Jermaine Jackson Says Docu Claiming Michael Jackson Molested Children Is Defamation, Petition Launched

Jermaine Jackson

Jermaine Jackson Speaks on Upcoming Doc About Michael Jackson’s Child Molestation Trial: “This is defamation!”

How many other artists are we surviving? Amid the debut of the Lifetime documentary, “Surviving R. Kelly,” a new documentary about iconic singer Michael Jackson‘s child sex abuse trial is set to premiere. The Sundance Film Festival announced the two-part documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” which will tell the story of two men who were allegedly sexually abused by the singer.

But, the Jackson family has other plans. Michael’s older brother – singer Jermaine Jackson – issued a statement on his Facebook fan page with a call to stop the doc from being aired. He said:

“A documentary titled “Leaving Neverland” is planned to be shown to 40,000 people at the Sundance Film Festival. The producer of the film is Dan Reed. This film is based on the falsified claims of molestation by the hands of Michael Jackson. As Michael’s innocence was proven by a court of law and a 10 year FBI investigation, this is legally considered defamation of character. This mendacious documentary should NOT see the light of day.”

Sundance’s official description of “Leaving Neverland” reads as followed:

“As one of the world’s most celebrated icons, Michael Jackson represents many things to many people—a pop star, a humanitarian, a beloved idol. When allegations of sexual abuse by Jackson involving young boys surfaced in 1993, many found it hard to believe that the King of Pop could be guilty of such unspeakable acts. In separate but parallel stories that echo one another, two boys were each befriended by Jackson, who invited them into his singular and wondrous world. Seduced by the singer’s fairy-tale existence and enthralled by their relationship with him, both boys’ families were blind to the manipulation and abuse that he would ultimately subject them to. Through gut-wrenching interviews with the now-adult men and their families, ‘Leaving Neverland’ crafts a portrait of sustained exploitation and deception, documenting the power of celebrity that allowed a revered figure to infiltrate the lives of starstruck children and their parents.”

You can join Jermaine Jackson’s efforts against the Sundance documentary by signing the Change.org petition here.

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Written by Miata Shanay