Whether you are an MJ fan or not, is irrelevant, when you are capable of research.
There have been so many parts of this film shown to be false that it is unbelievable it is still being shown anywhere.
True - the story of it is shocking. It plays on the viewer's natural and right revulsion when they are presented with abuse. But it is precisely that - a shocking story. Proven to be nothing but.
I suggest watching Danny Wu's "Square One", or "Chase the Truth", or "LeavingNeverland: The Aftermath" amongst others, where ACTUAL EVIDENCE of these men's lies is given.
These men have done so much damage to real victims of abuse it is crazy - they should not be given the time of day, let alone a platform.
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freyavioletlocke2 February 2020
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sarahthiel-862615 March 2019What upsets me the most about this movie is that it's being called a 'documentary'. By definition a documentary is "a film or television or radio programme that provides a factual report on a particular subject." Leaving Neverland is non of that. Not once does the movie (I'm going to call it 'movie' from now on, because that's what it is.) provide any official document from either James Safechuck's or Wade Robson's lawsuit. It doesn't provide one piece of evidence that supports their claims of being sexual abused by Michael Jackson. (James Safechuck has a box of jewelry that Michael Jackson allegedly gave to him for sexual acts. However, no proof that it was given to him as a child.) On top of that, we're only hearing on side of the story. Over and over again. Director Dan Reed recently admitted in an interview that he didn't want to interview others, because it would complicate the story. That's absolutely unethical considering that Leaving Neverland implies that Macaulay Culkin and Brett Barnes were Robson's and Safechuck's "replacement". Culkin and Barnes vehemently deny that they were ever abused by Jackson. This movie is basically four hours of two families blaming every family problem they ever had on Michael Jackson and two men painting a whole different picture of Jackson as an abuser. (Safechuck describes him as a paranoid abuser that coached him how to put on his clothes as fast as he could in case someone catches them during the abuse, whereas Robson claims that he was abused everytime they were together and even when his mum was next door.) What this film does have is drone shots of random places (mostly not related to what they are talking about) and random pictures of Michael Jackson in a red shirt. If they cut these drone shots and red-shirt-pictures the movie would have been over in two hours. My conclusion: it's not worth anybody's time. The length is absolutely not justified and this whole movie is based on the word of two perjurers.
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godisthelight-0745211 March 2019Stick to the facts so here is my review:
1. There is not a documentary about Michael Jackson as the term documentary refers to a programme which relies on factual evidence on a particular subject. The programme on TV is a work of fiction and if I am going to spend 2 hours of my life watching a fictional programme I will watch a Harry Potter movie or catch up on The Originals. False allegations of Child sex abuse is not my genre of choice.
Here are few of the reasons I KNOW this is a work of fiction:
1. Safechuck's mother danced when she heard Michael died in 2009 as he would never be able to harm another child. However, Safechuck himself said he did not recall the "abuse" until 2013.
2. Michael cut off Safechuck when he was an adolescent and had nothing more to do with him yet there are photos of him with Michael and Lisa-Marie as an adult.
3. Robson and Safechuck both swore under Oath that nothing untoward ever happened between them and Michael Robson spent 20 years forging a career based on his friendship with Michael. These claims only came out after the statute of limitations expired and incidentally, Robson got rejected for being the lead choreographer on the Cirque de Soleil MJ show.
4. Robson said he decided to testify for Michael after attending a dinner with him and seeing the impact to 2005 trial was having on him. However, he failed to mention this dinner was AFTER he testified and Michael's Family and friends were also present. Thomas Mesereau (Michaels attorney) has stated that he did not allow Michael to speak to any of the witnesses prior to testifying to ensure the prosecution could not use this against him.
5. Robson claimed the Michael kept him away from Women, yet Michael hooked him up with his own niece Brandi who dated him for 7 years. Surely if Michael was abusing him he would not then allow him to become close to his own niece.
6. Robson claims he was a loyal friend to Michael...he was also friends with Justin Timberlake and then slept with his girlfriend (cry me a river?) and was friends with Prince then slept with his wife - Great friend.
7. Both Robson and Safechuck filed a $1.6billion lawsuit against the estate which was thrown out of court for according to the Judge there was not any factual evidence.
8. Robson tried to then write a book which no one picked up. Hence the fictional programme that is on TV tonight.
9. In the programme, Robson burns Michael memorabilia, however, renowned auctioneers Julian's auctions have confirmed that Robson sold his collection to them and asked them to sign a secrecy agreement because he was broke.
The "director" of this programme did not interview 1 of the countless people who knew Michael and have defended him as good stories about Michael don't make money or create headlines.
