This year has not been short of shocking music documentaries. Surviving R Kelly, an undercover expose of the R&B star’s alleged abuse of young women resulted in an almighty fallout, as well as possible criminal proceedings. Meanwhile, the competing Fyre Festival documentaries which chronicled the chaotic downfall of the infamous luxury music festival was a memeworthy, but sad expose of a manipulative businessmen. Perhaps, the most controversial is yet to come. Earlier this year, Leaving Neverland, a feature-length documentary which included new allegations of sexual assault on minors by pop star Michael Jackson aired at Sundance Festival last month. It was deemed so shocking, that trained professionals were on hand at the premiere for audience members. Here’s what we know about Leaving Neverland, and when it will air on TV. When does Leaving Neverland air on TV? In the UK, the two-part documentary, Leaving Neverland aired on Channel 4 on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 March at 9pm. Both episodes are availble to watch on All 4 now. It first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 and was broadcast on HBO in the US on 3 and 4 March. Can I watch Leaving Neverland online? UK viewers will be able to watch on demand after broadcast via the Channel 4 website. In the US, Leaving Neverland is available to watch online via HBO and Hulu. Is there a trailer for Leaving Neverland? The first trailer released shows shots of Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, before we’re introduced to the allegations of the star made by both Wade Robson and James Safechuck. It can be viewed in full below. What’s the plot of Leaving Neverland? Warning: this article contains graphic content In a synopsis for the documentary, British filmmaker Dan Reed says that “through gut-wrenching interviews with the now-adult men and their families, Leaving Neverland crafts a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception.” In 1993, Jackson was first accused of sexual abuse by the family of 13-year-old Jordy Chandler. The case was settled outside of court, and no criminal charges were filed. A decade later, in 2005, he was found Not Guilty by a jury in regards to allegations of sexual abuse of another 13-year-old, Gavin Arvizo. The documentary features sexual abuse allegations against Jackson from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who are both now in their 30s. They both make separate claims that the star molested them when they were children in the 1990s. Wade Robson, a witness for Jackson in the 2005 child abuse trial in which the singer was acquitted, now claims that he lied under oath and that after two “nervous breakdowns” and the birth of his child, he decided to open up to his therapist. “It was just pain and disgust and anger, the idea something like that could happen to my son,” Robson says. In 2013, he filed a lawsuit against Jackson’s estate, but a court dismissed the claim, saying he’d waited too long to file the complaint. In the documentary, Robson claims that the abuse started when he was seven years old, two years after he first met Jackson. He goes on to allege that Michael Jackson attempted to anally penetrate him when he was 14-year-old. Robson then says that Jackson ordered him to throw away his “bloody” underwear. James Safechuck, meanwhile, says that Jackson bought him several pieces of jewellery as a child – an interest of his – and even conducted a “mock wedding” ceremony between the pair. He also alleges that there were several rooms in Jackson’s Neverland ranch that were used to molest him, including “locked” boxes which featured one-way glass. Safechuck also alleges that the pair practiced several “drills” to redress quickly in case interrupted. What have reviews said about Leaving Neverland? Leaving Neverland currently has a 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but a 5.9 user rating on IMDB. Vulture called it “a radically empathetic film about the resonating impact of sexual abuse, as well as the personal and social forces that conspire to keep people from talking about it in public.” Newsday, meanwhile, described it as “a riveting story of childhood sexual abuse and its devastating effects on survivors and families.” Slate wrote: “What makes Leaving Neverland an unusually sensitive portrait of abuse recovery is that it’s more interested in what was, rather than what should be.” Elsewhere, The New York Times labelled Leaving Neverland as “not a feat of investigative journalism so much as an act of bearing witness” However, Pitchfork were less positive about the documentary, describing it as “flawed” and adding: “Committed to accretion as an approach impossible to separate from its moral fervor, Leaving Neverland is a humdrum piece of filmmaking.” When the film first aired at Sundance Film Festival in Utah, the response was one of shock. Reporter Adam B Vary said that it was a “thorough, devastating, deeply credible piece of filmmaking.” A film critic for US weekly said that the film left them “shaking”, and