Michael Jackson's fans fight back against Sundance documentary 'Leaving Neverland'
PARK CITY, Utah - Nearly 10 years after his death, the Michael Jackson brand is stronger than ever.
Jackson's digital catalog shows no signs of fatigue. A number of unannounced deals are in the works from his estate, and in October performances of a Jackson musical, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," are set to begin in Chicago before it bows on Broadway.
But here at the Sundance Film Festival, where the two-part docu-series "Leaving Neverland" premiered Friday to a packed audience at Park City's historic Egyptian Theater, Jackson's brand has already experienced a significant blow.
Directed by British documentarian Dan Reed, the project unpacks in explicit detail the allegations of two adult men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who say they suffered years of sexual abuse at Jackson's hands when they were boys.
Robson claims the abuse began at age 7. Safechuck says he became sexually active with Jackson at age 10. Both men testified on the pop star's behalf in a 1993 sexual-abuse case brought by a different boy, and claimed at the time that Jackson never did anything inappropriate.
They now say they were lying, motivated by love and loyalty for Jackson, and were only able to face the truth after they each had
