In Leaving Neverland, a shocking HBO documentary that aimed to shed light on the pedophilia claims against Michael Jackson. James Safechuck and Wade Robson insisted that the legendary singer sexually abused them when they were little. These allegations have been met with a variety of mixed reactions from the general public. A lot of Jackson’s offended fans actually took to social media to protest the release of Leaving Neverland, saying they will disrupt the screening.
However, security measures ensured that the screening of Leaving Neverland was successful. And ever since, the documentary’s content has left a huge stain on MJ’s legacy and has also caused him to lose a lot of his fans. After the series aired, radio stations in New Zealand and Canada stopped playing Jackson’s songs and two producers of The Simpsons decided to take down an episode that featured the pop star.
While all these saddening chains of events unfolded though, Jackson’s family remained silent until recently. In Neverland Firsthand, a new documentary, Jackson’s family members and close friends finally addressed the allegations. And they are far from okay or indifferent about Leaving Neverland’s disparaging depictions of the music icon. They harshly defended MJ and pushed back against all the allegations of sexual misconducts that have been heaped on Michael Jackson.
Taj Jackson, the singer’s nephew, waved off the lawsuits as mere attempts to exploit his uncle’s “niceness”. That it has always been that way throughout Michael Jackson’s career.
For Brandi Jackson, MJ’s niece, Robson—one of the alleged sexual victims, was nothing more than an opportunist. She claims to have met Robson when she was a child and to have dated him for more than seven years. Brandi says that Robson knows
“how to position himself in different situations that will benefit him in a financial way.”
She claims that filing a sexual lawsuit against Michael Jackson was just the “next outlet” for Robson.
Vince William Finaldi, Robson’s lawyer, will not have that though. He countered Ms. Jackson’s statement, saying
“Ms. Jackson was not with Wade and Michael Jackson when the abuse occurred, and as such, she has nothing relevant to say about the topic.”
More support for the legendary singer continues to emerge though. Brad Sundberg, Michael Jackson’s technical director, also defended the musician. He says he finds it hard to believe any of the sexual abuse claims because never “in a million years” did he ever see “a child around Michael Jackson that looked like they had been distressed, hurt, abused.”
