1 / 5Michael Jackson, pictured at a news conference in 1996, faced major abuse allegations before his deathAn unflinching new documentary on pedophilia accusations against Michael Jackson has shattered the glittering veneer around the late King of Pop, presenting in lurid detail the stories of two men who say he sexually abused them for years as minors.
The documentary centers on James Safechuck, 41, and Wade Robson, 36, who recount separate but consistent accounts of how their idol molested them as boys. Safechuck, who said his abuse began at age 10, tells a similar tale, saying Jackson told him if anyone found out their lives"would be over."Jackson's estate has vehemently defended the late star, suing HBO for $100 million over a"posthumous character assassination" it says breaches an agreement made not to disparage the icon, a condition for airing one of his concerts.
Neither man reversed their stories until recently, after becoming fathers themselves. Both filed their own lawsuits that were dismissed over statutes of limitations. For pop culture scholar Robert Thompson of Syracuse University, the release in today's #MeToo context is key: Jackson's trial was relatively recent, but"in so many ways, consciousnesses have been raised."Reed said the timing of the film's release with #MeToo was unplanned but fortuitous.
Diane Dimond, who covered the Jackson saga for years and has penned a book on it, said she expects more men will come forward.