that both Robson and Safechuck received standing ovations at the film’s premiere. How has the Michael Jackson Estate responded to Leaving Neverland? Jackson’s estate have rigorously denied any wrongdoing by the star, who died in 2009. The family released a statement soon after its premiere saying, “Michael always turned the other cheek, and we have always turned the other cheek when people have gone after members of our family – that is the Jackson way.” “But we can’t just stand by while this public lynching goes on…Michael is not here to defend himself, otherwise these allegations would not have been made.” Michael Jackson’s nephew, Taj, has started a crowdfunding campaign to produce a documentary that will prove the allegations wrong and that he was “betrayed, entrapped, and extorted.” Appearing on CBS This Morning in late February, Jackson’s brothers Tito, Marlon, and Jackie, and his nephew Taj discussed the documentary and the claims featured in it. Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the accusers at the centre of the film, say Jackson sent them “love letters”. Taj showed host Gayle King some of the notes he had received from his uncle, which featured sentiments of love and pride.<doc-sep>Leaving Neverland, the controversial documentary about allegations of child sex abuse by the late Michael Jackson, has been causing huge waves since its premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Dan Reed’s film for HBO and Channel 4 saw Park City police increasing its presence around the Egyptian Theatre ahead of the screening, anticipating angry protests from loyal Jackson fans. Reed previously directed The Paedophile Hunter (2014), a Bafta-winning film about vigilante Stinson Hunter’s attempts to entrap child abusers online. FIlm critics reported audience members emerging shellshocked after watching the four-hour film, which is shown in two, two-hour segments. Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Show all 9 1 /9 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Michael Jackson with accuser Wade Robson Sundance Insitute Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Accuser Wade Robson meeting Michael Jackson for the first time Channel 4 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Michael Jackson with the Robson family Channel 4 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Michael Jackson at the home of accuser James Safechuck Channel 4 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Dan Reed approached the Michael Jackson documentary with 'all the scepticism and rigorousness that I would approach a story about a terrorist attack' Channel 4 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Michael Jackson leaves the courtroom on a break at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse for the second day of closing arguments in his child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California, 2005 AFP/Getty Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Michael Jackson accuser Wade Robson Channel 4 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers James Safechuck, another of Jackson's accusers Channel 4 Leaving Neverland – photos show Michael Jackson with his accusers Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed Channel 4 Leaving Neverland features interviews from two men – James Safechuck and Wade Robson – and their families, who detail “a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception, documenting the power of celebrity that allowed a revered figure to infiltrate the lives of starstruck children and their parents”. “On a 10-min break halfway through Sundance’s 4-hour Michael Jackson child sex abuse documentary,” Daily Beast senior entertainment reporter Kevin Fallon tweeted. “Whatever you thought you knew or were aware of, the content of this is more disturbing than you could imagine. And again, we’re only halfway through.” Jackson’s estate has condemned the documentary, calling it “yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson”. “Wade Robson and James Safechuck have both testified under oath that Michael never did anything inappropriate toward them,” the statement continued. “Safechuck and Robson, the latter a self-proclaimed ‘master of deception,’ filed lawsuits against Michael’s Estate, asking for millions of dollars. Both lawsuits were dismissed. “This so-called ‘documentary’ is just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations. It’s baffling why any credible filmmaker would involve himself with this project.” Jackson was acquitted of molestation charges in a 2005 trial. In 1993, the singer was publicly accused of molesting an underage boy before agreeing to a financial settlement. Lawsuits filed by Robson and Safechuck were both dismissed. Many will be wondering if they will be able to watch the documentary for themselves. Channel 4 has confirmed it will air in two 90-minute episodes over two consecutive nights at 9pm, on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 March. In the US, the film will air on Sunday 3 and Monday 4 March on HBO.