IN JACKO'S DEFENCE
Who is Brett Barnes, has he accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse and why wasn’t he in documentary Leaving Neverland?
BRETT Barnes was not included in the Channel 4 documentary Leaving Neverland despite having sleepovers with King of Pop Michael Jackson.
The two-part documentary explores the sexual abuse claims against Michael Jackson from two of his accusers – Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Here we look at why Brett was not included and what he has said about the accusations.
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Who is Brett Barnes?
Brett Barnes is a 37-year-old man who met Michael Jackson in 1987 at the age of five.
He wrote a fan letter and slipped it to one of Jacko’s backing dancers during a concert.
By the time he was nine, Barnes and his family were invited to the Neverland Ranch.
He has also admitted that he visited the ranch alone.
Barnes lives in Melbourne, Australia, according to his unverified Twitter account.
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Has Barnes accused Jackson of sexual abuse?
Barnes has always defended Jackson when it comes to sex abuse allegations.
When Jordan Chandler accused Jackson of sexual misconduct in 1993, Barnes stuck up for him.
At the time, Barnes was asked about the sleepovers with the singer.
He claimed he “slept on one side of the bed” while Jackson “slept on the other” side and did not find that unusual.
He has also : "He kissed you like you kiss your mother.
"It's not unusual for him to hug, kiss and nuzzle up to you and stuff."
During Jackson’s 2005 trial, had “absolutely not” molested him.
When asked if the music icon ever touched him in a sexual way he said: “Never. I wouldn’t stand for it”.
It was alleged Barnes and Macaulay Culkin were brought in as “replacements” when Wade Robson and James Safechuck - who claim they were molested by the singer - got older,
Both Culkin and Barnes denied being sexually abused by Jackson.
Why wasn’t Barnes interviewed for Leaving Neverland?
Some reports suggest he turned down being interviewed for Leaving Neverland, but the director Dan Reed didn’t want to interview him.
Reed told that his decision to omit Barnes’ story doesn’t negate what happened to Robson and Safechuck.
Reed said: “No one else was in the bedroom with them.
“If there are people out there who were also intimate with Michael Jackson and spent many nights with him in bed that were not molested, that's fine.
“It doesn't in any way negate the story of these two individuals.”
Barnes is reportedly looking depicts him in a false light by suggesting his relationship with Jacko amounts to sexual abuse and it will subject him to “hatred, contempt and ridicule”.
His written denial is aired in the documentary for a few seconds, but Barnes doesn’t think it will “cure such a despicable allegation”.
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How can I watch Leaving Neverland?
The controversial documentary Leaving Neverland aired on Channel 4 on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
You can watch part one and part two on .
The two-part film, made by British filmmaker Dan Reed, contains interviews with two former childhood fans of the Thriller singer who claim they were abused by him when they were children in his enormous California mansion dubbed Neverland.
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