‘Leaving Neverland’ director claims Michael Jackson was “worse than Jeffrey Epstein”
Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed has claimed that Michael Jackson fans “don’t care” about child molestation allegations against the late singer and alleged that Jackson was “worse than Jeffrey Epstein”.
Reed made his comments amid the release of the huge Lionsgate blockbuster biopic, Michael, which stars Jafaar Jackson in the lead role as his uncle.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Reed was asked about how Jackson’s popularity has seemed to only grow in recent years with a hit musical, as well as the new movie, to which he replied, “It says that people don’t care that he was a child molester. Literally, people just don’t care.”
Reed added, “None of the allegations in Leaving Neverland have been seriously challenged, right? But there was enough noise online from those simplistic debunking [videos] that people found it easy to give themselves permission to like Michael Jackson’s music again, if they ever stopped liking it.”
The director then claimed that he believes there is nothing that he could say or do that would likely change people’s opinion on the allegations surrounding Jackson, adding, “I think a lot of people just love his music and turn a deaf ear. And short of having actual video evidence of Michael Jackson engaged in sexual intercourse with a 7-year-old child, I don’t know what would be sufficient to change these people’s minds.”
In regards to Jackson’s music, Reed said that he’d “never advocated cancelling” his work, claiming that “book burning is for the Middle Ages and the Taliban”. He added, “I just think if you’re going to enjoy his music, let’s also consider the fact that he liked to have sex with children and see how that affects your enjoyment.”
He also criticised Michael director Anthony Fuqua for excluding the allegations about Jackson from his movie, stating, “How can you tell an authentic story about Michael Jackson without ever mentioning the fact that he was seriously accused of being a child molester? I just don’t really see it.”
Reed then said that those watching Michael in cinemas “completely ignore the fact that this guy was worse than Jeffrey Epstein”.
Notably, avoids any of the sexual abuse and child molestation accusations against Jackson and ends in 1988, before any allegations were made against him.
Jackson faced trial on ten counts of child molestation in 2005 and was found not guilty on all counts by a jury in California.
Reportedly, Michael did originally include the allegations made in 1993 by Evan Chandler, who accused the star of sexually abusing his 13-year-old son. Jackson denied the allegations, and the parties reached a financial settlement in 1994.
It’s claimed that the production discovered late into the original shooting that the clause in the settlement with the family of Chandler prevented them from portraying the child on film or mentioning him at all. This led to an expensive reshoot costing $15 million, which were reportedly financially covered by Jackson’s estate.
In response to a question on Today about whether Michael “whitewashed” Jackson’s story, Colman Domingo, who plays his father Joe Jackson, said, “The film takes place from the 1960s to 1988, so it does not go into the first allegations in, what, 2005? Basically, we centre it on the makings of Michael. It’s an intimate portrait of who Michael is.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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