Leaving Neverland is a 2019 documentary film directed and produced by British filmmaker Dan Reed. It focuses on two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were sexually abused as children by the American singer Michael Jackson.
The film is a co-production between the UK broadcaster Channel 4 and the US broadcaster HBO. Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2019, it was broadcast in two parts on HBO and as a shortened version on Channel 4 in March 2019. It received acclaim from critics, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, but mixed reviews from viewers.
Leaving Neverland triggered a media backlash against Jackson and a reassessment of his legacy. However, it boosted sales of his music. Some dismissed the film as one-sided and questioned its veracity; the Jackson estate condemned it as a "tabloid character assassination", while Jackson's fans organized protests. Michael Jackson: Chase the Truth, a documentary challenging the allegations of Leaving Neverland and asserting omissions and inconsistencies in that account, was released in August on Amazon Prime Video. Another rebuttal documentary, Neverland Firsthand: Investigating the Michael Jackson Documentary, presented interviews with individuals described as having been omitted from the HBO film. Reed is developing a follow-up documentary, with Robson and Safechuck returning.
In February 2019, the Jackson estate sued HBO for breaching a non-disparagement clause from a 1992 contract. The suit sought to compel HBO to participate in a non-confidential arbitration that could result in US$100 million or more in damages being awarded to the estate. HBO denied claims of a breach of contract and filed an anti-SLAPP motion against the estate. Judge George Wu denied HBO's motion to dismiss the case, allowing the Jackson estate to compel arbitration, but granted HBO's motion to stay the arbitration proceedings with the Jackson estate pending HBO's appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On December 14, 2020, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit upheld the lower court ruling favoring the Jackson estate.
Featured subjects[]
- Michael Jackson (archive footage)
- Wade Robson (accused Jackson of sexual abuse)
- James Safechuck (accused Jackson of sexual abuse)
- Joy Robson (Wade's mother)
- Chantal Robson (Wade's sister)
- Amanda Robson (Wade's sister)
- Stephanie Safechuck (James's mother)
- Laura Primak (James's wife)
International broadcast[]
| Country | Network(s) | Date(s) | Local title |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | HBO | March 3–4, 2019 | Leaving Neverland |
| United Kingdom | Channel 4 | March 6–7, 2019 | |
| Australia | Network 10 | March 8–9, 2019 | |
| Belgium | Canvas | March 8, 2019 | |
| Brazil | HBO Brasil, HBO Go | March 16–17, 2019 | |
| Canada | Crave | March 3–4, 2019 | |
| Denmark | DR TV | March 8, 2019 | |
| DR2 | March 12, 2019 | ||
| Finland | Yle TV2 | April 2, 2019 | |
| France | M6 | March 21, 2019 | |
| Germany | ProSieben | April 6, 2019 | |
| Iceland | RÚV | March 11, 2019 (part 1) March 13, 2019 (part 2) | |
| Italy | Nove | March 19–20, 2019 | |
| Netherlands | NPO 3 (VPRO) | March 8, 2019 | |
| New Zealand | TVNZ 1, TVNZ OnDemand | March 10–11, 2019 | |
| Norway | NRK2 | March 10–11, 2019 | |
| Poland | HBO Go | March 8, 2019 | |
| HBO | April 10–11, 2019 | ||
| Portugal | HBO Portugal | March 8, 2019 | |
| South Africa | M-Net | March 15–16, 2019 | |
| Spain | #0 | March 9, 2019 (part 1) March 16, 2019 (part 2) | |
| Sweden | SVT Play | March 10, 2019 | |
| SVT1 | March 13, 2019 (part 1) | ||
| SVT2 | March 14, 2019 (part 2) | ||
| Switzerland | SRF zwei | April 6, 2019 | |
| Bulgaria | HBO Go | March 8, 2019 | Напускайки Невърленд |
| HBO | April 10–11, 2019 | ||
| Hungary | HBO Go | March 8, 2019 | Neverland elhagyása |
| HBO | April 10–11, 2019 | ||
| Israel | yes Docu, STINGTV | March 8–9, 2019 | לעזוב את נוורלנד |
| Lithuania | LRT televizija | May 10–11, 2019 | Paliekant Neverlandą |
| Russia | Channel One website | March 15, 2019 | Покидая Неверленд |