Michael Jackson poses for a photo with a young Wade Robson. By Hank Stuever Hank Stuever TV critic Email Bio Follow TV critic February 28 at 7:00 AM It’s remarkable what happens when you take Michael Jackson out of the latest Michael Jackson scandal. Remove the usual “King of Pop” soundtrack and all that glitters, and things get so much clearer.
From left, Wade Robson, director Dan Reed and James Safechuck at the Sundance Film Festival in January to promote “Leaving Neverland.” A similar heap of past journalistic efforts, to say nothing of Jackson’s acquittal in a prolonged and hotly prosecuted 2005 molestation trial, accompanies the unsettling facts that “Leaving Neverland” presents so unflinchingly.
There’s a familiar echo in the Jackson family’s protest — a strategy Robson and Safechuck remember from being persuaded to defend Michael in court and depositions whenever he felt threatened: In Michael’s world, his enemies live to make up terrible lies so that they can steal his money and ruin his name. In that fragile falsetto that became his public speaking voice, Michael decried his haters long before it was cool to have haters, playing his charitable side to an advantage.
In Brisbane, Australia, a 5-year-old Robson won a shopping-mall dance contest in 1987 that included tickets to see Jackson in concert and meet him backstage. Two years later, on a repeat encounter, Robson — now 7 and sporting a perm so his hair would look more his idol’s — got another chance to meet Jackson and impress him with his dance moves. Before they could process what was happening, the middle-class Robson family was whisked away to America and Jackson’s inner circle.
A compelling aspect of “Leaving Neverland” is the similarity of the boys’ accounts of these encounters — and how they mirror accounts that came later, in 1993 and in 2005 . The Michael Jackson molestation stories all wind up being eerily alike — the disarming ability to charm, the showering of gifts for the whole family, the air of innocence and friendship that made it all seem okay.
Not long after Robson’s family arrived in California, they got a chillier reception from Jackson’s camp, discovering that another, much more famous boy — the actor Macaulay Culkin — had become Michael’s new best friend. Michael Jackson leaves court in California on April 8, 2005. Taking all this in, one can and should wonder: What about the music?
CREDIBLE, you said CREDIBLE.......
hankstuever This is turning me off from the creep who wrote this article
hankstuever For good? That’s assuming I was ever turned off by Michael Jackson.
hankstuever So many drone shots
hankstuever Stop trying to take the heat off the real predators and frauds! We know Harvey's pre-trial is on thursday! Stop using a dead man to deflect! LeavingNeverland MJInnoccent
hankstuever Still that ever-flowing font of credibility, I see.
hankstuever I'm not saying hes innocent I'm simply saying there is no proof. It didn't work trying to Sue the estate so now you're trying to get money this way.
hankstuever All this is is another way to get money. It did not work trying to Sue his Estate so now your doing this.
hankstuever More “journalists” getting molywhopped all over twitter for not doing the one job they’re expected to do...when your entire industry is gone a few years from now, remember this “credible” tweet
hankstuever This is hard to watch, but it is well documented, believable and shattering.
hankstuever I will buy Michael Jacksons music! I don't believe the attempt to gain finacial rewards from MJ's Estate is valid. I am black a survivor from white men molesting me at an early age, the age of three. Please, don't tell me you don't know someone is a violator!
hankstuever I have a hard time supporting things like this, when the accused isn't here to defend himself. I hope they get the help they need to heal from whatever past they had. This coming from a victim of CSA. It's rare these things are not true, rare.
hankstuever This documentary shows no evidence at all. So how is it « credible » ? Check your facts before judging an innocent man :
hankstuever You really think your audience is that dumb?! Give them more credit. We won't fall for this absurd and those liars. They're the criminals, not MJ -A MJinnocent
hankstuever What is it the 2000s again? All this was dis-proven and he was found innocent in a court of law. Typical racist media outlet trying to keep a black man down even when he's been dead for around a decade now.
hankstuever Leaving Neverland is anything but credible. Where are the facts?Sorry, I'm not buying a fictional story.
hankstuever They shouldve called it Droning Neverland!! They have no proof no evidence and they lied. Safechuck said that MJ got bored of him once he hit puberty, then never saw him again. BS there are picturs of him while he was shooting a video while MJ was married to LMP!!
hankstuever Lol, credible? If i start to make up a story that Harvey W. or trump sexually abused me would you believe me? I mean I am saying it.. i have no proof but hey... believe me!! I've never even been to the USA. If u repeat something often enough people will eventually believe it. (1)
hankstuever What is credible about these men's version's of events which have changed so many times? They have lied and commited perjury. Their stories have so many inconsistencies it is difficult to find them believable
hankstuever yellowjournalism as usual from the washington post. Name one piece of credible evidence in that movie?
