As you’ve likely heard by now, this week saw the premiere of the controversial documentary Leaving Neverland on HBO. The film has left countless viewers scandalized, and many say it left them with no doubt that Michael Jackson is guilty of child molestation. Of course, as is usually the case with decades-old controversies, there are vehement believers on both sides of the argument. The Jackson family has decried the film as an act of ” public lynching ,” and an attempt to denigrate a man who’s no longer alive to defend himself. Around the world, protesters have gathered at screenings of the film to show their support for Jackson and loudly declare their belief in the late music legend’s innocence. The debate has mostly involved those who believe Jackson’s accusers and the much smaller group who maintains that the pop star is innocent. But one of the world’s most famous people has found herself unexpectedly caught in the middle. Following Monday night’s conclusion of the two-part docuseries, HBO aired a follow-up special entitled Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland . The goal of the broadcast was to shed light on the accusations against Jackson through interviews with two of his alleged victims. It was also part of an effort to provide support for those whose lives have been touched by abuse and who may have been triggered by the revelations contained in Leaving Neverland . Oprah is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and she presented the facts of the Jackson case in a clear and level-headed fashion. Nevertheless, she now finds herself the victim of a targeted harassment campaign spearheaded by Jackson defenders. Multiple outlets are reporting today that Winfrey has received death threats, and the insults hurled at the media icon in online discussion forums are truly nauseating. The situation is made even more appalling by the fact that Oprah has been an outspoken advocate for child abuse survivors throughout her life. “It happened to me at 9, and then 10, and then 11, and then 12, 13, 14. You don’t have the language to begin to explain what’s happening to you,” Oprah told People magazine last year. “That’s why you feel you’re not going to be believed. And if the abuser, the molester, is any good, they will make you feel that you are complicit, that you were part of it,” she added. “That’s what keeps you from telling.” To our minds, the things that Jackson confessed to during the various investigations into his alleged sex crimes are enough to render him forever indefensible. But the fact that those who choose to defend him are now attacking survivors of child sexual trauma has brought this already ugly situation to a new depth. Fortunately, brave souls such as Wade Robson, James Safechuck, and Oprah Winfrey will not be intimidated into silence. View Slideshow: Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson Victims Reveal Sickening New Allegations
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Oprah: Attacked By Michael Jackson Fans Following Leaving Neverland Special
