“Leaving Neverland” is a Channel 4 (UK) and HBO (US) co-production in the documentary genre, directed by filmmaker Dan Reed. [53], Channel One Russia planned to release the film on nighttime television on March 15, but relegated it to their website, available until March 20, because of "mixed reception, speculation, and aggression from both supporters and opponents of the film". "[63], In Entertainment Weekly, Kristen Baldwin gave the film a B grade. Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case For Reasonable Doubt? They argued that such interpretation would "run afoul of the public policy embodies in numerous California statutes to protect children from sexual abuse" and "legitimize the creation of a category of wealthy, powerful or famous individual who could... preserve for themselves via contract posthumous control over how they are portrayed and described in a way that ordinary citizens cannot." ", "Judge Sides With Michael Jackson Estate in 'Leaving Neverland' Dispute", "HBO Appeals Arbitration Order in ‘Leaving Neverland’ Fight", "HBO Loses Appellate Bid to Avoid Arbitration With Michael Jackson Estate in 'Leaving Neverland' Dispute | Hollywood Reporter", "BAFTA TV 2020: Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy TV Craft Awards", "Peabody Awards: 'American Factory,' 'Dickinson,' 'Watchmen' Among Nominees", "Nominations Announced in Motion Pictures and Television Programs Categories – 2020 Awards", BAFTA TV Award for Best Factual Series or Strand, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden, Producers Guild of America Award for Best Non-Fiction Television, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Michael Jackson, Thriller 25: Limited Japanese Single Collection, 50 Best Songs – The Motown Years: Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, Mind Is the Magic: Anthem for the Las Vegas Show, Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson, Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson, 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson. [54], Following many requests of composer Chad Hobson to make the film's score available, the Leaving Neverland: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack official 19-track soundtrack album was released by Redrocca in the US and UK in digital format on April 1, 2019. When it was announced the documentary would be heading to the streaming platform, the Jackson estate sued HBO … "We know that this will go down as the most shameful episode in HBO's history," the letter said. However, it boosted sales of his music. [97] One review found that the rebuttal was not less believable than Finding Neverland with "barely a trace of insincerity on display in either". [31][32] He said he realized he was abused by Jackson after seeing Robson on television. "[18] In the film, Robson and Safechuck allege that Jackson sexually abused them when they were children, Safechuck beginning in 1988, Robson beginning in 1990. [26][30] The following year, James Safechuck, another former friend of Jackson, filed a case alleging he was sexually abused over a four-year period from the age of ten. [127], On May 2, HBO lawyers Daniel Petrocelli and Theodore Boutrous filed an opposing motion arguing that the contract had expired once both parties had fulfilled their obligations. [59], In Vanity Fair, Owen Gleiberman described the two men's stories as "overwhelmingly powerful and convincing. Judge George Wu denied HBO's motion to dismiss the case, allowing the Jackson estate to compel arbitration,[14] but granted HBO's motion to stay the arbitration proceedings with the Jackson estate pending HBO's appeal to the Ninth Circuit. To come out later on and have these repercussions, it's kind of weird and interesting because you never know what's true. Part 2 drew a 0.3 rating and 927,000 viewers in its initial airing. [116] Fashion house Louis Vuitton canceled Jackson-inspired products planned for its 2019 collections. Appeals Court Sends ‘Leaving Neverland' Fight to Arbitration The lawsuit says that airing the allegations was a violation of a 1992 contract for the airing of a Jackson concert on HBO Filmmaker Dan Reed’s two-part documentary film Leaving Neverland explores the separate but parallel experiences of two young boys, James “Jimmy” Safechuck, at age 10, and Wade … [42], After filming, Reed returned to London and began corroborating the stories. [74] On the day of the HBO premiere of Leaving Neverland: Part One, the estate posted Live in Bucharest on YouTube. A federal appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit filed by the Michael Jackson estate over "Leaving Neverland," the HBO documentary on two of the late pop star's accusers, can go forward in … [43] Reed decided that footage he had shot of former detectives and prosecutors from the 1993 case and the 2005 trial was unnecessary. The Michael Jackson estate has won an appeal against HBO for the network's 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which accused the late singer of sexually abusing two young boys. [39] An audience of 2.1 million watched Part 1 on Channel 4, and 1.9 million watched Part 2. [47] In the US, Part 1 drew a 0.4 rating and 1.285 million viewers, the third-largest audience for an HBO documentary in the decade, behind only Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief and Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. [21][22] In 1996, Jackson made an out-of-court settlement with the mother of another boy, Jason Francia, for more than $2 million, who, in 1993, previously told police that Jackson never molested him. [71], In January 2019, the Jackson estate issued a press release condemning the film: "The two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred. [52] Winfrey later spoke of the "hateration" she received from Jackson's supporters and others who criticized the film, yet said her support of the accusers has not wavered. When allegations of sexual abuse by Michael