Leaving Neverland Is An Emotional Rollercoaster
But, Why Are So Many People Quick To Defend A Pedophile?
If allegations of rape and molestation aren’t enough to crucify someone, what is? By now, I’m sure you’ve heard all the buzz through social media regarding HBO’s documentary about the severe child sex abuse allegations against the King of Pop Music, Michael Jackson. We’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of the documentary and finally got to witness four hours of horrifying tales from James Safechuck, Wade Robson, and their families.
In the documentary, we learned (from the perspective of the accusers) Jackson lured both of the boys to his Neverland Ranch (AKA his mansion) with the promise of notoriety, a lavish lifestyle, and friendship. Once Jackson had the boys in his close quarters, he would convince (brainwash) the parents to allow him to have privacy with the children. After endless innocent “playing” including film watching, binge snacking, and more, Jackson would eventually become sexual with the children. It’s alleged Jackson introduced the boys to masturbation, pornography, nipple play, oral and anal sex. Robson recalled a time he had to throw out his underwear because Jackson had made him bleed after being penetrated. To make everything creepier, Jackson convinced both of the boys they were, as individuals, essentially his “soulmate”, and allegedely manipulated them into believing they would go to jail if they told anyone of the sexual relationship they shared. The boys would eventually be replaced by a – as my mother would put it – “younger, prettier model because they dared to age”. Both Safechuck and Robson admit to lying on the stand in court for Jackson after being coerced into defending him. Safechucks’s mother celebrated Jackson’s death in 2009 when she heard the news, knowing what he did to her son.
Watching the documentary is absolutely numbing. Typically, my scattered brain can’t sit through four hours of a film, but I studied every second: Body language, voices, eye movement. I was truly witnessing two men be honest about the sexual abuse they dealt with as a child. Their stories are all too familiar for me and I have empathized with them on a personal level. I’m a believer in the accusers and it turns out I’m not the only one. Jackson’s music will no longer be played on Canadian and New Zealand radio stations (the title of the article quoted is a little misleading as just a few radio stations decided to drop Michael’s music). A top Hollywood DJ, Michelle Pesce, claims she will no longer play his music as well. The movement to “Mute Michael” is slowly taking place, but he still has tons of followers who blindly serve him and hold their ears to refuse to listen to anything else.
According to Barstool Sports and much of social media, Jackson’s supporters are coming out in waves to support him. The majority of people are quite honestly just believing in this hero-celebrity and standing up for him, because it’s clear they personally don’t know him. Jackson admittedly kept a small circle, so his supporters are merely a cult defending their master. It’s bizarre. Shockingly, child actor Corey Feldman, came out to support Jackson and denouncing his accusers. In recent years, Feldman has been one of the leading men in claiming powerful men in Hollywood have been sexually abusing young boys for decades. Feldman tells on Twitter:
“MJ never once swore in my presence, never touched me inappropriately, & never ever suggested we should be lovers in any way! I feel like if [people] could hear our convos they would hear the innocence in them. No hint of perversion. I [have] a tape, [I’m] thinkin about releasing, which could [give people] a real look [at] what a 30 yr old man/child & a 13 yr old boy would discuss, so [everyone] could hear the innocence of [our] relationship. I saw many kids around (girls included) who I am still friends with [to] this day, & none of us were ever approached by him in a sexual way at all! So as much as those [two] men deserve [to have] their voices heard, so do the thousands of kids who hung around him, that don’t agree! But as we will never really know, I only [have] my memories. And thank God [for] me, my memories of MJ were mostly fond, aside from [our one] & 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 [with] that same clarity of consciousness! Let God [be] they judge!”
My mouth dropped when I read this statement from Feldman. Before I could even think, I immediately checked out the friend-in-my-head, director Gabe Hoffman’s Twitter, An Open Secret, and saw he said exactly what I wanted to say. Check out Hoffman’s tweet below:
As I mentioned in January 2019 about my personal story of pursuing a dream in “gay Hollywood”, disgraced film director, Bryan Singer, a man with endless child sex abuse allegations against him, and his friends allegedly, carefully choose boys to abuse who would not ever be powerful enough to have a voice. Manipulating and sexually abusing the son of a waiter is going to be a much easier task than going after the son of a politician. I am trying to wrap my head why fans of celebrities such as R.Kelly, Jackson, and more are refusing to believe allegation after allegation just because they admire someone as an artist! I keep reading “well those boys stood up for Jackson in court” or “this is a money grab” all over social media articles surrounding Jackson’s allegations. So what?! I would’ve lied as well! These men we’re still brainwashed kids when they testified. How could you not even give someone a moment of your time to listen to their story – and how similar their stories are with so many others who have been sexually abused as children? There isn’t any gray to this story: It’s black and white.
I implore you to watch Leaving Neverland and would love to continue the conversation with you. Are you believing the accusers or choosing to believe Jackson because of his acquitted charges?
Writer’s Note: This is the opinion of one Instinct Magazine contributor and does not reflect the views of Instinct Magazine itself or fellow contributors.
I never believed those boys and I never will. HBO was wrong to air this. If only someone bothered to give as much attention to the women accusing Trump of pedophilia.
Elvis is a pedo and rock n
Elvis is a pedo and rock n roll thief an ppl knew it but called him King of rock n roll and honor him but MJ is not but is accused of being such. Even a rapper on djvlad said they tried to pay him to say Michael did things to his kids and he rufused because he didn't and he said if Michael was that kind of guy and did he would kill him but he isn't.
The way the particular
The way the particular passage is written, one would think that all radio stations in Canada have banned his songs; they've not. Perhaps it would be better to say "many," or "certain," or "several" radio stations in Canada have banned his music.
Surely you did not just
Surely you did not just correct someone on their spelling and, in the process, spell article, aeticar? That did not just happen, did it?! Also…you forgot to punctuate the end of your sentence.
I love irony!
An error due to auto correct
An error due to auto correct is different from a professional who needs to learn how to proof read.
No doubt it is; but, if you
No doubt it is; but, if you have an error in your comment about someone having an error in their writing, it is very ironic. People making such comments should be extra vigilant about proof reading their own work. It's quite simple, really.
I stopped reading your
I stopped reading your aeticar when you didn't even proof read the error with the use of the word "there"
If you are talking about the use of “there” in the tweet that was quoted … well it was a quote from a tweet. Would you like us to write to the originator and have him fix the tweet and then we can quote it with the correct spelling?
Yeah Micheal Jackson mentally was not all there but 110% don’t believe a word these ppl are coming out with, all there interested in is his money Michael Jackson is no under age sexual predator #fact— Darryl Nellist (@DazN95) March 6, 2019