<doc-sep>Protestors will demonstrate against the UK broadcast of Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland today (March 6), it has been reported. The two-part, four-hour film documents the sexual abuse allegations made against the late pop star by Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Both men say Jackson abused them as boys. Jackson’s estate have denied the allegations, while a civil suit relating to the claims was thrown out by a judge in 2017, who ruled the estate could not be held liable for the singer’s behaviour. Channel 4’s Jasmine Dotiwala has reported that protestors are planning to demonstrate against the HBO documentary being aired in the UK. The first part is set to be broadcast on Channel 4 at 9pm today, with the second part to follow at the same time on Thursday (March 7). https://twitter.com/jasminedotiwala/status/1103068295329181699 “UK TV News teams,” Dotiwala wrote on Twitter last night. “Here’s an easy bit of footage for you to grab tomorrow. Michael Jackson documentary protesters will be demonstrating from noon-3pm tmrw from Westminster to @Channel4.” A Facebook page for the event encouraged fans to “Boycott releasing of disgusting documentary Leaving Neverland in UK TV and show public the true Angelic Beauty of MICHAEL J JACKSON.” At the time of writing, 290 people had clicked attending, while 1,600 had marked themselves interested. The event was shown as having been created by a page called Michael Jackson’s Children United Worldwide – Hospital Fund. Channel 4 have refused to pull the upcoming broadcast of Leaving Neverland, despite demands from the singer’s estate. In a statement released earlier this month, a spokesperson said message from fans and the estate had not changed their “commitment to airing the documentary.” Last month, the late pop star’s estate filed a lawsuit against HBO for $100 million (£76.7 million), claiming that the film violates a non-disparagement clause in a contract the network entered into with the star in 1992. The lawsuit states that when the channel aired Michael Jackson In Concert In Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour, it agreed to a clause that barred them from disparaging Jackson in any future programming.<doc-sep>About 2 million viewers tuned into controversial Michael Jackson documentary “Leaving Neverland” in Britain this week as the pop superstar’s fans took to the streets and plastered London buses with messages protesting his innocence, and his nephew sought funding for a series refuting the sex-abuse allegations made in the film. The two-part documentary was broadcast on Wednesday and Thursday nights on free-to-air network Channel 4, which produced the film along with HBO. Part 1 peaked at 2.4 million viewers and averaged 2.1 million. The second part was down slightly with a peak of 2.2 million and 1.9 million average, which equates to a 12% share of the British audience. Those figures are more than double the usual audience for Channel 4’s 9 p.m. slot and eclipsed the viewership numbers on HBO in the U.S. However, the documentary was beaten both nights by Jeremy Clarkson’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” reboot on ITV and by a Comic Relief charity version of “The Apprentice” on BBC One on Thursday night. “Leaving Neverland” also faced tough competition Wednesday from Richard Gere’s return to TV in the BBC Two drama “MotherFatherSon,” which performed about the same as “Leaving Neverland.” To counter the allegations by James Safechuck and Wade Robson, who were befriended by Jackson as young boys, that he sexually abused them for years, fans of the late singer have plastered posters on London’s double-decker buses reading “Facts Don’t Lie. People Do.” The same message was on a banner unfurled by a clutch of protesters outside Channel 4’s London headquarters Wednesday. The posters, which have a picture of Jackson with an “innocent” sign over his mouth, direct people to the mjinnocent.com campaign website, which itself provides a link to a separate crowdfunding site launched by Jackson’s nephew. Taj Jackson, who has been in the British media in recent days defending his uncle, says he is seeking funding for an “untitled Michael Jackson Documentary Series” that would “defend Michael Jackson’s name and legacy from vicious and calculated lies.” So far it has raised about $75,000 toward its goal of $777,000. Much of the social media reaction to “Leaving Neverland” in the U.K. focused on the role of Safechuck’s and Robson’s parents and whether they should have left their children in Jackson’s care. The BBC reported that a statue of Michael Jackson had been removed from the National Football Museum in the northern English city of Manchester. The statue had originally been commissioned by former Harrods department store owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, a friend of Jackson’s, when Al-Fayed was chairman of the Fulham soccer club. The BBC quoted a museum spokesperson as saying that plans had been under way “for a number of months to remove the Michael Jackson statue from display as part of our ongoing plans to better represent the stories we want to tell about football [soccer]. As a result of this, the statue has now been removed.” Viewers in Asia and Latin America, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, and Sweden will soon get to make up their own minds on “Leaving Neverland” after broadcasters in those regions and territories acquired the Kew Media-distributed documentary.<doc-sep>