Jackson involving young boys surfaced in 1993, many found it hard to believe that he could be guilty of such unspeakable acts. [101], The documentary led to a media backlash against Jackson. [15] Reed is developing a follow-up documentary, with Robson and Safechuck returning. He concluded, "it's doubtful you'll feel exactly the same after watching. This will allow everyone the opportunity to assess the film and the claims in it … "[122], On February 7, 2019, shortly before broadcast, Howard Weitzman, attorney for the Jackson estate, wrote a letter to HBO chief executive Richard Plepler criticizing Leaving Neverland as journalistically unethical. A probate court dismissed Safechuck's suit in 2017. In the documentary, directed by British … Robson says he was given Jackson memorabilia as a child; he is photographed burning those items at the end of the film. "[88] Streisand later apologized and expressed sympathy for the accusers. However, Gomes believes Jackson's legacy would continue "from this generation to the next". Robson states in his 2013 complaint that, in April 2011, he had suffered the first of two nervous breakdowns followed by a second nervous in March 2012. ", Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Neverland Firsthand: Investigating the Michael Jackson Documentary, was accused of sexually molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in News and Information, Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming, Outstanding Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera), Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-camera), Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television, Outstanding Achievement in News and Information, Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, "When is Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland airing on Channel 4? [76] At the Sundance premiere, Robson and Safechuck said they had received death threats from some fans. [33][34], In 2015, Robson's case against Jackson's estate was dismissed because it was "untimely". "[67] IndieWire's David Ehrlich wrote that the film was "dry" and "hardly great cinema," but that it was "a crucial document for a culture that still can't see itself clearly in Michael Jackson's shadow. Wondering how Robson's and Safechuck's mothers could have allowed their sons to be allegedly abused, he returned to Los Angeles in November 2017 and interviewed their families. An appeals court ruled in favor of the estate of Michael Jackson in its battle over the 2019 HBO documentary "Leaving Neverland," which accused the late singer of sexually abusing two young boys. They have provided no independent evidence and absolutely no proof in support of their accusations. In 1993 Michael Jackson was accused of sexually molesting 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. The star’s estate is suing HBO for $100 million (£75.4m). The date [the accusers] have wrong is the end of the abuse." For survivors struggling with their truth, or friends and family looking for more information, these resources are here to help. "[65] The Daily Telegraph awarded it five out of five, describing it as "a horrifying picture of child abuse. The Jackson estate called this argument "classic tautology" and that it "assumes the very conclusion that HBO wants an adjudicator to reach in this dispute, i.e., that there are no remaining obligations under the Agreement". Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, which has sold millions of dollars worth of Jackson memorabilia, said: "He still commands prices compared to most any other celebrity." Joseph Vogel criticised the film in a Forbes article, writing that Robson tried "shopping a book" about his alleged sexual abuse by Jackson. "[58] On Metacritic, it holds a weighted average of 85 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 23 reviews. "[64] In The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Fienberg wrote: Leaving Neverland is "about the 20+ years... Robson and Safechuck [held secrets, lied, covered up] — and the damage that can do — as it is about the alleged crimes." [48][49], Kew Media Group sold the documentary to channels in 130 territories. It focuses on two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as children by the singer Michael Jackson. A federal appeals court panel sided with Michael Jackson’s estate Monday and said HBO must arbitrate a dispute over its Emmy-winning 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland.” They said, "Breaching an agreement by refusing to arbitrate is not constitutionally protected activity. "[61] Melanie McFarland of Salon believed the film's "intent isn't to merely grant these men and their families a platform to air their stories in all their painful fullness, but to place the viewer inside the perspectives of everyone who was taken in by the dream... it does leave the viewer in the thorny clarity of what we know now. [29] In 2012, Robson said his breakdown was triggered by an obsessive desire for success, and said his career had begun to "crumble". [82] Feldman told Rolling Stone that his relationship with Jackson was "the standard grooming process that [Robson and Safechuck] describe." Leaving Neverland (HBO) The Michael Jackson estate has won an appeal against HBO over the broadcast of the documentary Leaving Neverland. [100], Another documentary released in the aftermath of Leaving Neverland, though not as a direct rebuttal to it, was Square One: Michael Jackson, which examined the first accusations made against Jackson and made a case for his innocence, portraying him as a victim of tabloid journalism. "[91] Joey Fatone of NSYNC, who had worked with Robson at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, also expressed skepticism: "[At the time] it seemed like nothing was going on, that's the whole thing. Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Jackson estate, responded, "If HBO thinks the contract does not apply or is expired then why are they opposing adjudicating it? It was directed by journalist Liam McEwan and features interviews with Jackson's family and colleagues. "[66], David Fear wrote in Rolling Stone: "By offering these men a forum, this doc has clearly chosen a side. Yet the thoroughness with which it details this history of allegations, and the way it personalizes them to a startling degree, is hard to shake off. Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth, a documentary challenging the allegations of Leaving Neverland and asserting omissions and inconsistencies in that account, was released on August 13 on Amazon Prime Video. Following its premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019, it was broadcast on HBO in two parts in March 2019 and as a shortened version on Channel 4. A number of news outlets have reviewed the film following its world premiere at Sundance. [23][24] The Francias never filed a lawsuit. [81] He later said that his comments "[weren't] meant in any way to question the validity of the victims". The suit accused HBO of fabricating lies with a financial motive. “Michael Jackson cast a spell. [96] Another documentary challenging the film, Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth, was released on August 13. "I've never seen a media organization fight so hard to keep a secret," Branca said. [111] A London concert produced by Jackson collaborator Quincy Jones removed Jackson's name and album titles from its advertisements;[112] the organizers said the modified artwork reflected the show's broader inclusion of Jones' repertoire unrelated to his work with Jackson. Reed traveled to Los Angeles later that week to shoot Safechuck's story in two days. Leaving Neverland HBO Reed’s motion to quash was supported by a declaration from Channel 4’s head of news and current affairs Louisa Compton. [73] As Jackson is dead, HBO cannot be sued for defamation. [12], In February 2019, the Jackson estate sued HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a 1992 contract. HBO has also more generally defended “Leaving Neverland” as a valid and important piece of documentary journalism. [114], Film producer Jodi Gomes said she and the Jackson family had been working on a new documentary about the Jackson 5 for their 50th anniversary, but that it was canceled after the broadcast of Leaving Neverland. [131] The following day, Judge Wu gave a final ruling to deny HBO's motion to dismiss the case, granting the Jackson estate's motion to compel arbitration. [103] Jackson's combined music sales, including his work with the Jackson 5, increased 10%. December 14, 2020 Last year, HBO released the 4-hour documentary Leaving Neverland, which told the story of two of Michael Jackson’s alleged childhood sexual abuse victims. 2019 Emmy Winner - Outstanding Documentary, Leaving Neverland Premiere Leaves Audiences Stunned. (HBO comment added) UPDATE, 12:23 UPDATE: Over a year after HBO lost out in its attempt to have the $100 million Leaving Neverland lawsuit by the estate of Michael Jackson … [124][125], On February 28, Plepler resigned from HBO. [86] Culkin stated that Jackson "never did anything to him and he never saw him do anything." The letter said that the two accusers had been caught lying in testimony, and the documentary would only bolster their credibility. If there is one word to describe the experience of watching HBO’s Leaving Neverland, it is loss.For Wade Robson and James Safechuck — who allege in the HBO film that Michael Jackson … ", "Macaulay Culkin Wants to Set the Record Straight About His Relationship With Michael Jackson", "Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross are defending Michael Jackson", "Barbra Streisand apologises for comments on Michael Jackson's accusers", "Boy George criticizes 'Leaving Neverland' for 'disregarding' Michael Jackson", "Madonna Says Michael Jackson Is 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty, "Joey Fatone Says Wade Robson's 'Leaving Neverland' Was 'hard to watch", "Leaving Neverland Accused of Key Discrepancy, Michael Jackson Estate Issues Statement", "Michael Jackson biographer hits out at 'Leaving Neverland' accuser: "It simply can't be true, "Michael Jackson's friend admits singer's relationship with children was 'weird, "Jackson family responds to 'Leaving Neverland' in 30-minute YouTube documentary", "New documentary 'Chase The Truth' defending Michael Jackson is released", "Michael Jackson 'Chase The Truth' review: a defence of the child sex abuse allegations made against the singer", "Michael Jackson Accuser Wade Robson's 2016 Deposition Released In Video Exposing 'Lies of Leaving Neverland, "Nieuwe documentaire duikt in de eerste misbruikaanklacht tegen Michael Jackson", "Michael Jackson's popularity endures, even after new scandal", "Quebec radio stations have pulled Michael Jackson from airwaves following "Leaving Neverland" allegations", "First Dutch radio station boycotts Michael Jackson music", "Michael Jackson songs pulled from radio stations in New Zealand and Canada", "Michael Jackson songs back on New Zealand radio airwaves", "Michael Jackson's name has been taken out of Quincy Jones' show", "Organisers respond to criticism of Quincy Jones changing 'Michael Jackson albums show, "Michael Jackson items no longer on display at Children's Museum of Indianapolis", "Indianapolis children's museum removes Michael Jackson's hat and gloves but will keep some photos", "Louis Vuitton drops Michael Jackson-inspired items from 2019 men's collection", "UCLA Gymnast Speaks Out About Cutting the Michael Jackson Music From the Floor Routine", "Brussels cancels plans to dress its famous Manneken Pis statue as Michael Jackson", "Michael Jackson's Streams & Sales Increase, Airplay Declines, After 'Leaving Neverland' Broadcast: Update", "Michael Jackson albums climb the charts following Leaving Neverland broadcast", "Was I in denial? 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