As a new documentary which focuses on two boys who accused late pop king Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them screens at Sundance Film Festival, his brother Jermaine is defending him, saying there no truth in the documentary.
64-year-old Jermaine was on British morning show Good Morning Show to discuss Leaving Neverland which revisits the 2013 case of two boys who alleged that the pop singer abused them at his ranch when they were children. Although the lawsuit was dismissed in 2017, the documentary still goes on what the Jackson family describes as a “character assassination.”
“Our family is tired. We’re very tired. Let this man rest. He did a lot for the world, let him rest. I’ll just say this: There is no truth to this documentary,” Jermaine said as he fought back tears on air.
According to the documentary director Dan Reed, it is simply the story of the two accusers, Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
“It’s an incredibly lucidly told by these guys, their moms, and siblings – of what happens when a family encounters someone who’s deemed to be a wonderful friend and mentor to a child, and how that can progress to sexual abuse. I think, independently, whether it’s Michael Jackson or Joe Shmoe, it’s an amazing portrait of that process. I think people need to know that with child sexual abuse, the damage is caused very early on, but it’s not manifested until quite a lot later.”