The controversial Leaving Neverland documentary centering on Wade Robson and James Safechuck's allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of Michael Jackson continues to divide. There are those who believe the accusations and say the King of Pop was a child molester, however, there are others, like rapper T.I., who believe that these recent accusers have sinister motives in attempting to expose the iconic singer.
Recently, Piers Morgan sat down with Dan Reed, the director of the two-part documentary, and told Reed that he believed Robson and Safechuck were money hungry. “This is a huge payday for anyone who can establish they were a victim. I don’t know the truth. I’m questioning you as a director,” Morgan reportedly said. During their talk, Morgan played a tape of an interview he did with Jackson in the 1990s where the singer says that he'd rather "kill himself" than do harm to any children.
"If it wasn’t for children I would throw in the towel, I would kill myself, I wouldn’t care to live,” Jackson said. “They give me my inspiration, they give me… they inspire me. Everything I do, every song I write, the dance, everything I do. They try to use it against me and it’s just been so unfair and I’m very upset." The late artist went on to speak about how he is vilified in the press, no matter how altruistic he was.
Reed stood by the claims made in Leaving Neverland telling Morgan, "Why should we not believe them?…You are swallowing [it] hook, line, and sinker. This is not about money. They are suing for justice...They want justice, they are not fussed about the money. I don’t know what they would do with the money when they get it. They are entitled as citizens to use the court to hold the Jackson estate [to account]."
Radio stations around the world have pulled Jackson from their playlists in response to the recent documentary, yet T.I. took to his Instagram to write that he agrees with Morgan, calling the host "a real one."
"Let this man speak for himself to defend his legacy," Tip wrote in a caption. "Don’t just listen to one side and expect to find truth. Oh that’s right...Dead men can’t speak. So what was the point again? Destroy another strong black historical LEGEND?!?! It’s several examples of pedophilia in American History... if y’all pulling up all our old shit... we gotta examine ELVIS PRESLEY, HUGH HEFNER, and a whole slew of others guilty of the same if not more!!! BUT WHY US all the time? There’s an agenda to destroy OUR CULTURE."
Meanwhile, Reed told Morgan that both men featured in the documentary would be credible witnesses if this case was tried in a court of law. "Wade Robson and James Safechuck are not dead...To talk about hard evidence, soiled underwear 20 years later, I’m sorry that’s... In pedophile cases, if this was tried in a court it would be on the evidence of these two very credible witnesses."