Certainly an amazing musician. But this doco destroys his reputation.
Secrets will eat you up' – inside the shocking Michael Jackson documentary
In a disturbing new documentary, two accusers share their stories of what they say happened to them at the hands at the world’s most famous pop star
Benjamin Lee
@benfraserlee
Sat 26 Jan 2019 10.57 AEDT Last modified on Sat 26 Jan 2019 12.55 AEDT
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A still from Leaving Neverland by Dan Reed, an official selection of the Special Events program at the 2019 Sundance film festival. Photograph: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
It only takes about two minutes into the four-hour documentary Leaving Neverland to realise that Michael Jackson’s legacy is never going to be the same again. After a brief introduction, praising him for his indisputable talent, one of his accusers looks into the camera and lists the ways in which the singer helped him. He then states: “And he sexually abused me for seven years.”
Ever since it was announced as a late addition to this year’s Sundance film festival, controversy hasn’t been far behind. The singer’s estate
labelled it “an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson” while fans have reportedly levelled threats against the film’s director, the Bafta winner Dan Reed. Protests had been teased online, leading to an increased police presence, but on a frosty morning here in Utah, only
a small group of the late singer’s die-hard obsessives showed up.
For those inside the Egyptian theatre on Main Street, resistance wasn’t futile, it was utterly impossible. Over four hours, set to be shown in two portions on HBO and Channel 4, Reed shared the detailed testimonies of two men accusing Jackson of graphic and extensive sexual abuse when they were children. Before it started, we were informed that healthcare professionals were on hand for those who might need it, the explicit descriptions potentially causing difficulties for those who might feel triggered. While prior court cases might have buckled and previous accusers might have been labelled delusional opportunists, it’s difficult to imagine this sensitively crafted and horrifically detailed film being quite so easily denied.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/25/michael-jackson-documentary-leaving-neverland