No one talks about the hundreds of millions he donated to charities around the world. No one talks about the love and compassion he showed people that he did not know.
So if you really have nothing better to do by all means watch the programme but do it the same way you would watch a Harry Potter film... know that Hogwarts isn't real and Michael is not a monster.
Facts don't lie. People do.
''Parvinder Randolph-Avah'' -
jasondrew-460006 March 2019Most of the information in the movie is not true and has been confirmed to be false. For example Michael not wanting Wade be with girls and him hating girls, when in reality Michael set Wade up with his niece when they where kids and they dated for like 10 years during this period. The last scene in the movie where he burns memorabilia is also fake, as Wade sold all his Michael Jackson stuff in 2011-12.
Wade barbecuing with Michael and his kids is also fake as Michael Jacksons bodyguard and others who where there say that never happened. His bodyguard said that Wade did not meat Michael, as everyone who want to meet Michael has to go through him. The scene where Michael, his kids with Wade and family is said in the movie to be before the trial and they use what allegedly happened in dinner there as a reason why he testified under oath. When in reality according to people who where there say that the dinner was after the trial had ended. So you see there lots of lies and manipulation. So this movie can't be trusted at all. -
The truth is a powerful and at times devastating thing to hear. In order to accept what you are being told is true, one has to connect what you are being told logically to what is being accused.
Is it possible, that Michael Jackson abused these two men when they were children? At face value, and through emotional testimony... yes.
Is it also possible that these two men are motivated by another means to the point at which they will tell lies in order to achieve what motivates them... yes.
It's not up to me to judge these men personally, or Jackson for that matter. I have no personal stake in this. I can only make a judgement of if I feel what they are saying is true based on what is being to me as the audience.
So, what are we left with? In my opinion, I'm in the same place I've been for years. It's no secret Michael Jackson had an unhealthy relationship with children. I say unhealthy because he had no normal concept of real life. That doesn't make him a molester though. It's also no secret that he's arguably the greatest talent of the 20th century. How do these two paths connect? Can you be both a genius, and a monster?
Leaving Neverland, for all of its harrowing testimony (and it is graphic) still does not provide an answer or prove the guilt of Jackson, because what these men allege to have occurred can only be validated by the two people involved, and one of them, Michael Jackson, is dead. The accused offer no evidence.
And this then moves to the crux of the situation. If there is no financial motivation, why are they filing suit against his estate? Why did they continue to support him into adulthood, even after death? So many whys...
There is a lot of smoke here. And smoke can mean there's fire, and as a fan of Jackson I have to be ready to accept that, but this is a woefully one sided documentary that ignores many facts that over the years don't line up with what these men allege.
This documentary is an emotional one, not an investigative one. Do not look for all the answers here, because you won't get them, and the major flaw of this film is that, for allegations as serious as this, there Is very little evidence provided to back it up, but emotion is much more attractive than facts.
1/10 for wasting 4 hours. What could have been a serious investigative look at these men's stories, is instead a 4 hour soap opera hit piece on someone who has no way to defend themselves. If it was me being accused of this, or me accusing someone of this abuse, you better believe it wouldn't be made this public without some serious facts to back it up. -
brittanyulmer9 March 2019This "documentary" was a very smart chess move. Surface level thinkers would accept the information given at face value, no question. The documentary referenced very graphic details from possibly real sexual abuse cases for shock value. The blanks were filled with Michael Jackson, but no proof whatsoever. No video evidence, no phone call recordings no nothing. Only the "victims" saying he never did anything. The FBI investigation finding nothing. The not guilty verdict in the court of law. It doesn't make any sense. Michael Jackson was a master in music and the greatest entertainer of all time. I'm not convinced that he was a master manipulator, pedophile, criminal who can get away with having 0 evidence while having sex with boys for years. Sorry try again.
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Smussentom-2359812 March 2019Manipulative and one-sided without any evidence. The stories of both alledged victims are full of inconsistencies. The timelines dont add up at all. According to robson, it was culkin who replaced him in 1991, and according to safechuck it was brett barnes who replaced him in 1992. The timelines dont make sense to me. Questionable facial expressions. As well as moments when safechuck for example shows a little box with jewellery which he kept for all the years while saying he doesnt like to remember it and to look at it. Another scene is when Robson graphically describes sex acts with words like his adult penis in my 7 year old mouth. That seems purposely described that way in order to manipulate the audience and to provoke rage and disgust by picturing those disgusting sceneries. For me thats no serious journalism and i cant give more than 1 star
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I was extremely disappointed in this documentary. Expected both sides to be told so you can make a fair judgement.
In the end, you end up seeing no proof or evidence to support those allegations.
