John Reed, the director of the documentary
Leaving Neverland
, about Michael Jackson, which shed
new light on the allegations of child molestation
against the artist and caused many fans of the king of pop to see him with a more realistic look, said in a note in
The Guardian
that he believes
"that the accusations are still not taken seriously enough."
In this line of reasoning he pointed out about the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, by Graham King, producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, "what this documentary tells us is
the complete absence of outrage accompanying the announcement
of this film is that the seduction of Jackson remains a living force, operating from beyond the grave."
The documentary, produced by King, took on a new lease of life when Antoine Fuqua
was hired to
direct it and pop star and nephew of the singer, Jafaar Jackson to play the role of Michael Jackson.
Jafar Jackson.
Michael's nephew, will play his uncle in the new biopic.
AP Photo
Reed's Criticism
In his article in
The Guardian
, almost four years after the documentary
Leaving Neverland
was released , Reed reiterated his criticism of Jackson for believing that despite having been acquitted by the courts, he is guilty of child molestation.
“The most shocking insight in
Leaving Neverland
, and the most painful for any parent to accept, is that as part of the grooming process,
the predator makes the child fall in love with him
, luring them into a kind of guilty complicity in the abuse,” he wrote. Reed.
“So, victims of child sexual abuse, unnervingly to the uninitiated,
will cover up for their abusers
and protect them for years or decades.
That's why Robson, for example, became a key defense witness in Jackson's 2005 molestation trial and was instrumental in getting him acquitted," he said.
A scene from "Leaving Neverland", the film about Michael Jackson.
"The jury believed Robson and found the singer not guilty. Now he admits that he lied in court to protect his mentor and abuser," said the director.
The role of the media
Reed in the next paragraph went on to criticize the media for its coverage of the project and what he sees as minimizing the accusations.
"What the complete lack of outrage accompanying the announcement of this film tells us is that
Jackson's seduction remains a living force
, operating from beyond the grave," he wrote.
"It seems that the press, his fans and the large number of older people who grew up loving Jackson are willing to put aside his unhealthy relationship with the children and follow the music."
Michael Jackson and the children, in a scene from "Leaving Neverland".
HBO photo
Reed concluded his piece by writing: “To the filmmakers, I say: how will you depict the moment when Jackson, a grown man in his 30s, takes a child by the hand and leads him into that room?
How would you describe what happens next?
By dodging the issue of Jackson's predilection for sleeping with young children, he is sending a message to millions of survivors of child sexual abuse.
That message is: if a pedophile is rich and popular enough, society will forgive them."
Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, at the age of 50, in his Holmby Hills mansion, following a cardiorespiratory arrest caused by a combination of painkillers.
WD
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