The director of Leaving Neverland accused moviegoers of the new Michael Jackson biopic of turning a “deaf ear” to the child molestation allegations against the singer.
Dan Reed, who helmed a pair of documentaries that detailed the accusations against Jackson, criticized the singer’s estate, Michael director Antoine Fuqua, and the moviegoing public in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “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 said. “People don’t care that he was a child molester. Literally, people just don’t care.”
Reed added, “A lot of people, I think, will kind of swallow any misgivings they may have and just sort of say, ‘Oh well, it’s a great jukebox movie’ and just completely ignore the fact that this guy was worse than Jeffrey Epstein.”
Due to an accuser’s settlement with the Jackson estate, Michael was legally unable to venture into the molestation allegations, but in press interviews around the film’s release, director Fuqua has downplayed the lawsuits against Jackson and his estate, saying “sometimes people do some nasty things for some money.”
“For Antoine Fuqua to accuse people of gold digging is kind of ironic. It seems to me all the people involved in this movie are just making bank,” Reed said. “If anyone’s making money, it’s Michael Jackson’s estate and the people who worked on this biographical picture.” Reed added that the subjects of Leaving Neverland, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, “never made a cent from their accusations,” as the lawsuits are still playing out.
When asked what Reed learned during the making of Leaving Neverland, the director said frankly, “I learned Michael Jackson fucked little boys. That’s what I learned.” However, seven years after the documentary’s release, it appears the late King of Pop has turned public opinion: His life story is the focus of both a Broadway musical and a biopic, while Leaving Neverland is not streamable until 2029 due to a settlement between HBO and the Jackson estate.
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“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,” Reed told THR.
“I’m not trying to stop anyone from consuming his music. I’ve never advocated canceling Michael Jackson … 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, in all honesty … I think a lot of people just want to forget about the children and enjoy the music.”
