Michael Jackson fans will be able to protect his legacy after sex abuse allegations, estate says

The co-executor of Jackson's estate says he's confident the late superstar's supporters will be able to protect his legacy and brand in the wake of HBO's Leaving Neverland, a documentary detailing allegations of sexual abuse.
AP
Bonnie Christian16 April 2019

Michael Jackson’s supporters will be able to protect his legacy after explosive allegations of sexual abuse by the late superstar, the co-executor of his estate has said.

The HBO documentary Leaving Neverland detailed the allegations made by two men who said Jackson sexually abused them as boys.

Longtime entertainment attorney John Branca has called the documentary a one-sided "made-for-TV-movie" and accused the film's subjects of being motivated by money.

Mr Branca acknowledged that Jackson's estate has faced "challenges" since the documentary's release, but said he doesn't believe there will be a long-term impact.

"People love Michael. They love Michael's music for sure. And if the investigation is effective, which I think it will be, in showing that there is severe doubt about what may or may not have happened, we will be back to people feeling `It's OK to say I like Michael,"' Mr Branca said on a panel hosted by the Harvard Institute of Politics.

pop star Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, behind him at left, walk with children that were invited guests at his Neverland Ranch home in Santa Ynez, California in 1995.
AP

It is the latest attack by Jackson's estate against Leaving Neverland, featuring Wade Robson and James Safechuck.

The estate has slammed filmmakers for not interviewing any of Jackson's family members or other defenders, who insist the singer never molested a child.

The film's director, Dan Reed, has repeatedly defended the film. Robson and Safechucks's accusations are not new, but have put Jackson's legacy under fresh scrutiny amid the #MeToo movement.

A lawyer for the men said Tuesday that Mr Branca and lawyers for Jackson's estate are seeking to discredit the singer's accusers out of their own financial interest.

Michael Jackson greets several hundred children who were invited guests at his Neverland Ranch in 2004.
AP

"Their recent comments are just part and parcel of the same thing they've been doing for years, which is protect the estate so they can continue to profit off of it," attorney Vince Finaldi said.

The men first came forward with their stories years earlier in lawsuits. Both of them had previously denied the singer sexually abused them, but said having their own children and Jackson's 2009 death forced them to face the truth.

Their lawsuits were dismissed for technical reasons and their appeals are expected to be argued this summer.

Jackson, who was cleared in 2005 of charges that he molested another boy, acknowledged that he befriended numerous children, including some he invited into his bed, but denied molesting any.

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