Reading more into the accusers, they have failed lawsuits wanting $millions and have changed versions of their stories which makes you question are they are doing this for monetary gain as Michael Jackson is no longer here?
If 3 police raids (93/03/04), Santa Barbara PD, LAPD, DCFS & even the FBI (tracked him unknowingly) and being exonerated on 14 charges in 2005 (where one of the accused Wade Robson testified under oath for the defence) found nothing, can we really believe 2 accusers seeking $millions.
I also question the directors motive, if both men are found to be lying & committed perjury then this could have devastating consequences for genuine victims of the me too & times up movement.
If anything this documentary points to the opposite, that Michael Jackson was innocent after all. -
adi_pasa1 March 2020Only in America - A movie filled with lies and sold as a documentary.
These 3 money driven crooks, and HBO, and the biggest scumbag in the world Oprah Winfrey they will stop at nothing for their personal gain. They have no respect for the dead, for the dead's family. And the hole world is allowing them to do it.
HBO made a name for itself with Michael Jackson's live concert from Bucharest, and now it trying to make a name for itself on the harsh competing streaming business, by smearing Michael's name with these "lets hear the victims" stunt.
America please wake up! -
kfgfktflytghflg9 March 20190 proof. 0 evidence. Just some sob stories from 2 guys cu have flip flopped many times, had their law suits thrown out of court, tried and failed to get a book deals etc. One guy testified UNDER OATH nothing happened to him. Now I'm supposed to believe him, when he's getting paid? Nah.
Since MJ is dead and the defamation law only applies to the living, his estate can't sue them and they can smear him all they want without a shred of proof. Shame on HBO for making this trash -
Alsvalia7 March 2019If you are looking for truth about Michael Jackson, you will not find it in this mockumentary. It is the desperate attempt of two proven liars to extort money from the Michael Jackson Estate. One of them even testified FOR Michael Jackson in the 2005 trial. A trial with jurors which found Michael Jackson NOT guilty of 14 counts of indictment. There is also a 10-year long FBI investigation that found no shred of evidence that Michael Jackson abused anyone. Ask yourself, who would you rather believe: the FBI and 12 jurors, or two leeches who profited from Michael Jackson's generosity in the past and wanted more?
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I scrolled through almost all of the comments and what I found was this: -10 star review comments headlining that all 1 star reviews are from "blind superfans" and not to listen to them, when some even expressed they don't even like Michael Jackson but don't believe the film one bit. -some of the 10 star review comments are repeated twice or even show up multiple times, word for word. Seems a little fishy and propaganda-ish don't you think? -The film lacks any credbility. To sum it up for you, these men are out to make money. No one who was abused, claims the abuser was inoccent in a court of law, and willingly chooses to hang around the abuser into early adulthood like these two did. The film is 4 hrs long, is extremely one sided, and does not provide a single grain of evidence to support their salicious claims throughout. There were also no new "developments" in the accusations, and many plotholes and timelines that don't add up, as well as a slew of other contradictions. It's laughable anyone would choose to believe a so called "documentary" that is not only one sided like I mentioned earlier; but fixates solely on the emotions of the viewer without providing anything informational, other than a sick form of entertainment for those out there aching to tear down the image of Michael Jackson. He didn't have a normal life, made mistakes of course, but being a child predator was not one of them.
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edusanesteban5 March 2019I can't believe that this guy accuses MJ on 2011 after being pushed out of a MJ project that he wanted to do so badly saying that he had suppressed memory. Everything is so faked. The things he says that MJ gave him were already sold on auction so the things he is burning are fake. The documentary is only one sided position and includes zero prices of what they are saying. It makes me wonder how many lies I have swallow by media because when you are dead anyone can come forward and say anything about you. Anyway I did my research and these cases were dismissed by the court so there is no point in believing them.
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Cinema_freak18 January 2020What happened to basic presumption of innocence? Are we supposed to believe two people just because they say so? Do you think this is how courts work? Simply listening to the plaintiffs and convicting the defendant on the basis of their stories? What happened to looking at both sides? No matter how "weird" or "inappropriate" MJ's actions were, the crime in question is child molestation, not having sleepovers with children. And considering this anybody who has ever looked into MJ's previous accusers clearly would know what kind of shady characters they were, and how those accusations were simply blatant extortion plots. And when one does in fact look at the other side of these newfound "victims", it does not take much time to find out the amount of blatant lies in this movie. I'll give you one example - google "Mark Geragos Leaving Neverland". It is sad that society today is all about mob-lynching and virtue-signalling. Equally sad that Michael Jackson is still being used a scapegoat to distract the gullible public, from God knows what. Pathetic misuse of the wonderful medium of cinema to railroad a man who remained humble and empathetic to others despite all the personal struggles he went through. Please, people. Wake up. Learn to think independently. Don't let the mainstream media shove everything down your throats.
