Michael Jackson's estate has slammed the 'Leaving Neverland' documentary.
The four-hour documentary, which details alleged sexual abuse of two young men by the late singer, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend and Michael's estate was quick to condemn it.
Dan Reed's film follows two accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who have claimed that Michael sexually abused them but a statement from his estate, released just hours after the documentary premiered, lashed out at them, calling them "admitted liars".
The statement reads: "'Leaving Neverland' isn't a documentary, it is the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death. The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact. These claims were the basis of lawsuits filed by these two admitted liars which were ultimately dismissed by a judge. The two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred. They have provided no independent evidence and absolutely no proof in support of their accusations, which means the entire film hinges solely on the word of
two perjurers.
"Tellingly, the director admitted at the Sundance Film Festival that he limited his interviews only to these accusers and their families. In doing so, he intentionally avoided interviewing numerous people over the years who spent significant time with Michael Jackson and have unambiguously stated that he treated children with respect and did nothing hurtful to them. By choosing not to include any of these independent voices who might challenge the narrative that he was determined to sell, the director neglected fact checking so he could craft a narrative so blatantly one-sided that viewers never get anything close to a balanced portrait.
