question to ask is, how do we prevent things like this from happening again? The Jacksons have also claimed, in a lawsuit, that HBO has violated a nondisparagement clause in a deal it signed many years ago to air a Michael Jackson concert.

What we get this time are disturbing, graphic and wholly consistent accounts of the predation, grooming and rape of two children by a man who wielded considerable psychological control over everyone in his environment — including the boys’ parents. Unforgivable. 0. from a storytelling standpoint #LeavingNeverland is a very bad documentary. Even now, both men talk about Jackson with a measure of care that can be heartbreaking.

. ", "The film itself is presenting these stories without a lot of editorial dissent," Morris said. The Jackson family has called the film a "public lynching" and described Jackson's accusers as "admitted liars," in reference to sworn statements made by both Safechuck and Robson while Jackson was alive that he did not molest them. As we threw together 2,000 words on his happy/sad life and career, I couldn’t help but think: At least I won’t have to write about him ever again.

Writer and filmmaker Gabriel Torrelles wasn't a fan of the documentary's storytelling technique. There’s a familiar echo in the Jackson family’s protest — a strategy Robson and Safechuck remember from being persuaded to defend Michael in court and depositions whenever he felt threatened: In Michael’s world, his enemies live to make up terrible lies so that they can steal his money and ruin his name. I'm only 45 minutes in but am genuinely disturbed at how smiley and laughy the parents in #LeavingNeverland are while talking about the houses and vacations where their kids were molested. #LeavingNeverland," said director Morgan J. Freeman. "Leaving Neverland," a documentary which features detailed accusations from two men who claim Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were children, premiered on HBO Sunday night, drawing criticism from Jackson's family and forcing fans to confront difficult questions about the late pop star's behavior.

#LeavingNeverland fails to highlight these FACTS - and MJ is no longer here to defend himself," said TV personality Elgin Charles. "Will never listen to a Michael Jackson song again. They were innocent little kids. What a grotesque creep," he tweeted.
Turn off the music and listen to these men. Yet here we are — and with good reason.

This is how we show love.’”. I'm on their side always, but this being about the greatest megastar in the world and a dead person, I expected a lot more of facts and research," Torrelles tweeted.