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    'Leaving Neverland' Makes Powerful But One-Sided Case Against The King Of Pop

    Two men who met Michael Jackson as children in the '80s allege the pop star sexually abused them for years. Reliance on personal testimony is both the strength and weakness of HBO's Leaving Neverland.
    by Eric Deggans Mar 01, 2019 4 minutes
    Wade Robson met Michael Jackson more than 30 years ago. "He was one of the kindest, most gentle, loving, caring people I knew," Robson says. "He also sexually abused me for seven years." Robson, pictured above, and James Safechuck — who also met Jackson as a child in the 1980s — tell their stories in the new HBO documentary <em>Leaving Neverland.</em>

    HBO's Leaving Neverland is ultimately a tribute to the power of personal testimony.

    Over four hours, the film slowly excavates the stories of James Safechuck and Wade Robson. The two men each met Michael Jackson as children in the 1980s and allege the pop star sexually abused them for years while showering their families with attention and gifts.

    Some of Jackson's family members — particularly, his nephew Taj and brothers Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson — have denied these allegations. Last week, Jackson's estate filed a lawsuit against HBO over the documentary.

    "He was one of the kindest, most gentle, loving, caring people

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