HBO's 'Leaving Neverland' offers a haunting inside perspective on Michael Jackson's abuses
Invariably, the question arises any time accusations of past sexual abuse are raised against a powerful man: "Well, why did they wait so long to come forward then?"
It is always framed as persuasive proof of the victim's dishonesty. Wouldn't an honest person have spoken up sooner? What did they have to hide? What are they trying to get out of it now?
But what the past couple years of reckoning have shown us, and what Leaving Neverland now demonstrates to devastating effect, is that it's not nearly so simple.
Structurally, Leaving Neverland is straightforward. Dan Reed's four-hour, two-part documentary is built around in-depth interviews with Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two men who say they were abused by Michael Jackson as children. Their separate but similar tales unfold in chronological order, supplemented by archival photos and footage and sit-downs with their mothers, wives, and siblings.
The picture Leaving Neverland paints, though, is devilishly complicated. With heartbreaking honesty, Robson, Safechuck, and their loved ones examine these relationships from the inside – as well as the far-reaching consequences they're still grappling with, years later.
Hell-bent on letting the world know exactly what kind of man Jackson was, Leaving Neverland never shies away from grisly detail. Safechuck and Robson relay what was done to them in precise and thorough terms, and Reed often pairs their narratives with childhood photos meant to underline just how young they were when the abuse began: 10 years old for Safechuck, and seven years old for Robson.
But just as sickening, and just as revealing, are the descriptions of Jackson's psychological manipulations, and the tangled emotions they engendered. We come to understand exactly what Jackson meant to these boys and their families, how his fame had a way of warping the reality around them, how difficult it was for each of them, even in adulthood, to comprehend the horrors that had been inflicted upon them by a man they once considered a friend.
"It just didn't seem that strange," Robson remarks of the first time Jackson groped his genitals. He seems almost shocked at his own words, and needless to say, we are too. By this point, however, Leaving Neverland has shown us how that reaction would have made perfect sense in the distorted context Jackson created for himself and his victims – one in which the boys were equal participants instead of victims, and in which it was the outside world, not Jackson, that they needed to fear.
Leaving Neverland's strength lies in its willingness to engage with the complexity of these stories.
Most of the physical abuse is chronicled in Part 1; Part 2 follows the end of Safechuck and Robson's sexual relationships with Jackson, and their journeys through adolescence and adulthood. But it'd be a mistake to assume Part 2 is any less essential to this narrative. Leaving Neverland is interested not just in the fact of the crimes themselves, but in what happens to the victims afterward.
Both Robson and Safechuck intended to keep secret their abusive relationships with Jackson, and went so far as to speak out in favor of Jackson when another boy, Jordan Chandler, accused Jackson of abusing him in 1993. (Robson also testified in Jackson's defense at his 2005 child molestation trial.) It wasn't until well into adulthood that both men revealed the truth to their loved ones and then to the public, each spurred by the breakdowns they suffered after having sons of their own.
Their reasons for their choices, every step of the way, are thorny and varied – a potent mix of love, shame, fear, and self-preservation – and the lingering impacts of Jackson's violations aren't always immediately obvious, even to Robson and Safechuck themselves. But Leaving Neverland's strength lies in its patience, and its willingness to engage with the complexity of these men's stories.
Leaving Neverland does not spend any time raising possible defenses against Robson and Safechuck's claims, and nor does it explore what this might mean for Jackson's legacy. Some, particularly those inclined to believe in Jackson's innocence, may take issue with this apparent one-sidedness. (The Jackson estate, for what it's worth, strongly denies the claims in the documentary.
Most, however, will likely find Leaving Neverland difficult to dismiss. By limiting its focus to Robson and Safechuck's perspectives, the documentary serves an eye-opening look at the methods and consequences of child molestation, and of the power that allowed Jackson to get away with it.
Jackson, Robson recalls, framed their sexual activity as a way for them to show affection for one another, and told him to keep it a secret because "other people are ignorant, and they're stupid, and they'd never understand." Jackson wasn't entirely wrong: For too long, too many of us did try very hard not to understand what was going on.