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Wade Robson had delusions of grandeur. He thought he was going to direct the Michael Jackson Immortal tour. When he was replaced and moved to a lower position, he found himself a financial and professional failure. He has spent the past 20 years defending Michael Jackson, as have many other of Jackson's friends. The facts are Jackson was investigated by many people and even the FBI over the years. No one has ever proven any wrongdoing occurred. In fact to the contrary, he was cleared every time. The original accuser has since admitted his father lied in 1993. In fact in 2005 Micheal Jackson was found NOT GUILTY of similar accusations. This film is full of contradictions and inaccurate information. I would urge anyone to do their own research and not take this hit piece at face value. Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons.
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patrickbutler19819 March 2019The two accusers of Michael Jackson are liars, which brings the documentary down. No emotion when they talk about the abuse, which makes their statements deceptive. No additional victims, the documentary is one dimensional. Michael Jackson is innocent, this documentary sucks, do not watch! "Red Card"
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tv-508806 March 2019I don't know how this has been listed as a documentary. It is nothing more than a one sided biased story with absolutely no research taking place. Having taken the time to read the facts, this documentary is nothing more than lies.
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I feel like this documentary was very well done. I came into this thinking this would be some more BS and it was just a way to tarnish MJ life without him being able to defend himself. Well after watching both parts I 100 percent believe this happened to them. For everyone saying there is no evidence and no proof. Did you actually watch it? How many boys need to come forward with the same exact story? Why would maids and people who work on the property and drivers need to lie on their behalf? What did they need to gain? The workers weren't trying to get any money. Think about this. How do you feel like it is ok for a grown man to have a 7 year old boy sleep in his hotel room alone or all the other younger boys sleep in his room alone? In what shape or form is that ok? Is that not proof or evidence in itself? The maid even said she saw them naked taking showers together. So was it one big conspiracy to just tarnish his name? When everyone keeps saying that they testified on his behalf so they must be lying now. Think about this. Wade Robson was 22 at the time with a gf and had a good career in the music industry. MJ had a relationship with him since he was 7 and had groomed him on what to say and he felt love toawards MJ. He even lied to his family and his gf about everything. He didn't even want to testify but he was subpoenaed. He knew MJ his whole life and even knew his kids. He didn't want to see MJ go to jail. He felt like is was a relationship and friendship and didn't feel like he was abused. This is what abusers do to their victims and their families. They become really close and manipulate the parents into trusting them as well. Both of these men are now in their 30s and finally have the courage to speak up. Some victims never speak up because of the shame and embarrassment they feel. You can feel however you want about MJ or this documentary but when you look at the facts and even court documents and everyone with the same story that's not just a coincidence or a conspiracy. The fact that he had young boys sleeping with him alone is enough for me to believe them. Watch both parts all the way through before you just automatically assume they are lying. Honestly I hope more people have the courage to speak up about this now. Some will take it to their graves and that happens to victims. I commend these two brave men for finally having the courage to speak up and tell their story. I don't feel like they are doing it to hurt MJ I feel like they are doing it to help others who go through or have gone through this type of abuse and are never able to speak out about it.
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burgjamie6 March 2019If this were a fair documentary, you would see both sides. Not only that, but they could've at least interviewed more than just the men and their families. They claim that others replaced them, yet those same boys weren't interviewed and deny that anything sexual ever happened with them. The doc only involved people that fit their narrative, and it's no surprise that I found inconsistencies in the claims once I did my own research. Their behavior seemed odd for victims anyways. This "documentary" is nothing but a pull at people's gullibility levels. I feel bad for you if you fall for it.
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Vamphier10 March 2019This shows how all they want is money. Just like the past. I guess he can't Rest In Peace people still have to degrade him. I believe he NEVER touched them. They are all liars..
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robraj7 March 2019Would you laugh 😂 and joke and reminisce like you had a crush on somebody who harmed your children? 🙄 If Jackson slept with anyone it was those giggling mothers. Jeez. No emotion from the accusers just anger that Jackson was wary enough to distance himself from them eventually. That "wedding ring" would be too big for most adults it hardly fit a 7 yr old. I wish people would wake up.
Waste of time I want those 4 hours of my life back!
