And I don't think a day goes by where I don't hear a song," he said. At that time, James was a child actor who got a chance to meet Michael Jackson during a Pepsi advertisement, which led to many other things that James went through as a child. Jacksons hardcore supporters allege that Robson and Safechuck memorized details from the other boys stories in order to get revenge after their own previous attempts to sue Jacksons estate for damages were thrown out of court (not because the charges had no merit but because the statute of limitations had run out). Before long, Michael had somewhat inserted himself into the Robson family, and young Wade, along with his parents, was touring with the star and visiting him at the now-famous Neverland ranch. I naturally wanted to know if Jackson had befriended any other young boys, and it wasnt long before I heard the names Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck. In 2002, Dennis Robson committed suicide. She is an accomplished and compassionate storyteller and editor who excels in obtaining exclusive interviews and unearthing compelling features. When another accuser came forward in 2002, Robson's stance had not changed. According to the LA Times, while Safechuck was in a band that "exploded in a spectacular fashion," he later found himself involved in computer programming. Although they had likely crossed paths as children, Wade and James did not know each other in any real way at this point. This content is imported from Instagram. It can be something as simple as a song. According to James's Complaint, "Decedent encouraged Plaintiff to dress like him and grow his hair long like Decedent's. The author untangles the whole painful story to provide the definitive account of Jackson's fall, and in it finds a late-20th-century parable of manipulation, corrupted fantasy, and lost innocence. After debuting at Sundance in late January, the two-part, four-hour documentary begins airing. Denniss sorrow was compounded by his own dark secret: he himself had been molested as a child, he told me, and had been unable to bring himself to tell anyone for 30 years. Then, a week later, Dennis Robson called me back. Just because he's "come out" with his story doesn't mean that he's entirely comfortable discussing it publicly, though. So that has been transformational, with the way this film has been received. In a lengthy report published the following January, Vanity Fair calling the boy "Jamie" publishes the 13-year-old and his family's allegations. What struck me most, as someone who spent more than a decade reporting on allegations against Jackson, was how closely Robsons and Safechucks stories mirrored those of Jordie Chandler and Gavin Arvizo, the 13-year-old whose allegations prompted the 2005 trial in which Jackson was acquitted on 10 felony counts, including four counts of child molestation and one of attempted child molestation. When it comes to James achievements, it is a little bit difficult to account for such information. After a trial that had a circus-like atmosphere and whose proceedings seemed to sometimes be upstaged by Jackson's antics (including showing up late in pajamas on one occasion), the singer is acquitted of all charges. "I have never forgotten one moment of what Michael did to me, but I was psychologically and emotionally completely unable and unwilling to understand that it was sexual abuse.". The lawsuit was therefore dismissed on technical grounds, rather than ruling on the credibility of Wade Robson's claims. What sharp-eyed fans have noted is that the story Safechuck told Reed mirrors a myth told by the thoroughly discredited author Victor Gutierrez, who was ordered by a judge in 1998 to pay Michael $2.7 million after he alleged that he seen a 27-minute videotape of Michael Jackson having sex with a minor. In an interview on All Things Considered, filmmaker Dan Reed says that two different threads drew him to telling the two men's stories. On Sunday, HBO will debut its two-part documentary Leaving Neverland, featuring interviews with two of Michael Jackson's former child companions. But this is a sea change moment for me in this healing journey and in trying to be heard. As Reed told Rolling Stone, James That's our argument.". By Nicole Sperling February. We have also clarified that Safechuck claims to have lied in a statement given in the 1993 investigation, while Wade Robson claims to have lied during his testimony in the 2005 trial. Dan Reed has tossed out in interviews the wacky theory that Michael Jackson Also, he adheres to Christianity. Two days after raiding Neverland, Jackson's famous ranch in Santa Barbara County, Calif., the sheriff's office arrests Jackson on charges of child molestation, but does not immediately disclose details of the charges or identify the victim. 