Michael Jackson’s estate is engaged in a campaign of adverts, lawsuits and interviews in an attempt to salvage his image after the screening of Channel 4’s documentary Leaving Neverland, which details years of alleged grooming and child abuse. The documentary, shown on Wednesday night and continuing on Thursday, features detailed testimonies from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege the pop star abused them for years while they were children. It prompted a campaign to shore up Jackson’s legacy and save the multimillion-pound empire he left behind. Jackson’s estate – which has made $2.1bn (£1.6bn) since his death in 2009 and is run by John McClain, a co-executor with Jackson’s former lawyer John Branca – originally tried to block the release of the documentary by contacting Channel 4 and issuing a $100m lawsuit against HBO, which broadcast Dan Reed’s film last weekend in the US. The estate said the documentary, which premiered at Sundance in January, is “the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death”, and added that “the film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact”. 00:41 Watch the trailer for Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me – video Eamonn Forde, a music industry expert, said the estate was engaged in an unprecedented containment and damage-limitation exercise to attempt to preserve the most lucrative posthumous fortune in the history of music. “This is a new era for artist estate management, because this is about containment rather than maximising the profile of a deceased artist,” said Forde. “To an extent, estate management is about building a narrative around an artist; they are the directors of the narrative.” The estate’s response to the documentary has been to question the credibility of Robson and Safechuck – claiming they are “opportunists” and “admitted liars” – and to offer alternative Jackson content. It released two concert films, Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour and Live at Wembley July 16, 1988, on YouTube at the same time as Leaving Neverland aired in the US. Timeline Michael Jackson child sexual abuse claims Show 18 August 1993 LAPD investigation After Jordan Chandler makes allegations during a police interview that Jackson has abused him, an investigation begins. Jackson had met the 12-year-old boy the previous year. 25 August 1993 Barnes and Robson press conference Teenagers Brett Barnes and Wade Robson hold a press conference stating that they had shared a bed with Jackson on multiple occasions, but that nothing sexual had happened. 14 September 1993 Chandlers sue Jackson A lawsuit from the Chandler family alleges sexual abuse by Jackson and seeks $30m. 22 December 1993 Jackson video statement Jackson describes being strip-searched and photographed by the LAPD two days earlier as “the most humiliating ordeal of my life”. He states: "I am not guilty of these allegations, but if I am guilty of anything it is of giving all that I have to give to help children all over the world.” 25 January 1994 Jackson settles lawsuit Jackson settles out of court with the Chandlers for $22m – $15m goes to Jordan Chandler to be held in a trust fund until he turns 18. September 1994 LAPD investigation fails After two grand juries fail to indict, and Jordan Chandler tells authorities he will not testify in court, the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara district attorneys end their investigation. 31 May 1995 Scream released The lead single from Jackson’s album HIStory is released. A duet with his sister Janet, the song angrily addresses media coverage of the child sexual abuse allegations against him. 6 February 2003 Bashir documentary Jackson discusses regularly having sleepovers with children, including a young cancer patient named Gavin Arvizo, in Living with Michael Jackson – a documentary fronted by the British journalist Martin Bashir. "It's not sexual," said Jackson on-screen. "We’re going to sleep. I tuck them in. It's very charming." The film rekindles police investigations. 18 November 2003 Police raid and arrest Jackson's Neverland estate is again searched by police, and a week later Jackson is arrested. 18 December 2003 Jackson charged Michael Jackson is formally charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14. 28 February 2005 Trial begins During Jackson's trial, Arvizo and his younger brother testify that the singer showed them pornography and made them drink "Jesus juice" – wine. Both say Jackson masturbated in front of them and molested Arvizo on multiple occasions.