Leaving Neverland accuser James Safechuck has shared a statement of support to child sex abuse survivors amid the release of the new Michael Jackson biopic, Michael.
Dan Reed directed the HBO-produced, two-part documentary back in 2019, which focused on interviews with Safechuck and Wade Robson, who alleged that they were sexually abused as children by Jackson.
Both men say they were befriended by the singer and abused at his Neverland ranch in Santa Barbara, California, between the ages of 7 and 10.
With Jackson’s biopic now out in cinemas, Safechuck has shared a statement in support of survivors of childhood sexual abuse. “The Michael movie is coming out and it’s getting a lot of promotion and there’s billboards and commercials and people praising Michael,” he said in a video shared with Rolling Stone.
“It can be triggering for survivors who have their own Michael in their lives, whether it’s the priest who’s close to God or the sports coach who’s just helping the kids or the step-parent who’s supporting the family,” he added. “Our abusers are praised sometimes, even after we come out and tell the truth.
“I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and that there are other survivors out there that understand what you’re going through and that are there with you. And that if you’re feeling all the feels, then lean into people that are close to you, lean into people that support you and that give you love, and know that you’re not alone,” he continued.
He went on to say: “Telling the truth and telling what happened is a good thing, and that it’s a part of your healing. Alright, I love you, bye.”
Leaving Neverland director, Reed, has recently criticised the biopic and claimed that the musician was “worse than Jeffrey Epstein”.
Reed has also questioned why the new biopic failed to acknowledge the abuse allegations against Jackson. “It says that people don’t care that he was a child molester. Literally, people just don’t care,” he said.
“I think a lot of people just love his music and turn a deaf ear. And short of having actual video evidence of Michael Jackson engaged in sexual intercourse with a seven-year-old child, I don’t know what would be sufficient to change these people’s minds.
“How can you tell an authentic story about Michael Jackson without ever mentioning the fact that he was seriously accused of being a child molester?” he added.
According to a recent Variety report, the film’s third act was initially supposed to explore how Jackson was impacted by multiple allegations of child molestation. However, Jackson’s estate reportedly had to pay around $15million for reshoots after it emerged that the singer’s out-of-court settlement with Jordan Chandler, the first of his accusers, included a clause barring Chandler from being depicted on screen.
Antoine Fuqua, the director of the film, recently addressed the allegations made against Jackson, saying: “When I hear things about us — Black people in particular, especially in a certain position — there’s always pause.”
A New Yorker article noted that the director “was sceptical of some of the accusers’ parents, particularly Chandler’s father, who was recorded threatening to ensure that Jackson was “humiliated beyond belief”.
Fuqua then emphasised that he didn’t know the truth behind any allegations made against Jackson, but speculated that “sometimes people do some nasty things for some money.”
Reed also addressed Fuqua’s remarks, saying, “For Antoine Fuqua to accuse people of gold digging is kind of ironic. It seems to me all the people involved in this movie are just making bank.”
“If anyone’s making money, it’s Michael Jackson’s estate and the people who worked on this biographical picture,” Reed said, adding that Safechuck and Robson “have never made a cent from their accusations” against Jackson.
“People don’t seem to understand: If you bring a lawsuit, you don’t get any money until you win in court. And when you win in court, that means you’ve proved your case, right?” he said.
Jackson, one of the best-selling artists of all time, reached an out of court settlement of $25 million in 1994 with the family of Jordan Chandler, who had accused Jackson of molesting him.
A case file was closed several months later after prosecutors cited a lack of evidence to proceed without testimony from the Chandler Family.
In December 2003, Jackson was also charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor with alcoholic drinks, with the charges related to 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo.
Jackson denied the charges and was acquitted in 2005 after a lengthy four-and-a-half month long trial.
The Jackson estate has adamantly and repeatedly denied that he abused either of the boys, and has emphasised that Robson testified at Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial that he had not been abused, and Safechuck said the same to authorities.
NME gave Michael three stars in a review that read: “Michael feels like a job well done: it’s a slick, accessible advert for Jackson’s incredible imperial phase. But if the singer’s estate wanna be startin’ somethin’ bigger like a film franchise, they’ll have their work cut out.”
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN...