Ahead of the airing of “Leaving Neverland” documentary this Sunday on HBO, the family of late pop singer Michael Jackson has once again come forward to defend the icon and denounce the claims of sexual molestation being made against him.
MJ’s brother, Marlon, claimed in an interview with “CBS This Morning” scheduled to air Wednesday that the documentary doesn’t tell the truth.
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“There has not been not one piece of evidence that corroborates their story,” Marlon said, referring to the sexual abuse allegations being made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the primary subjects of “Leaving Neverland.”
“And they’re not interested in doing that,” he added.
He was joined by his brothers, Tito and Jackie and Jackson’s nephew, Taj, as they spoke to CBS about the explosive new allegations being made in the documentary about the late King of Pop. They are also not interested in watching it.
“I know my brother. He’s my little brother,” Jackie, 67, told CBS. “I know my brother. He’s not like that.”
Co-host Gayle King then pointed out how people may think the Jackson family are being ignorant and naive by not at least seeing the film.
“Some would say though, guys, it’s hard for you to sit here and say the documentary isn’t telling the truth when you haven’t seen the documentary, Shouldn’t you at least seen the documentary? How can you complain or challenge something that you have not seen?” King inquired.
But Jackie replied saying: “I don’t care to see it…because I know my brother. I don’t have to see that documentary. I know Michael. I’m the oldest brother. I know my brother. I know what he stood for. What he was all about. Bringing the world together. Making kids happy. That’s the kind of person he was.”
King then posed a direct question to the Jacksons if at one point they thought MJ could have been “abusive to children” in their opinion — and whether they found it strange that he was sleeping in bed with them.
“No. Never,” the group chorused together.
“I grew up in it, so for me, it wasn’t odd,” explained Taj, 45, who’s Tito’s son. “You know, I think, to the outside world, yes, I think it can be odd. I mean, I’m not oblivious to what it sounds like. But when you’re actually there in that atmosphere and you’re around it, and you’re watching movies, whether, with his kids, whether it’s ‘Little Rascals’ or ‘Three Stooges,’ and you’re watching these things, it’s like, it’s very innocent. But I think, the fault on my uncle was he just, he didn’t have that bone in his body to look at it the other way. And I think that was the thing, is that his naiveté was his downfall in a way.”
“It’s all about money,” concludes Marlon, 61.
“I hate to say it when it’s my uncle, it’s almost like they see a blank check,” added Taj. “These people … felt that they’re owed something. You know, instead of working for something, they blame everything on my uncle.”
Jackson who passed aged 50 repeatedly denied sexually abusing children before his death in 2009. The legendary singer was acquitted in a 2005 trial for child molestation, however, he settled a 1993 lawsuit involving similar accusations.
“The people that really know him, they know the truth,” Jackie concluded.