JACKO ABUSE CLAIMS
Dancer who sued Michael Jackson for £1.2billion claims singer raped him for seven years in new Leaving Neverland documentary
MICHAEL Jackson raped a seven-year old boy for seven years, the dancer has claimed in a new documentary on the late singer.
Wade Robson - who previously sued Jackson's estate for £1.2billion over the abuse - features in a new film Leaving Neverland where he tells his tragic story.
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In court filings from 2013, Robson revealed how Jackson raped him from the age of seven before "losing interest" in him when he turned 14.
The lawsuit was dismissed when the judge ruled the estate of Jackson couldn't be held responsible for the allegations made by the dancer.
Leaving Neverland will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival later this month and features interviews with both accusers, who are now in their 30s.
Robson and James Safechuck are expected go into detail about how they were allegedly sexually abused by the world-famous singer when they were kids.
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Jackson was acquitted in 2005 of criminal molestation charges, which did not involve either Robson or Safechuck, whom he starred with in a Pepsi ad.
However, Robson testified at that trial, saying he had slept in Jackson's room many times, but the star had never molested him.
Safechuck made similar statements to investigators when he was still a young boy.
Then in 2013 Robson filed a lawsuit that said stress and trauma had forced him to face the truth that he was sexually abused by Jackson, who died in 2009.
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Safechuck filed a similar lawsuit the following year,
The news source says it does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, which Robson and Safechuck have done in multiple ways.
Leaving Neverland director and producer Dan Reed said in a statement that "It took great courage for these two men to tell their stories and I have no question about their validity."
"If there's anything we've learned during this time in our history, it's that sexual abuse is complicated, and survivors' voices need to be listened to," Reed said.
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The arthouse film's synopsis reads 'Through gut-wrenching interviews with the now-adult men and their families, Leaving Neverland crafts a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception.'
It said that it documented "the power of celebrity that allowed a revered figure to infiltrate the lives of starstruck children and their parents".
An attorney representing the accusers says their voices deserve to be heard.
Vince Finaldi, who represents Robson and Safechuck in lawsuits alleging Jackson molested them, said their suits were dismissed on technical grounds, not the credibility of the men's claims, and they are now under appeal.
"There were never any rulings to the court as to their testimony," Finaldi told The Associated Press.
"We stand by our clients, and we believe them, and we fully expect them to be vindicated."
The Jackson estate released a statement saying the documentary is "just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations."
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"Wade Robson and James Safechuck have both testified under oath that Michael never did anything inappropriate toward them," the statement said, adding both had filed lawsuits that have been dismissed.
“This is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson."
Robson and Safechuck have not publicly commented on the documentary at this time.
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The documentary is the brainchild of Bafta-winner Reed, who has a portfolio of gritty films - one titled "The Paedophile" which aired in 2014.
The title references the Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, California, where Jackson lived from 1988 to 2003.
According to USA today, the men in the documentary claim to have had "long-running" relationships with the international star.
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Police raided his home in 2003 during investigations over the alleged molestation of a 13-year-old boy.
He was acquitted of all charges in 2005 and died four years later following an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol.
Lawyers say the King of Pop shelled out nearly $200 million to as many as 20 victims.
Leaving Neverland has been commissioned by Channel 4 and will air in spring 2019.
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