REVIEW: Leaving Neverland is a Disturbing Look Back at Michael Jackson’s Bizarre Life

The new documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’ portraying Michael Jackson as a sexual predator is disturbing on many levels.

Firstly, ‘Leaving Neverland’ is a story told from the perspective of just two families. They offer no proof other than their words. As Jackson was exonerated in a court of law of all of the crimes he was charged with, under American double jeopardy laws, it cannot go back to trail. ‘Leaving Neverland’ therefore legally cannot ignite a new trial.

Secondly, Jackson is dead. He can no longer be held accountable for these alleged crimes even if they are true. Wade Robson, one of the two boys (now men) making these allegations, gave the evidence that led to Jackson being exonerated. His new revelations potentially open him up to charges of perjury.

Further, the mothers of these two boys are totally culpable of child negligence. What sort of mother allows her 7-year old child to sleep in a stranger’s bed?

I had real issues with Robson, in particular, while watching a preview screening of ‘Leaving Neverland’ at Network 10 this week. For someone who tells a story about years of sexual abuse by a celebrity pervert he remained disturbing close to Jackson over the years, stating as an adult man when Jackson died that “I still loved him dearly”. Robson would say earlier in the documentary that Jackson “helped me with my career and he also sexually abused me”. He says he cried for days and was depressed for months when Michael died, but he showed no emotion when his own father died.

Robson’s mother Joy clearly is responsible for opening the door that allowed the abuse to happen. Wade Robson was clearly obsessed with the character of Jackson as a 5-year old but mum Joy was starstruck and failed as a parent.

In ‘Leaving Neverland’ of his first sexual experience with Jackson Wade said, “I was seven years old when this began. He grabbed my crotch and his hand went down my pants. He touched my penis. It didn’t feel so strange. Then he guided me to do the same to him”.

Jackson would say, “You and I were brought together by God. We were meant to be together”.

Robson explains his actions in ‘Leaving Neverland’, “What you think were standard instincts went right out the window. It didn’t feel strange for me as a seven year old and my sister as a 10 year old asleep in his room”.

Later, “he pulled my pants down and performed oral sex on me,” Robson said. “I would put my hand on his head with his mouth on my seven year old penis. I had a full-sized adult penis in a little seven year olds mouth” he confesses.

James (Jimmy) Safechuck tells a similar story. Jimmy was the boy in the Jackson Pepsi commercial. His mother Stephanie, like Joy Robson, was clearly starstruck and let the rules of parenting go out the window.

Jimmy’s allegations are equally disturbing. “In Paris he introduced me to masturbation and that’s how it started,” Jimmy said. “Michael would like it if you bent over and spread your cheeks. He would ejaculate to finish himself off”.

Jimmy tells of how Jackson would do “dressing drills”. Jackson would train him to put his clothes on fast in case anyone was coming. “He said if anyone found out his life would be over and my life would be over,” he says.

Jimmy and Wade claim Jackson pushed them out of the circle when Macaulay Culkin came along. Culkin was not interviewed for ‘Leaving Neverland’. However, in the 2004/2005 trial he testified that Jackson never molested him.

They started to see a pattern. “Every 12 months there was a new boy in his life”.

When the initial allegations were made, Jackson resumed contact with Jimmy and Wade. Jackson would finger them as they got older Robson says. “There was always porn and candy (at Neverland)”.

Jackson released a video statement proclaiming his innocence when the allegations became global news.

In 2004, Jackson was charged with four counts of molesting a minor. The trail lasted 18 months. Robson, who was 22 years old at the time, testified as a Witness for the Defense. It was his testimony that convinced the jury that Jackson was innocent.

What ‘Leaving Neverland’ leaves out is that in 2011 Robson approached the Jackson family to direct ‘Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour”. He did not get the job. The following year he failed to find a publisher for a tell-all story about the alleged abuse. In 2013 he filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against the Jackson family over the abuse. In 2015 his lawsuit was dismissed.

Safechuck filed a similar suit with Robson’s lawyer when he heard Wade had done so. His lawsuit was dismissed in 2017.

Without saying it did happen or it didn’t happen, the simple facts are that in a court of law Michael Jackson was found not guilty. Both Safechuck and Robson have a history of approaching the Jackson’s and their claims being dismissed in a court of law.

‘Leaving Neverland’, the film by Dan Reed, does appear motivated by vindictiveness but for Reed, hey, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. (No members of the Jackson family were interviewed for the film).

The stories in the film are equally fascinating and putrid. There are elements of truth but the movie offers no legal proof of misconduct other than hearsay. However, it does show two mothers who did not do enough to protect their innocent children. Mow two children who are now men are obviously scarred for life.

‘Leaving Neverland’ will premiere in Australia on Network 10 and WIN on Friday March 8, 2019 at 9pm and conclude on March 9 at 9:30pm.

The extended and unedited version will also be available on-demand on 10 Play and 10 All Access from Friday, 8 March, 2019 at 10:01am.

Leaving Neverland trailer