Where he may have miscalculated was the "never." Leaving Neverland doesn't offer any solution to the discomfort viewers are bound to feel after sitting through four hours of harrowing interviews. It simply presents this information for us to do with what we will. In doing so, it plays not like an out-of-the-blue attack against a beloved icon, but as a long-overdue corrective to the loud denials that Jackson offered us, and we allowed ourselves to accept.
#MJinnocent.
what if he is really innocent? The man is dead and can’t defend himself, he has been trialed and acquitted. Pls let the man rest in peace.
ReplyDeletewhat if he is really innocent? The man is dead and can’t defend himself, he has been trialed and acquitted. Pls let the man rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteDon’t be gaslighted by Michael Jackson though you want to be- I did- his music was the definition of my college years- his poster was in my dorm- he was an idol- but if you step back just one step and think about a grown up man surrounding himself with prepubescent boys, the answer is right in front of you- whether the Catholic Church or the most famous person this planet has ever seen... we have to open our eyes to the reality and I was complicit
ReplyDeletefunny how these 2 men who defended Jackson in his trial right up to the time of his death...Suddenly have a revelation....and hired the same lawyer as Jacksons previous accusers.....their civil suit was twice thrown out of court....just a cash grab
ReplyDeleteI believe the victims.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think anyone who can look at Jackson’s life- and the scenarios he consistently created for himself to be alone with children, and not know that something was wrong with that- is just totally in denial.
If we are to believe this documentary.....every last one of them can be brought up on charges of perjury.....each and every one of them told a totally different story under oath.....so take them back to court and swear them in....if the story stays as it is now....lock them up....that's how you discourage any abuse of the legal system....
ReplyDeleteHe had his days in court and was acquitted. This movie has zero facts. If you want facts you can find them here https://www.mjinnocent.com/
ReplyDeleteTitle should be 'Leaving Neverland' is a devasting account of the lingering consequences of greedy backstabbers.
ReplyDeleteThere are certain types who are pedophiles, but you can't always tell who they are by looking at them or talking to them. I knew a guy like this once. He was very playful and childlike himself - a brilliant musician by night and a bill collector by day. Something was just not quite right, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Many years later I found out from his prison rap sheet that he admitted to molesting at least 25 kids. I was absolutely shocked when I found that out. This doesn't surprise me about Michael at all. I love his music and still go to MJ dance parties. He was a brilliant artist but also a twisted and complicated person. The whole thing is tragic. Maybe his shame and loneliness are ultimately what caused him to die at such a young age.
ReplyDeleteThese guys were children, children. Think for a moment from the perspective of an ABUSED child, and if you really CAN'T, then consider yourself lucky. The shame and embarrassment among other confusing feelings regarding the abuse. Of course Jackson, a grown man that knew he was wrong, would deny these types of allegations. Sure, he isn't around to defend himself, but we already know what he would say anyway. None of you were there so you don't know the truth enough to be attempting to shred both men's credibility.
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone leave their child alone in this situation? The whole thing is so bizarre.
ReplyDeleteI hope his fans believe the new charges, but I doubt it. I would love to never have to listen to MJ when shopping. I loved his music but for the past 15 years I can’t hear it without being reminded of my worst moment. #metoo #believethesurvivors
ReplyDeleteIf he liked to be with children in an innocent friendly way, why were there never any girls invited to these innocent sleepovers?
ReplyDeleteAnother Harvey and R. Kelly. What is truly sad is that all of these men had co-conspirators to help them cover their crimes��
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately our laws allow you to slander someone if they are dead....never dared slander and spread lies when he was alive....very cowardly of you....I guess we will never really know the truth.
ReplyDeleteBelieve.The.Victims
ReplyDeleteListen, just don't let your kids spend time with adults that too eager to be alone with them.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it now when women come forward often decades after the abuse, everyone believes them. Have we not learned from the recent Me Too movement, and the ongoing Catholic priest abuse disclosures....how difficult it is to come forward? To acuse someone like this man required incredible strength. Pull away the curtain and see the truth. It's long past due for his many victims.
ReplyDeleteI Don't believe these two guys for a SECOND. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcKrL5qmHGc...
ReplyDeleteI’ve been torn about this for years, but now removing the glamour and talent from the man.. I can see this happening - children have been abused in the entertainment industry for far too long. As a parent I can’t imagine being removed from your child and letting them stay over at a man’s house. As Kat Williams said, “where there’s smoke there’s fire and it’s the same story over and over again.”