hankstuever We can't trust a TV critic who can't think critically
hankstuever “Credible”? what a joke. I won’t call a propaganda type piece which presents only 1 side of the story of two perjurers who have been caught changing their claims many times & which sued the MJ Estate for money “credible”. It’s a disgrace for real sex abuse survivors. MJInnocent
hankstuever After reading comments in here, I see there are a lot of people denying that MJ lured and molested boys. I have few questions for you to think on (you don’t need to answer to me but to yourself):
hankstuever What credibility there is none
hankstuever Nope, you should feel ashamed at this piece of yellow journalism. Your artice, has however, turned me off The Washington Post.
hankstuever Does people at Washington Post understand word CREDIBLE?
hankstuever
hankstuever yeah, like, super credible
hankstuever Couldn’t sleep last night after watching part 1. Will be hard to ever listen to his music again without the visuals in my brain🤯
hankstuever So sad. So very sad.
hankstuever Credible how? It does not provide any facts or evidence
hankstuever He was a child rapist.
hankstuever Did you apologize for defaming the Covington Kids yet?
hankstuever Credible? LOL! It was ANYTHING but credible. You've already had this article written even before the broadcast. Get outta here...
hankstuever HillaryClinton is obviously peddling all these lies with the money she and her rapist husband embezzled. Just like she’s been doing it to out greatest President ever realDonaldTrump.
hankstuever What's the difference between Michael Jackson and Neil Armstrong? One walked on the Moon the other had sex with little boys.
hankstuever you're gonna have to issue retraction...
hankstuever I will not watch this. To make money off a man who is dead and cannot defend himself, is tantamount to grave robbing.
hankstuever It’s funny how the media has to keep telling us it’s credible. That says a lot that you all have to keep saying that. You all fear people are not buying it. And I must tell you, a majority of people are not 🤷🏽♀️
hankstuever You think this garbage is credible when one of the men heavy implied to be a 'victim' wasn't even contacted?
hankstuever Only if you don’t look at the well documented history of those 2 accusers. That’s what would turn me off
hankstuever Ohh please shut app....nobody care s about this 💩 documentary
hankstuever Oh my. Will Michael Jackson end up like the disgraced British comic James Savile?
hankstuever Nice try. MJInnocent
hankstuever Not me,I didn’t find Leaving Neverland credible at all!
hankstuever Already there
hankstuever I have given him the benefit of the doubt because he was acquitted in a court of law. On the other hand, I'm not a fool. I have never doubted he was a pedophile. That's why I won't have his music on around me any where ever.
hankstuever my favorite singer 👈👈
hankstuever My issue is Michael is not alive to rebut this story. They have taken one possible side of a story and ran with it as if its ultimate fact. I know a fact..the home alone 'kid' slept over Michael's house when he was young.. and he has been adamant that nothing bad happened 2 him
hankstuever Credible without proof. That’s an oxymoron
hankstuever Today, in America there are victims with more credible stories than this and the offender got a seat as a Supreme Court justice.
hankstuever Why don’t they do a documentary on the Jerry Sandusky and Larry Nassar. They were actually found guiltily....
hankstuever America, the 10 year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death will be remembered on June 25, 2019. What's the purpose of destroying his name without him here to challenge said destruction?
hankstuever I’m still going to listen to thriller.
hankstuever I don’t need this type of negativity in my life
hankstuever If you look at the timeline of events, it quickly becomes evident that Michael Jackson believed money allowed him to continue behavior which caused his problems in the early 90's.
hankstuever It's not credible though. Here's some actual facts.
hankstuever Great news. Just another pervert who paid out huge money to hush the pain and agony of victims.
hankstuever Video music is alive and well. Fashion and dance will continue to outperform
hankstuever Nice
hankstuever OMG I know right.... Will never look at that creep the same again.
hankstuever Weird how people were quiet when R Kelly married 15year old Aaliyah or MJ bragged about having kids sleepover in his bed. It was always there - full frontal. Along with the pedophile creep directors in Hollywood. Glad ppl are finally listening now but could have been earlier.
hankstuever How a bad and nefarious action to talk behind a man who died, Jackson one of the most favourite singer in all around the world, on the other hand, he is king of the pop, history never forget him, RIP
hankstuever hankstuever can eat a dick .
hankstuever Credible? If you believe Wade Robson, you believe a man who committed perjury. Which means one way or the other, he's a known liar. 🤔
hankstuever 30 years later? FOH! Leave Mike and his legacy alone! Two scavengers lookin for their Surviving R.Kelly moment.
hankstuever Imagine WaPo talking about credibility.
hankstuever Unlikely
hankstuever I didn’t see it. And I’m guessing I won’t be surprised by it.
hankstuever Propaganda is persuasive
hankstuever The stories are true
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