Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland – Six bombshells from Channel 4 show

The follow-up to the Emmy-winning original shows Wade Robson and James Safechuck fighting for a decade for their right to go to court and tell the world what Michael Jackson did to them as kids in the 1980s and 90s

Wade Robson first met Michael Jackson when he was just five years old

Leaving Neverland 2 contained some huge curveballs as Wade Robson and James Safechuck followed up on the claims they made against Michael Jackson in the original documentary, which aired in 2019. Back then the pair, now both fathers and in their 40s, detailed the sexual abuse they claim to have been subjected to by the singer over many years, across the 1980s and 90s.

Wade alleges that Jackson began molesting him when he was seven years old in 1990 and continued for seven years. James says the abuse he sustained began in Paris in 1988, when he was 10, and continued until 1992. The new film showed the pair being legally thwarted several times before they finally won the right to bring a lawsuit against Michael Jackson’s two companies, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, for corporate negligence over the abuse which happened at Neverland – and which no one did anything to prevent.

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One major shocker in the Channel 4 film came when Jackson’s lawyers argued that it was not the duty of those employed by Michael Jackson to ensure the safety of children at Neverland. Lawyer John Steinsapir compared Jackson staff ignoring sexual abuse with a person walking past a child drowning in a swimming pool and doing nothing to save the child. He pointed out to the three appeal judges that this was something you are legally entitled to do “even if you are an Olympic-trained swimmer” adding: “It’s a very harsh rule, but it is the rule.”

Michael Jackson with the Robson family in 1990, two years after Wade claims the sexual abuse began(Image: Channel 4)

Appeal judge Justice Elizabeth Grimes and her two colleagues also look shocked when the Jackson estate’s lawyer argues that nothing could be done to safeguard kids in their care at Neverland, because the companies in question had just one shareholder – Michael Jackson.

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When it was suggested that chaperones could “easily” have been used to ensure that children did not go through the types of injuries sustained by Wade and James, Steinsapir insisted the staff were “not in a position to do that” because they could not tell Jackson what to do in his own home.

But the judges were left perplexed by this argument, saying “surely anyone can lay down employee protection measures?”. Grimes then finds in favour of Wade and James, meaning the case will go to trial, and she concludes: “It would be perverse to find no duty (of care) based upon the corporate defendant having only one shareholder.”

James Safechuck claims he was molested for years by Michael Jackson – and staff at his two companies did nothing to stop it(Image: James Safechuck archive / AMOS Pictures. )

Vince Finaldi, the long-term lawyer for James and Wade, was jubilant, saying: “It’s strong wording and it’s appropriate. Who cares if one person own it or 100 people own it – if the corporation facilitates abuse of children – especially children employed by the corporation to help it make money – then the corporation should be held liable.”

James Safechuck was moved to tears along the way after yet another of their bids to get permission to sue the companies for negligence was thrown out. He admitted that he had separated himself from the abused child he once was. “Pursuing this was the act of fighting back,” he said. I wanted to fight go myself and for Little James.”

Despite being 100% committed to the trial – which Wade describes as “fricking terrifying” – James says he looks forward to the day when he can put the whole thing behind him. “It’s gruelling,” he admitted. “I’m looking forward to just letting it go.”

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Wade Robson has fought hard, along with James Safechuck, to have his day in court(Image: Dan Reed/Amos Pictures. )

Finaldi’s colleague John Manly says that the Jackson estate’s “biggest fear” is for a California jury to hear the case, because they know their side can prove Jackson was a paedophile who couldn’t have carried out his abuse without help from many staff members who either turned a blind eye or facilitated his actions.

He says the argument that Wade and James are only taking their claims forward “for the money” does not hold water, because if that were true they’d have settled for a huge sum long ago, like several other victims have done. “They can tell each other that and they might even believe it – but no one else does,” Manly said. “Everyone knows what he was.” The date for the trial has been set for November 2026

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Wade told the Leaving Neverland cameras there were many employees of Michael Jackson who knew exactly what was going on – but did nothing about it – including bodyguards who were outside the bedroom door when the abuse was happening. Viewers could not fail to be moved when he said: “Michael Jackson was one of the kindest and most loving people I knew. And he also sexually abused me for seven years.”

James says the fight to tell their story to the world has been “gruelling” and he looks forward to it being over(Image: Dan Reed/Amos Pictures. )

When they are finally granted permission to have their day in court, he describes the ruling as “powerful” he said it felt like the three judges in the appeal court were “standing up for all children.” Having previously lied under oath to defend Jackson by saying he’d never molested him during the many nights they slept together in the same bed, he now wants to set the record straight. “If I get the opportunity to get on the stand and tell the truth, like I wasn’t able to do for decades, then that’s a win for me,” he said.