Michael Jackson.Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty
Michael Jackson’s family has issued a passionate statement denouncing the documentaryLeaving Neverland, whichpremiered at the Sundance Film Festivalon Friday. The four-hour exposé, which will air on HBO this spring, centers around claims from James Safechuck and Wade Robson, both of whom say they endured years of Jackson’s inappropriate behavior and manipulation.
Labeling the pair “two admitted liars,” the Jackson family reiterates that they remain “proud of whatMichael Jacksonstands for” in a statement issued on Monday.
“People have always loved to go after Michael,” it continues. “He was an easy target because he was unique. But Michael was subjected to a thorough investigation which included a surprise raid of Neverland and other properties as well as a jury trial where Michael was found to be COMPLETELY INNOCENT. There has never been one piece of proof of anything.”
Director Dan Reed rebuked these claims in a statement to PEOPLE. “Anyone who sees the film will know it is solely about hearing the stories of two specific individuals and their families in their own words, and that is a focus we are very proud of,” he says. “We feel no need to include the opinions of people with no direct knowledge of what happened to those individuals.”
In 2017, a California judgedismissed Robson’s caseagainst Jackson’s estate and two companies it controls, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, and ruled that it is not liable for Jackson’s alleged childhood sexual abuse of the celebrity choreographer.
Robson first sued in 2013, claiming that Jackson abused him for nearly a decade. He later said in an amended complaint to his 2013 lawsuit that MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures were operations “specifically designed to locate, attract, lure and seduce child sexual abuse victims.” A probate court in 2015 rejected his claim against the estate itself, which left the two business entities as defendants.
Robson had previously appeared as a witness for Jackson’s defense during a separate sexual abuse trial in 2005 in which the pop star was acquitted of child molestation charges.
RELATED VIDEO: Choreographer Wade Robson Claims Michael Jackson Ran the ‘Most Sophisticated Child Sexual Abuse’ Operation in History in New Complaint
They go on to reference the makers ofLeaving Neverland, including Reed. “The creators of this film were not interested in the truth. They never interviewed a single solitary soul who knew Michael except the two perjurers and their families. That is not journalism, and it’s not fair, yet the media are perpetuating these stories. But the truth is on our side. Go do your research about these opportunists. The facts don’t lie, people do. Michael Jackson was and always will be 100 percent innocent of these false allegations.”
Since the film’s premiere, Jackson’s nephew Taj Jackson, 45, has repeatedly and vehemently denounced the allegations made in the documentary.
“My family and I have known Wade and his family since he came to America. Don’t tell me a 4 hour one sided hit job that you watched is more reputable than people who actually knew him and saw his interactions,”he wrote on Saturday. “This is all about money and the desperate need to be relevant again.”
The previous day, Taj claimed Robson and Safechuck were “acting” in the film and criticized the media for “condemning an innocent man.”
“After years of coaching and studying for these roles, I’m sure Wade (self proclaimed “Master of Deception”) and Jimmy both gave Oscar winning performances today,” he wrote. “Media, please do a 10 minute google search before you condemn an innocent man who is no longer here to defend himself.”
He has also created aGoFundMe pagein support of his uncle, with the aim of creating a new documentary, which plans to “conclusively destroy decades of salacious myths which have been told and sold about Michael Jackson.” The campaign has since raised over $28,000 of its $777,000 goal.
The emotional film was only halfway through when viewers began sharing their thoughts on the “sickening” allegations.
“It’s halftime at the four-hour Michael Jackson doc and I’m already gonna need 400 showers to ever feel clean again. #Sundance”David Ehrlich, a senior film critic at Indie Wire tweeted after the doc’s first two hours.
In response, fans argued back that there was “no evidence” and that people “never tried to understand Michael and see who he really was.”
“You are falling for the wrong stuff & you are being played and you will see that pretty soon! Wait on it,”wroteanother.
Despite the passionate reactions from viewers, family, and fans alike, Robson, 36, and Safechuck, 40, reportedly received a standing ovation at Sundance after the film had ended, according toTMZ.
Sarah Michaud
source: people.com
