DOCU-WARS

Michael Jackson’s Nephew Tries to Vindicate His Uncle Ahead of Sundance Abuse Exposé

He launched a GoFundMe to refute sexual abuse claims brought forward in a new documentary.

Michael Jackson’s nephew launched a GoFundMe to produce a documentary series to clear his uncle’s name just as a documentary accusing Jackson of sexual abuse is set to debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Taj Jackson started the campaign on Monday to make a series that directly addresses the claims put forth by two alleged abuse victims featured in the Sundance film. “Years after he was killed by his doctor, two men who had resolutely defended Michael's innocence in life, tried and failed, to win financial settlements from his posthumous estate. After having their bogus abuse allegations ... dismissed by the court, they have now turned to HBO, the UK's Channel 4 and the Sundance Film Festival,” Taj Jackson wrote on the GoFundMe page, claiming that the two alleged victims had “accrued large legal debts to the estate” and are “seeking to profit from their already discredited stories.” Jackson also wrote he will aim to expose how the media has depicted his uncle over the years, writing that the series could “prove to be the most searing exposé of media and showbiz corruption that the world has ever seen.” By Monday evening, Jackson had raised over $7,500 towards his $777,000 goal. According to Rolling Stone, The Sundance film—called Leaving Neverland—features two accusers named Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Robson and Safechuck are reportedly interviewed in the two-part documentary, along with their “wives, mothers and siblings.”