ReplyDeletePathetic, common sense of how he loved children and people proved he is innocent. People who dont understand music, and people who never followed MJ think otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAnd now he is dead, and people still loved him, thats the power of common sense. Its not like Bill Murphy where people still hated him even though he paid for his sins. Rational people will always love Michael Jackson.
Wonder how much HBO paid these 2 men? The same 2 men that testified on his behalf years ago. Are they saying they lied in court back then? Who’s to say they aren’t lying now? Let the man rest in peace FFS.
ReplyDeleteSad just sad. A dark side to what should have been a good life. What a sick world it really is. Always involves sex.
ReplyDeleteThe man and the music are 2 different things..people will Always love his music.. personally I don't think he did anything wrong,I think these are limelight seeking low life's that want their 2 minutes of fame. I think Michael was a big kid, he want to do kid things and was more at ease just playing..adults don't understand other adults being like this, so they see a darker side to it..I wasn't there, I don't know the truth, no one ever will..
ReplyDeletePee pee toucher
ReplyDeletewho cares about MJ? not me. Who cares about his alleged victims? not MJ supporters. He died doing a drug designed for colonoscopy procedures. He is dead. So what. .
ReplyDeleteSo they committed perjury then ?
ReplyDeleteI just keep wondering what the parents were thinking. . even if they were in the same house, who lets their boys or girls sleep in a grown adult bed of a stranger
ReplyDeleteThis is a new low scum bag level for HBO.
ReplyDeleteI will believe nothing siad about Michael Jackson! The media spent over a decade telling me this man was broke and i felt bad for him, only to find out he died leaving a estate worth billions of dollars, no sir wont trick me again
ReplyDeleteNot saying guilty or not guilty.. BUT.. even if not guilty where were the parents. I raised two sons they were never allowed sleep overs nor did I want to be responsible for children sleeping over my home.. I still would say NO even if it were Michael Jackson.. again where were the parents.
ReplyDeleteJust finished watching. I knew it! Too many young boys were victims of a wolf in sheeps clothing. He was a monster #loudandclear
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/9yTTEwBLfUQ
ReplyDeleteCan I state a fact?
ReplyDeleteHe is innocent.
He is Michael, not a pedophile.
ReplyDeleteLoud denials? Didnt all this go through the justice system already? So US courts all useless/irrelevant now?
ReplyDeleteRefused to listen to his music years ago. Definitely a pedophile (allegedly) Who sleeps with children and admits taking them in the shower? On my banned list along with Garry Glitter, Rolf Harris and all the other kiddy fiddlers.
ReplyDeleteIn 2011, Robson approached John Branca, co-executor of the Michael Jackson Estate, about directing the new Michael Jackson/Cirque du Soleil production, ONE. Robson admitted he wanted the job “badly,” but the Estate ultimately chose someone else for the position.
ReplyDeleteIn 2012, Robson had a nervous breakdown, triggered, he said, by an obsessive quest for success. His career, in his own words, began to “crumble.”
That same year, with Robson’s career, finances, and marriage in peril, he began shopping a book that claimed he was sexually abused by Michael Jackson. No publisher picked it up.
In 2013, Robson filed a $1.5 billion dollar civil lawsuit/creditor’s claim, along with James Safechuck, who also spent time with Jackson in the late ‘80s. Safechuck claimed he only realized he may have been abused when Robson filed his lawsuit. That lawsuit was dismissed by a probate court in 2017.
In 2019, the Sundance Film Festival premiered a documentary based entirely on Robson and Safechuck’s allegations. While the documentary is obviously emotionally disturbing given the content, it presents no new evidence or witnesses. The film’s director, Dan Reed, acknowledged not wanting to interview other key figures because it might complicate or compromise the story he wanted to tell.
- Forbes
One more sad witch hunt.... ��
ReplyDeleteManage
Destroying a man legendary life. Even in death. What a Sad and Evil World .
ReplyDeleteThe director literally said he didn't want any evidence to ruin his narrative. Like what?
ReplyDeleteThe man is dead! Let him rest in peace! All human being is a sinner.
ReplyDelete