Everyone agrees Michael Jackson was a phenomenally talented pop singer, but who was he as a man? A pedophile who groomed and sexually abused vulnerable young boys, while using an innocent 'love for all children' as a cloak? Or a megastar who was robbed of his childhood due to fame and therefore never grew up, becoming very eccentric?
The debate rages on, following the release of HBO's explosive documentary Leaving Neverland. In the film, Wade Robson and James Safechuck allege that Jackson molested them as children at the Neverland Ranch - in Robson's case, for seven years, from age 7 to 14. They describe horrific sexual acts as well as their disturbing relationship with the singer - sleeping in the same bed, the love letters sent by fax, a mock 'wedding' ceremony with rings, the instructions to never, ever tell, or they'd all go to jail forever.
Of course, Michael Jackson's estate slammed the documentary. They say the film is one-sided. They point out that Jackson was found not guilty of all charges of sexual abuse in two trials; plus, the FBI investigated him for years and found no evidence. They say the accusers are liars because they previously testified to Jackson's innocence in court; both of them as children in 1993, and Robson a second time at age 22 in 2005. The estate also says the accusers are just interested in money (although one could say the same thing about the estate).
In Oprah's After Neverland, Robson, Safechuck and director Dan Reed address the estate's criticism. Reed says he didn't interview anyone from Jackson's family because we know where they stand; plus they weren't in the room with the accuser and alleged abuser. Robson and Safechuck say they were silent for years, like many victims of child abuse, because they didn't recognize they were abused until they fathered boys of their own. And Robson claims he filed a lawsuit not for money, but to have the chance to tell the truth on the stand, and make the estate listen.
Last week, Paris Jackson, Michael's 20-year-old daughter, spoke out for the first time about Leaving Neverland. She accused followers of reading too much into her tweets, said she had not made any public statements yet, and did not seem to be too concerned about the controversy.
"calm yo tittaaaaysss," she tweeted. "i know injustices are frustrating and it’s easy to get worked up. but reacting with a calm mind usually is more logical than acting out of rage and also.... it feels better to mellow out. smoke some weed n think about the bigger picture. chillax my dudes."
On Friday, Paris responded to the furor over the documentary once again. "there’s nothing i can say that hasn’t already been said in regards to [my fathers'] defense," she tweeted. taj [Michael Jackson's nephew] is doing a perfect job on his own. and i support him. but that’s not my role. i’m just tryna get everyone to chill out and go with the flow, be mellow and think about the bigger picture. that’s me."
Recently Taj, Michael Jackson's 45-year-old nephew, argued that Michael could not have sexually abused Wade because was dating Michael niece, Brandi, at the time. However, filmmaker Dan Reed rejected that argument, saying he "doesn't follow the logic."
Michael Jackson died in 2009 at age 50, from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication.