On Sunday evening (Mar. 3), HBO premiered its highly-contested documentary on Michael Jackson’s alleged sexual abuse of two men when they were boys. Leaving Neverland centers around James Safechuck and Wade Robson’s recollection of reportedly experiencing inappropriate behavior from Jackson.
While the program’s premiere stirred up mixed reactions, former child actor Corey Feldman stood on the side of defense and recollected his cordial experiences with Jackson. The “Billie Jean” singer befriended Feldman when the latter first began acting in his pre-teen years. The Goonies actor also felt uncomfortable with only one side of the story being told.
“However I do take issue with the fact that this whole thing is 1 sided w no chance of a defense from a dead man, & no evidence other than the word of 2 men who as adults defended him in court!” Feldman wrote. “But as we will never really know, I only hav my memories. And thank God 4 me, my memories of MJ were mostly fond, aside from R 1 & only fight because he incorrectly feared I would turn on him, & make up lies. I never did. I never would! I pray those boys can sleep w that same clarity of consciousness! let God b thy judge!”
Read Feldman’s full thread below.
#Neverland OK I WATCHED IT ALL I KNOW IS WHAT I EXPERIENCED, & YES EVERY EXPERIENCE WAS THE SAME….RIGHT UP 2 THE SEX PART! THAT IS WHERE IT BECOMES LALA LAND, INSTEAD OF NEVERLAND 4 ME. WE NEVER SPOKE ABOUT SEX OTHER THAN A FEW WARNINGS ABOUT HOW SEX WAS SCARY, & DANGEROUS. MJ
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
NEVER ONCE SWORE IN MY PRESENCE, NEVER TOUCHED ME INAPPROPRIATELY, & NEVER EVER SUGGESTED WE SHOULD BE LOVERS IN ANY WAY! I FEEL LIKE IF PPL COULD HEAR OUR CONVOS THEY WOULD HEAR THE INNOCENCE IN THEM. NO HINT OF PERVERSION. I HAV A TAPE, IM THINKIN ABOUT RELEASING, WHICH COULD
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
GIV PPL A REAL LOOK @ WHAT A 30 YR OLD MAN/CHILD & A 13 YR OLD BOY WOULD DISCUSS, SO EVERY1 COULD HEAR THE INNOCENCE OF R RELATIONSHIP. AGAIN I WASNT THERE WHEN THOSE BOYS WERE. BUT I WAS THERE AROUND THE SAME TIME AS JIMMY, & I SAW MANY KIDS AROUND (GIRLS INCLUDED) WHO I AM
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
STILL FRIENDS WITH 2 THIS DAY, & NONE OF US WERE EVER APPROACHED BY HIM IN A SEXUAL WAY AT ALL! SO AS MUCH AS THOSE 2 MEN DESERVE 2 HAV THEIR VOICES HEARD, SO DO THE THOUSANDS OF KIDS WHO HUNG AROUND HIM, THAT DONT AGREE! MOST PEDOS R SERIAL OFFENDERS. THEY DONT HAV SELF CONTROL.
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
SO GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY WHICH HE CERTAINLY HAD W ME & OTHERS, BEING ALONE, W NO PARENTS AROUND, HOW DID HE CONTROL THOSE URGES SO WELL, WHILE SO BLATANTLY SEXUAL W THOSE 2 BOYS? IT DOESNT REALLY FIT THE PROFILE. BUT WHAT MOTIVE BESIDES $ DO THEY HAV? ABANDONMENT IS A STRONG 1!
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
HOWEVER I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE FACT THAT THIS WHOLE THING IS 1 SIDED W NO CHANCE OF A DEFENSE FROM A DEAD MAN, & NO EVIDENCE OTHER THAN THE WORD OF 2 MEN WHO AS ADULTS DEFENDED HIM IN COURT! BUT AS WE WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW, I ONLY HAV
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
MY MEMORIES. AND THANK GOD 4 ME, MY MEMORIES OF MJ WERE MOSTLY FOND, ASIDE FROM R 1 & ONLY FIGHT BECAUSE HE INCORRECTLY FEARED I WOULD TURN ON HIM, & MAKE UP LIES. I NEVER DID. I NEVER WOULD! I PRAY THOSE BOYS CAN SLEEP W THAT SAME CLARITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS! LET GOD B THY JUDGE!
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
To counter HBO’s airing, Jackson’s estate filed a $100 million lawsuit. In a statement outlined by The Hollywood Reporter, the legal filing pinpoints defamation as one of its central points of suing the premium cable outlet.
“In 2005, Michael Jackson was subjected to a trial — where rules of evidence and law were applied before a neutral judge and jury and where both sides were heard — and he was exonerated by a sophisticated jury,” the statement displays. “Ten years after his passing, there are still those out to profit from his enormous worldwide success and take advantage of his eccentricities. Michael is an easy target because he is not here to defend himself, and the law does not protect the deceased from defamation, no matter how extreme the lies are.”
Part two airs on Monday night (Mar. 4).
