Michael Jackson was once the biggest music star in the world. According to a new documentary, Leaving Neverland, he was also a predatory paedophile. Hadley Freeman, who interviewed James Safechuck and Wade Robson, looks at how Jackson’s celebrity protected him. And on International Women’s Day, the writer Jeanette Winterson asks who will benefit from a revolution in AI
Michael Jackson was the ultimate celebrity: the most famous singer and dancer the world has ever known. But according to the documentary Leaving Neverland, Jackson began relationships with two boys – Wade Robson, who was seven, and James Safechuck, who was 10 – when he was at the height of his stardom. Both boys later testified in support of Jackson during the Jordan Chandler investigation in 1993 and Robson at the 2005 trial, where Jackson was cleared of child abuse charges.
The Guardian feature writer and columnist Hadley Freeman recently interviewed Robson and Safechuck, as well as Dan Reed, the director of the documentary. She discusses the film with Anushka Asthana. They talk about why the men have chosen to speak out now, and look at how Jackson’s fame affected the public’s perception of what was allegedly taking place.
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