Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed has hit back at theories saying that Michael Jackson child abuse accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck are lying.
Although the King of Pop denied the allegations during his lifetime, with his estate continuing to do so, Dan has hit back at claims that the two men have told their stories in a bid to make money.
In a piece for The Guardian, Dan, who wants to make a sequel film, wrote: ‘In 2013, Wade (joined later by James in a separate, but similar case) launched a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate, claiming that Jackson’s business associates knew he was molesting little boys but turned a blind eye.
‘Their cases were dismissed on technical grounds, but the judge made no ruling on the validity of the abuse claims. The cases have both gone to appeal.’
Michael Jackson estate's statement on Leaving Neverland
'Leaving Neverland isn’t a documentary, it is the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death. The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact. These claims were the basis of lawsuits filed by these two admitted liars which were ultimately dismissed by a judge. The two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred. They have provided no independent evidence and absolutely no proof in support of their accusations, which means the entire film hinges solely on the word of two perjurers.
'Tellingly, the director admitted at the Sundance Film Festival that he limited his interviews only to these accusers and their families. In doing so, he intentionally avoided interviewing numerous people over the years who spent significant time with Michael Jackson and have unambiguously stated that he treated children with respect and did nothing hurtful to them. By choosing not to include any of these independent voices who might challenge the narrative that he was determined to sell, the director neglected fact checking so he could craft a narrative so blatantly one-sided that viewers never get anything close to a balanced portrait.
'For 20 years, Wade Robson denied in court and in numerous interviews, including after Michael passed, that he was a victim and stated he was grateful for everything Michael had done for him. His family benefitted from Michael’s kindness, generosity and career support up until Michael’s death. Conveniently left out of Leaving Neverland was the fact that when Robson was denied a role in a Michael Jackson themed Cirque du Soleil production, his assault allegations suddenly emerged.
'We are extremely sympathetic to any legitimate victim of child abuse. This film, however, does those victims a disservice. Because despite all the disingenuous denials made that this is not about money, it has always been about money – millions of dollars — dating back to 2013 when both Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who share the same law firm, launched their unsuccessful claims against Michael’s Estate. Now that Michael is no longer here to defend himself, Robson, Safechuck and their lawyers continue their efforts to achieve notoriety and a payday by smearing him with the same allegations a jury found him innocent of when he was alive.'
Explaining where cash could come from, hecontinued: The answer is that Wade and James would have to win it in a hotly contested court battle.
‘A jury would have to weigh up evidence – of which there is plenty – and decide that their claims were valid. And damages would then be awarded against the Jackson estate. Some people would call that justice.
‘The most extraordinary thing in all this is that no-one denies that Jackson took little boys to his bed, night after night, for many, many years. What did his family and business associates think he was doing with these little boys behind a locked door?
‘Did they believe he was actually a child in the body of a man and therefore somehow needed to sleep with little boys? That makes no sense if you think about it for more than a second.’
Dan also touches upon Wade previously defending Michael Jackson at his 2004 criminal trial which saw him accused of abusing Gavin Arvinzo.
‘Wade states in my film that he had perjured himself because he could not bear to see Jackson, the man he loved, go to jail,’ he added.
‘Telling the truth was out of the question. He had never told a soul, not even his mother. So the Jackson camp now call him an admitted liar. This argument falls apart when you apply even the merest dusting of common sense. Was he lying then? Or is he lying now? You can’t have it both ways.
‘The evidence of perjury of course comes from Wade himself. Part two of the documentary leads all but the most hard-bitten fan to an understanding of why he lied then, and is telling the truth now.’
Leaving Neverland is available to watch on Channel 4 OD.
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