3 and Monday, Mar. And the spotlight is definitely on, starting with the standing ovation he and Robson received when the four-hour documentary premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and continuing with the doc's premiere and a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey on March 4. According to The LA Times, they came face to face as adults during a lawyer-supervised lunch about five years ago. As for relatives, James was born to Shane Safechuck and Stephanie Safechuck. Safechuck and his family also say that Jackson began flying them for visits and on vacations. Wade Robson and James Safechuck in Leaving Neverland: What are they doing in 2019? That kind of stress can and does destroy families. If we're a family, you've got to think of me as a brother. Another boy, Jason Francia, whose mother worked as a housekeeper for Jackson, testified under oath that he was molested by Jackson, bringing to five the number of young men whove sworn that Jackson showed them pornography, masturbated them, or introduced them to sex when they were between the ages of 7 and 12. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Robson says he hopes the film "continues and expands the conversation. Ron Zonen, a prosecutor in the 2005 trial who has tried many sex-abuse cases, told me he understood why Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck came out when they did, instead of when we needed them. Especially for male victims, he said, it has to be on their terms. Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed is reportedly making a sequel about the pair's legal battles. He had just gotten through to his wife and now he wanted to change his story and give me a quote praising Jackson. In a 2002 documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson told Martin Bashir there was nothing wrong with sharing his bed with boys. "This is not a case of repressed memory," he insisted at the time, contrary to some misplaced tabloid reports. Congress takes this literally and uses "yea" and "nay" when voting on the final passage of . Wade Robson and James Safechuck once defended the pop icon against allegations of abuse, but both men are now the primary subjects of a blockbuster documentary. James Safechuck files a similar suit against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures in 2014, alleging that Jackson abused him on "hundreds" of occasions between 1988 and 1992. He has been through a lot, but hes in a great place now. According to the Neverland staff interviewed by the Santa Barbara authorities, no one ever saw or knew of a woman spending the night with Michael Jackson, including his two spouses, Debbie Rowe or Lisa Marie Presley. Dan Reed said on the podcast Reality Life With Kate Casey. "It's such a difficult thing to do to come out. It felt good. It was this budding dance talent that became his ticket to meet Jackson when he won a local competition. "Despite the desperate lengths taken to undermine the film, our plans remain unchanged," the statement read, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For years, the former child actor has alleged that Jackson kissed him, taught him how to masturbate, performed oral sex on him, and forced him to perform oral sex. Information about James is a bit inadequate when it comes to figuring out his net worth. Unlike the previous time (which saw Jackson reach a settlement), this case went to a criminal trial, and Wade testified under oath in support of Michael. His estate has sued HBO for distributing the Dan Reed-directed documentary, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January; in its filings, the estate called Leaving Neverland a "posthumous character assassination.". More than a decade later, however, Court TV reveals in a 2004 report that Jackson settled the suit for even more than that. "It was tough. A post shared by Wade Robson (@waderobsoncreations). Jimmy Safechucks parents got a house. Leaving Neverland will air on Channel 4 in the UK on Wednesday, March 6 and HBO in the US on Sunday, March 3. Gavin's mother, Janet Arvizo, also appears as a witness; the BBC describes her testimony as "combative and rambling." Safechuck told the Associated Press earlier this year that he was initially hesitant to participate in Leaving Neverland. A 10-year-old California boy, James (Jimmy) Safechuck, is hired to appear in a Pepsi commercial alongside Michael Jackson. Gabby Petitos Life WithAnd Death ByBrian Laundrie. Both men won an appeal in California earlier this. You're lovers, and you're best friends You just feel really connected to someone, and you just love them intensely.". Within months, prosecutors charge Janet Arvizo with fraud and perjury related to statements made at the Jackson trial; she accepts a plea agreement the following year. You never know which one will stick in your mind, causing depression, nightmares, and P.T.S.D. After moving away with his family, he pursued different interests which included work with the nonprofit organisation Friends of the Children's Justice Center, which advocates for child abuse prevention. Beckloff, who is also the presiding judge in this suit, rejects Safechuck's suit in June 2017 on the same grounds he gave Robson. "Then one morning I awoke with the awareness that before my relationship with dance had become tainted, it was pure, innocent and joyful. The men deny that Jackson has touched them or otherwise acted inappropriately. "I don't think it was as therapeutic for me," he explained. It all started