Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 9 minutes ago
Oprah Winfrey will interview Michael Jackson accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck in a TV special that will air after the premiere of HBO's upcoming documentary 'Leaving Neverland.'
Transcript
00:00Oprah Winfrey is set to interview Michael Jackson accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck,
00:04who are the subjects of the upcoming HBO documentary, Leaving Neverland, in a TV
00:08special that will air after the premiere of The Doc. The hour-long special, titled
00:12Oprah Winfrey Presents, After Neverland, will be taped in front of an audience that includes
00:16survivors of sexual abuse and will air simultaneously on HBO and OWN on March 4 at 10pm.
00:21Leaving Neverland follows Robson and Safechuck as they recount childhood abuse they
00:25claim to have suffered at the hands of Jackson. Last week, HBO unveiled the Doc's first
00:29trailer in which both men explain how their experiences with the late pop superstar,
00:33who passed away in 2009 at the age of 50, have affected them.
00:36Dancer and choreographer Robson, best known for his work with Britney Spears and NSYNC,
00:44among other pop acts, says,
00:51Despite having defended Jackson in court during the singer's 2005 child molestation case,
00:56Robson now says in the documentary that he wasn't telling the truth in his
00:59testimony.
01:00I want to be able to speak the truth as loud as I had to speak the lie for so long.
01:07Leaving Neverland debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January, with Jackson's
01:11estate calling the film a tabloid character assassination and insisted it isn't a
01:15documentary, while his family called director Dan Reed and the film's two accusers
01:19opportunists. Members of the Jackson family also claim that Robson and Safechuck are
01:23making allegations now against the thriller singer because they are looking for a payout.
01:27It's all about the money, Jackson's brother Marlon told Gayle King during an interview
01:31for CBS This Morning. Nephew Taj Jackson added,
01:34It's always been about money.
01:35I hate to say it when it's my uncle, it's almost like they see a blank check.
01:38These people felt that they're owed something. Instead of working for something,
01:44they blame everything on my uncle.
01:45When asked by King if Michael was ever abusive toward children, the family members all
01:50adamantly denied the claims, with older brother Jackie saying...
01:52The people that really know him, they know the truth too.
01:55The interview is one of several that CBS This Morning is conducting with parties involved
01:59with leaving Neverland. On Tuesday, director Dan Reed appeared on the program and on
02:03Thursday, King will also conduct interviews with Robson and Safechuck.
02:06Jackson's estate has since filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO and its parent
02:12company, Time Warner, claiming that the network has violated a non-disparagement clause
02:16from a 1992 contract, which was written up after HBO aired one of Jackson's concerts.
02:20Meanwhile, HBO last week issued a statement announcing that it would be releasing the
02:24doc as planned on March 3rd and 4th. Said the company,
02:27This will allow everyone the opportunity to assess the film and the claims in it for themselves.
02:32To read more on this story, head to THR.com. For The Hoyt Reporter News, I'm Lyndsey Rodrigues.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment

Recommended