Leaving Neverland, a four-hour long documentary directed by Dan Reed has been released that brings back the horrors of pop legacy Michael Jackson's sexual abuse. Two of Jackson's accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, delve into the details of the horrifying things the pop icon did to them for years. In the question and answer round, Wade Robson shared his accounts of stories, how he got to know the pop star, how a friendship between him and Jackson turned into something he didn't expect, how he was abused for an extended period of time since then and more.
In the documentary, Robson states that he, who preferred dance over basketball, was a big fan of the pop star. He would emulate the Thriller singer's dance moves. After winning a local dance contest, Robson got the opportunity to meet and befriend Michael Jackson. Their friendship was further propelled by his over-eager mother, who was spellbound by the idea of him getting acquainted with a celebrity.
As the documentary progresses, Wade divulges deeper into the horrors of sexual abuse, which he faced at the mere age of seven. It was just a start from then, adds Wade as he states chilling details of a number of anal and oral activities that were conducted by the pop star on him. In fact, Jackson allegedly even told Wade that women cannot be trusted and that they cannot tell anyone about the things they do as both would face jail.
The five most shocking moments from the Michael Jackson doc #LeavingNeverland https://t.co/3IHpVa2fWc pic.twitter.com/5l4lRWli0r
— Variety (@Variety) January 27, 2019
James Safechuck, the second accuser reveals how he met Jackson as they worked together in a Pepsi ad. Aged 10, Safechuck and Jackson developed a friendship which led to him accompanying the star on his tours, along with his starstruck mother. In his testimony, Safechuck stated that Jackson allegedly introduced him to masturbation when he was 11 years old. James would bunk with Jackson while his mother would be given a separate room.
Eventually, her hotel rooms were being booked on different floors as Jackson wanted to make sure to prevent leak of this kind of information. He fed James too with the same image of how women are evil and cannot be trusted. James further revealed that he and Jackson even had a mock wedding where he was given a ring by the star, which he still owns.
“Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons.” -Michael Jackson pic.twitter.com/lsfNHjRBS2
— Nicole Rodriguez (@NicRodriguez) January 26, 2019
James and Wade's importance eventually started fading away as they allege that Jackson found new and younger boys. Macaulay Culkin preplaced Wade in the Black and White video which led to feelings of insecurities and jealousy. “You’re no longer special,” James describes. Ever since the two accusers have delved into the horrifying details of their childhood with Michael Jackson, the late pop star's fans have been sending out death threats to them.
“I understand that it’s really hard for them to believe because, in a way, not that long ago, I was in the same position they were in,” Wade said and added, "Even though it happened to me, I still couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that what Michael did was a bad thing up until six years ago. So I understand. We can only accept and understand something when we’re ready, and maybe we’ll never be ready. Maybe we will. So that’s their journey.”
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 28, 2019 11:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).