Recommendations of the Editorial team
When Leaving Neverland premiered in 2019, the film seemed set to change the way everyone thinks about Michael Jackson forever. The two-part, four-hour film revolves around Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accused Jackson of sexually abusing them as children over many years – often in shockingly specific detail.
The Jackson estate immediately dismissed the film as “another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and market Michael Jackson.” Robson and Safechuck’s statements are “outdated and refuted”. (Jackson himself had always denied all allegations of abuse during his lifetime.) But the film was released at the height of the #MeToo movement and sparked a serious confrontation with Jackson’s legacy: some radio stations abroad removed his music from their programs, brand projects were terminated, and even a “Simpsons” episode in which Jackson appeared in 1991 was removed from circulation.
Seven years later, however, Jackson is as popular as ever. The recently released biopic “Michael” is considered a sure blockbuster. And “Leaving Neverland” – a documentary with real weight that won an Emmy and was nominated for a Peabody – is no longer available on any official streaming platform in the US.
Lawsuit against HBO
Even before its release on HBO, the Jackson estate sued the cable network, saying the film violated a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract between Jackson and HBO for “Michael Jackson in Concert in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour.” The estate was unable to stop the film, but by attempting to force HBO to mediate, it gained a hearing in court.
The case dragged on for several years and was finally settled in October 2024. Both parties agreed to drop the lawsuit — and as part of the settlement, HBO agreed to remove “Leaving Neverland” from its streaming platform. An HBO spokesperson told Puck magazine at the time that the matter had been “resolved amicably.”
The film has been unavailable since then – and will remain so for at least a few years. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed called the film’s disappearance “painful” and “a punch in the gut.” Reed was aware of the litigation but was not directly involved. He praised HBO for financing the film and fighting the estate’s claims for years – but the end result, Reed said, reflects certain themes that “Leaving Neverland” itself explores.
Power, influence, lawyers
“Power, influence and unscrupulous lawyers can accomplish almost unimaginable feats of oppression,” Reed said. “They can silence anything. They suppressed Jackson’s child abuse as long as he was alive. Even when he was on trial. He shouldn’t have gotten away with it – but he did. … This shows that when you have aggressive, powerful lawyers and enormous social capital, you can trample on the truth. Even Warner Bros., as the owner of HBO, was unable to stand up to them in the end.”
Although the film is currently effectively blocked, “Leaving Neverland” will most likely be shown again. The rights will revert to Reed in 2029, and he said he will make sure the film “can be seen in North America.” He stressed that there was “no problem or flaw” with the film: “The integrity and veracity of the film has not been challenged or undermined in any way. This is a purely technical legal settlement that has to do with a contractual dispute between HBO and someone with whom HBO entered into a contract a long time ago.”
In March 2025, shortly after the original film was withdrawn, Reed released a sequel to Leaving Neverland, in which Robson and Safechuck discuss recent developments in their legal battle against the Jackson estate, as well as reactions to the first film. (After years of appeals, Robson and Safechuck’s joint lawsuit will be heard in court in November.) Reed released the film on YouTube, but was dissatisfied with the result: YouTube’s algorithm doesn’t prioritize films that deal with topics like child sexual abuse – and the film was vulnerable to mass downvoting by Jackson’s loyal fan base.
“A mockery of the truth”
When it comes to the biopic, Reed was unequivocal. The film will leave a new generation of young viewers with the image of Jackson “who was a very talented performer and quite nice to children.” Reed called it “a mockery of the truth.”
He continued: “Young people know the stereotype of the movie or pop star whose private life is questionable. They’re neither stupid nor naive. But it’s a testament to the power of the estate and its weight in Hollywood, because there’s this reality distortion field that says, ‘That’s Michael fucking Jackson. What are you talking about? None of your child abuse stuff. Screw it. That’s Michael fucking Jackson.’ This is pure money. Pure influence. Pure fucking Hollywood glitz. And you look at these people and think, ‘Don’t you have a spark… Do you have kids? Have you ever met children?’”
