Michael Jackson’s Documentary Director Once Shared Why He Added Graphic Details About Child Allegations Against The Singer: The Pop King Pretended To “Live Out His Childhood” With Those Kids

Michael Jackson’s two-part documentary, Leaving Neverland, follows child abuse allegations against the King of Pop, and shares explicit details in the film. Reflecting on the graphic details, the director of the documentary, Dan Reed once shared why he decided to choose that route.

During an interview with TODAY host Savannah Guthrie, Reed was asked why he chose to include the “incredibly graphic” content with “no euphemisms whatsoever.” To this, Reed responded that he believed Jackson’s true actions against the two men, Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck, who allege they endured abuse as children, as well as potentially other boys, went unchecked for too long under the guise of the singer wanting to “live out his childhood” with young boys. The filmmaker wanted to tell their version of the full story.

He explained, “For many years, Michael Jackson kind of hid in plain sight. He portrayed himself as someone who never had a childhood and therefore was living out his childhood very much in the public eye — he’d be seen everywhere holding hands with a little boy — and he said that his interest in little boys was entirely innocent.”

Reed continued, “He admitted that he slept, and spent nights with them, but nothing happened. And so for many years, the public bought into this. Everyone bought into this. And he was able to spend so much time in the company of little children without people thinking there was anything strange about this.”

In the past, Safechuck and Robson denied that they were molested by Jackson. They appeared as a witness for the pop singer’s defense during a sexual abuse trial in 2005 where Jackson was allegedly charged with child molestation.

Robson said during a CBS This Morning interview, “Michael’s training of me to testify began the first night that he started abusing me. He started telling me that, ‘If anybody else ever finds out, we’ll both go to jail, and both of our lives will be over.’”

Reed also shared why Robson decided to open up about the alleged sexual abuse now adding, “I think a big moment for Wade — and Wade kind of led the way — was having his own son. So when his son came into the world and he saw this child and he realized what it is to have a child in your care … he began to imagine Michael doing the things to his little boy that he’d done to 7-year-old Wade, and these images were revolting and disgusting.”

He told Guthrie, “And yet when he thought about his own experience with Michael, he felt nothing. And that’s the tragic thing here is that a deep attachment forms between the abuser and the victim — and the sexual relationship, even at such a young age, becomes normalized, and you think, ‘This is love. I’m special.’”

Jackson’s Leaving Neverland garnered significant speculation as the singer’s estate even filed a lawsuit against HBO and its parent company, Time Warner, for $100 million, claiming that the documentary would violate a non-disparagement clause. Moreover, his estate issued a statement calling the documentary a “pathetic attempt” to make money off of the singer.

The statement obtained by People read, “This is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson. Wade Robson and James Safechuck have both testified under oath that Michael never did anything inappropriate toward them. Safechuck and Robson, the latter a self-proclaimed ‘master of deception’, filed lawsuits against Michael’s Estate, asking for millions of dollars. Both lawsuits were dismissed.”

Not only this, Jackson’s brothers, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie, denied the allegations of abuse and shared during an interview with CBS This Morning, “I don’t care to see it. No, because I know my brother. I don’t have to see that documentary. I know Michael. I’m the oldest brother. I know my brother. I know what he stood for. What he was all about. Bringing the world together. Making kids happy. That’s the kind of person he was,” said Jackie.

Jackson died in 2009, leaving behind his three kids, Prince, Paris, and Bigi.