Oprah Winfrey will host a forthcoming special entitled Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland, featuring interviews with two men accusing the late pop icon Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children. It is set to air on HBO and OWN on March 4 at 10 p.m.
The Winfrey-hosted special will immediately follow the last of a two-part documentary entitled Leaving Neverland.
HBO describes Leaving Neverland:
The two-part documentary, which shares the stories of two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children, takes a survivor-centric approach; the lasting impact of the abuse is at its center. Both men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, waited years to come forward with their accounts, which is common for childhood survivors, according to experts.
HBO’s marketing of Leaving Neverland accepts both Wade Robson’s and James Safechuck’s allegations as prima facie:
Leaving Neverland [explores] the separate but parallel experiences of two young boys, James Safechuck, at age 10, and Wade Robson, at age 7, both of whom were befriended by Michael Jackson.
Through gut-wrenching interviews with Safechuck, now 40, and Robson, now 36, as well as their mothers, wives and siblings, the film crafts a portrait of sustained abuse, exploring the complicated feelings that led both men to confront their experiences after both had a young son of his own.
The Oprah Winfrey Q&A with Robson and Safechuck will be recorded before a studio audience, including “survivors” or sexual abuse.
Some of King of Pop’s family members, including Tito, Marlow, Jackie, and Taj Jackson spoke with CBS on Wednesday about the forthcoming documentary. They denied the aforementioned allegations.
Jackson’s family say Robson and Safechuck are suing Michael Jackson’s estate for hundreds of millions of dollars. “It’s all about money,” said both Marlon and Tito Jackson.
Follow Robert Kraychik on Twitter @rkraychik.
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