Annoyed! -
as-192538 March 2019I saw Leaving Neverland. It is scripted. The information is not accurate and it is horribly biased. A show based on false information will not help abused children. The Las Vegas news published that Wade wrote letter to Cirque Du Soleil begging for a job. Another film-maker said Wade was upset when the Estate did not hire him and that is when Wade intentionally made this Story up. Dan Reed made sure this was a biased show. He said this is not about MJ but shows an edited clip of MJ wishing Happy Birthday to Wade, as if that now anyone who wishes a child Happy Birthday is a pedophile. The show was overly long and very boring. Wade testified under Oath under intense questions about anywhere he might have been touched that could indicate abuse Wade answered NO. He was 22 years old. He was NOT a child. Jimmy Safechuck signed statements MJ never touched him and he was an Adult. Wade wrote a testimony of what a wonderful person MJ was for the OPUS. He wanted to be at the Funeral. He had until he was 26 to file abused claims against MJ while MJ was alive. He didn't. He said he never forgot on Matt Lauers show. Wade and Jimmy wanted 1.6 billion dollars in their lawsuits. Those are on appeal so Wade is hoping this show will get him sympathy for a judge to grant his appeal for 1.6 billion. NO child that was sexually abused the way these guys say would not have shown some evidence of pain. They would have been anxious around the abuser. Those are real signs of PTSD. This does a true dis-service to truly abused children. Wade said in depositions he only went to Neverland once a year with his family Wade was caught lying in his depositions and the judge threw his statement out. If you suspect child abuse REPORT it, take the child to the doctor and to a counselor for help, not to a false edit vile show that misleads people about abuse. Don't watch this film, it is not factual.
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derbigpr8 March 2019If you delivered this documentary to a court of law and presented it as evidence, any judge in the world would piss himself laughing and show you the door out, because you have no case, you just have claims without proof. This is a typical case of "guilty until proven innocent", except the person accused is dead and has no way of proving their innocence, which just makes this whole deal more disgusting. Why didn't all these abused people sue MJ when he was alive? Why were they quit all this time?
I was never a big MJ fan, I think he was highly overrated as an artist, but then again I was never really a pop music fan. I went into watching this documentary without any personal attachments or expectations, just sheer curiosity due to everyone talking about it. I DON'T KNOW whether he is guilty or not, but what pisses me off are all these hordes stupid people who act like they DO KNOW, ABSOLUTELY 100% DO KNOW that he is guilty JUST based on this documentary, and that's tragic, because this documentary is one the best examples of brainwashing done right.
As I've said already in the title, this documentary is aimed at the people with double-digit IQ's who have literally no ability for critical thinking and absolutely no way of recognizing patterns and when someone is trying to sell them something, even when it's done in an incredibly obvious way. I mean, this is not a surprise. Look at the american media in general and how they manage to brainwash an entire nation with close to no effort. It just seems that people nowadays are extremely dumb and will fall for anything they see on the screen just because it makes sense BASED ON what they're seeing. They completely ignore the fact that what they're seeing is ONLY A PART of the whole story and that what they're seeing is SHOWN TO THEM BY SOMEONE WHO WANTS THEM TO ONLY SEE SPECIFIC PARTS of the entire story, the parts that will make the viewer form a certain opinion. Everything that may sway the viewer into the opposite direction is not shown, and therefore these idiots watching the documentary completely ignore the fact that the whole other side of the story exists. If you take this documentary seriously, then you just have a weak intellect, that's the bottom line. It's completely irrelevant whether MJ was guilty or not, I'm talking about the self-proclaimed law experts jumping to conclusions based on what they're told by people who are GETTING PAYED HUGE SUMS OF MONEY to speak into a camera.
Every single moment of this 4 hour documentary was a one-sided, perfectly tailored story meant to pull on specific strings of specific types of people, and it obviously manages to do that.
There is absolutely NO proof or evidence of anything that's stated in these videos. The people involved seemed to have no issues with keeping all those "secrets" to themselves for years, until, how convenient, someone offered them huge amounts of money to speak about the top on cameras. There is NO defense point of view at all in the documentary, etc. BUT, people don't seem to care. Which is exactly why I say they're dumb. There's nothing going on in their heads when watching. Nothing being processed in their brains other than EXACTLY what they see on screen. If you watch things like that, it's easy to fool you. -
I wouldn't consider myself a diehard MJ fan but as a child growing up in the 80's I understood the super star power that MJ had. I get why these families were awestruck by MJ wanting them to be a part of his family. Ultimately it blinded them from the sick realities of MJ's own struggles with pedophilia. This film did a great job at laying out the facts and focusing on the two men and their experiences. Anyone that actually watches this movie will have a tough time denying the stories from these two men.
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lissa-s6 March 2019All for money and greed. Do not waste your time and watch this "documentary".