when in 1987 when Michael Jackson and James met during the Pepsi advertisement commercial. Mr Safechuck's lawyer Vince Finaldi told BBC News: "He was an employee that was working on behalf of them as a dancer and entertainer on the stage with Michael. Apparently, the pair became extremely close in just a few months. He has so much confidence in this irresponsible claim that he never put it in his film, and he conveniently tells interviewers that it was taped over or destroyed, while offering no more proof than it is something that Safechuck told him. Inevitably and necessary so, considering the series is based on their personal accounts of what happened during their relationships with the superstar. Afterwards, Safechuck and Jackson formed a friendship and at age 10, Safechuck appeared in Jackson's Bad Tour as a Mini-Me performer. James Safechuck's life changed forever after he met Michael Jackson at age 8. Safechuck and Wade Robson, who's also accused Jackson of child sexual abuse, recognized that viewers may be skeptical of their claims. He is also married and the father of two children, including one son. In the meantime, Michael Jackson and Jimmy Safechuck had officially become an item, a conjoined twosome who began to resemble each other, as is typical of all of Jackson's 'special friends'. Forensically examining Instagram accounts, interviews, and police reports, author Kathleen Hale reconstructs their relationship, and ultimately Petitos murder. It gets easier, but it's still hard.". Safechuck filed a similar lawsuit a year later. When it comes to his early life, we do not have detailed information about, but at least we can say we have helpful information that will let one know more about James. If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visit Rape Crisis or call 0808 802 9999. Although he wasn't a self-proclaimed Michael Jackson fan at the time of meeting him, he too was swept up in the excitement of becoming friends with one of the world's most famous entertainers. However, she tells Couric she can't prove that the alleged checks were meant as hush money, nor has she ever seen him in bed with a boy herself. LaToya Jackson also repeats her claim that she and her siblings were abused, including sexually abused, by their parents. You're lovers, and you're best friends You just feel really connected to someone, and you just love them intensely.". When Do New Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Come Out? Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. However, Safechuck declined to participate in the 2005 trial, and the prosecution excluded him as a potential victim. That seems far-fetched to me. In an interview with USA Today, Safechuck revealed some of his concerns for his son, who is almost the same age Safechuck was when he was allegedly abused by Jackson. After the documentary was released, many viewers became concerned with Safechuck's wellbeing, and on March 20, the director of Leaving Neverland gave a welcome update on the Jackson accuser. "Michael is my brother. 3 and 4, HBO will air Leaving Neverland, a film documenting the allegations of two men who claim Jackson sexually abused them when they were children. Other similarities with Gutierrez tales have been noted as well. Even their families got similar treatment: the sisters were put off to the side by Michael, the supposed adorer of all children; the parents were whisked around in limos and private jets, taken shopping, and treated to vintage wine from Neverlands cellar. Once again, MJ became close to the 9-year-old as well as his family. What Really Happened During the Making of. In the new HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, both men accuse the late singer of sexual abuse. His drawings were sealed in an envelope. One is 10-year-old Wade Robson, an Australian boy who first met the megastar five years earlier, when he won a Michael Jackson dance contest in Brisbane. Wade first crossed paths with the multiple Grammy Award winner in 1987 at the age of just 5. Robson pursued legal action in 2013 regarding the sexual abuse allegations. 4. From that point onwards, the family claims, Jamie slept with Jackson nearly every night for the next several months. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office/Getty Images In 1993, Robson's mother talked to CNN about her child's "slumber parties" with the singer. An Australian native, Wade was your typical young fan. Corporations cannot be direct perpetrators, he said. Congress uses different words in different sorts of votes. ", "That would be an unhealthy expectation," he explains. Safechuck told Vanity Fair in February that he can't even listen to a Jackson song in public without feeling overwhelmed. Both Robson and Safechuck previously testified under oath that Jackson never touched them, but there is good reason to believe they are telling the truth now. He choreographed some of the biggest stars of the '90s including Britney Spears and *NSYNC and, in 2003, secured his own MTV reality dance show called The Wade Robson Project. At that time, James was very young and as young as ten years old while Michael Jackson was 30 years old.