Recently, a documentary was released on HBO called Leaving Neverland. Many have been anxiously waiting for the release of this film. It premiered at The Sundance Music Festival in January with many reporting about it but people were making judgements about Michael Jackson and the film itself way before its release. The film is a documentary about 2 men who detail their stories about being sexually abused by Michael Jackson when they were befriended by him as young boys. The film is told through the eyes of the accusers. Accounts and descriptions of the friendships they had with Michael Jackson are told in detail; both the good and the bad. “This powerful documentary chronicles their never-before-told firsthand accounts of how he endeared himself to the boys, how their families fell in love with Jackson, and how he allegedly got away with sexually molesting them for decades. They met Jackson years apart and on different continents, but both men offer disturbingly similar accounts that chronicle the manipulative process of a pedophile, the queasy emotional and physical intimacy between victim and abuser and how celebrity trumped accountability and common sense at most every turn. Leaders of the Jackson estate, who declined to appear in the film, deny all the criminal allegations, and the estate is now suing the film’s producer and director, Dan Reed.”
Michael Jackson’s family is outraged by the documentary. And many would have liked to have prevented it from airing. But that is not possible as a film is action and not speech and therefore it is not protected under the 1st Amendment as we learned in the 1915 case where the filmmakers of Birth Of A Nation tried to sue those that tried to ban the movie. In this instance, the family and their attorney found a loophole and have filed a claim against HBO. “The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that by co-producing and airing “Leaving Neverland,” as HBO intends to do next month, the cable channel is breaching a deal to not disparage the singer. The decades-old contract allowed the cable network to air “Michael Jackson in Concert in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour” and included language that HBO would not disparage Jackson at any future point.” (https://www.apnews.com/4abb6b7b96f14acb85e3f51c6f540929) It will be interesting to see if this claim will stick as it really was created for the protection of Michael Jackson for a given film though wording in the earlier agreement may actually cover all future films and releases on their network.
I am not going to watch the documentary. And, it is not that I don’t believe the individuals that are telling their story. I haven't had the opportunity or knowledge to make that decision. But it is because, for me, Michael Jackson holds a special place in my heart. As long as I can remember, I have always been a big fan of Michael Jackson’s music, dancing, videos and of his great talent in general. And, I don’t want the image that I have of him to change.
Sexual abuse is terrible. It is often not discussed or goes unnoticed or untold. The film reminds people that they shouldn’t keep things like this a secret. Therefore, it is necessary for the public to hear the words of the survivors, whether they are truthful accusations or not. It is also helpful for the survivors to tell their stories as it may help them in dealing with the hurt and pain that they suffering. I am not here to decide whether or not the accusations are true or false, though it would be better if Michael Jackson was still alive to defend himself. These men felt pain, felt abused and needed to share their story with others in order to remind people of the importance of sharing rather than keeping it to oneself and in hopes of helping others who might be suffering a similar situation and are afraid to tell. I feel horrible for them. But for me, my Michael Jackson is an invincible, super talented person and I do not want to change my image of Michael Jackson.
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