In Part 1 of Leaving Neverland, Robson and his mother, Joy, talk about moving to Los Angeles from their native Australia to be closer to Jackson. The singer allegedly had a financial hold on both the Robson and Safechuck familiesĪ regular visitor to the Safechuck household, Michael Jackson apparently made sure the family became dependent on him. Joy Robson said she believed Jackson's extortion claim even more when the singer reached a settlement with his accuser's parents in 1994. "I was excited by the idea of being able to defend him and being able to save him," Robson says in the film. Robson vehemently denied that Jackson had ever touched him inappropriately. Robson, his mother, Joy, and his sister, Chantal, spoke publicly in support of the singer, who had told them that his accuser's parents were after money. In response to the accusations, both boys gave sworn witness statements supporting Jackson, which they say they provided under pressure from the singer and his legal team. Robson and Safechuck say it was in 1993, around the time Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse, that they began hearing regularly from the singer again. Robson and Safechuck say they began drifting away from Jackson as the singer became close to other boys, including actor Macaulay Culkin – who has denied under oath that Jackson ever sexually abused him – and the 13-year-old at the centre of the 1993 sexual abuse allegations against the singer. Regardless, any Jackson defenders need to reassess, and anyone with the fortitude to watch Leaving Neverland should certainly do so.James Safechuck joined Liza Minnelli and Michael Jackson for a backstage visit to The Phantom of the Opera in March 1988.
LEAVING NEVERLAND PART 2 PUTLOCKERS HOW TO
We believe Robson and Safechuck, but we still aren't quite sure how to feel about it all. Still, Neverland does force us to ask big questions: Can we still enjoy the music knowing he was a monster? Why are we so quick to defend the famous on such charges? Jackson of course dodged prison and died before he was ever brought to justice. The resolution, as it were, is not satisfying. This might dredge up uncomfortable feelings about how we regard celebrities, but as Robson points out at one point, people feel like they knew Jackson he was a part of our lives as far back as we can remember. And it is every bit as riveting as it is nauseating. We learn of houses bought and gifts obtained, of Jackson's cold and cruel ability to teach children as young as 7 that sexual acts are just how people show love, regardless of age. Reed provides countless pieces of evidence in the form of photos, video, audio recordings and faxes sent from Jackson to Robson that start seemingly friendly, but devolve into obsessive and terrifying. As we know, both men refused to besmirch Jackson's name for years, discrediting other survivors who were strong enough to come forward and deepening the aftermath's affect on their lives and families. The second part isn't much easier, however, and the personal toll it took on the young men-not to mention the survivor's guilt they still harbor-becomes the real tragedy. This makes the first part of Neverland difficult to bear, as it is explicit. Robson and Safechuck's accounts are damning and detailed-and incredibly similar in terms of how the abuse played out. Each met the man by different means, and through a combination of celebrity obsession, missteps from parents and Jackson's well-planned psychological manipulation, they were molested for years while on tour with Jackson, at his Neverland Ranch home and at so-called "hideaway" apartments. The hardest pill to swallow may be interviews with the parents who insist that, at the time, they felt it perfectly normal that Jackson invited children into his room and bed or, in one case, that they left their child alone with him for an entire week while they visited the Grand Canyon. The bulk of the interviews come from Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, each of whom speak at length about their complicated relationships with Jackson. Regardless of which camp you fall into, however, it's certain that we can no longer ignore the testimony of those who've come forward, and it is no longer and option to defend Jackson in any way. For some, the film will be a painful sojourn through in-depth interviews with survivors of Jackson's abuse for others it will affirm what they've believed since charges were first levied against Jackson in 1993. Content warning: This review contains disturbing information and language.Īfter making waves and shocking audiences at Sundance, filmmaker Dan Reed's explosive two-part, four-hour documentary Leaving Neverland finds its way to HBO, where it finally digs deep into allegations that pop superstar Michael Jackson molested several young boys throughout his career.
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