'Leaving Neverland' director addresses doccie's 'inaccuracies'
Updated | By Entertainment Reporter
Director Dan Reed admits one of Michael Jackson's accusers got the dates of the alleged abuse wrong.
'Leaving Neverland' director Dan Reed has reportedly made a U-turn regarding a major claim made in the documentary.
Reed made the admission after Michael Jackson's biographer, Mike Smallcombe, pointed out that there were some discrepancies in James Safechuck and Wade Robson's stories.
Smallcombe revealed on social media that the timeline of the abuse Safechuck gave in the two-part doccie did not add up.
Safechuck said in the documentary that one incident occurred within Neverland's train station. But according to Smallcombe, the train station was built two years after the victim claimed the abuse ended.
In lawsuits filed against the singer's estate, Safechuck claimed the singer abused him for four years. The incidents allegedly took place between 1988 and 1992.
Construction on Neverland's train station began in late 1993, according to Smallcombe, and the station was only opened in 1994.
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In the last couple of hours I’ve been given access to the Santa Barbara County construction permits for the Neverland train station by my source - approved Sept 2, 1993 pic.twitter.com/xjtfvEvsUu
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) March 30, 2019
The picture below was taken on August 25, 1993. The train station wasn’t there (top of image). Work on the floral clock had started.
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) April 2, 2019
The construction of the actual building was approved by Santa Barbara County on September 2, 1993 (see below).
End of discussion. pic.twitter.com/ycOTKw0Vj5
A handful of people are citing something in Randall Sullivan’s book saying Neverland’s train station existed in 1990.
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) April 2, 2019
Sullivan assumed the station was there then - his description of what Neverland might have looked like to visitors then is based on a 2003 sheriff’s dept video. pic.twitter.com/nupENuEbQr
Smallcombe also accused Wade Robson of "fabricating" his story about when the abuse started. Robson claimed in the 'Leaving Neverland' documentary that he was left alone with MJ while his family went on holiday to the Grand Canyon.
But Smallcombe says testimony by Robson's mother revealed that the entire family went on the trip.
"Wade Robson told a detailed story of how he claimed he was abused for the first time. How his family left him at Neverland alone, and went to the Grand Canyon. This can now be proven as false. Yet he was able to tell it to the world, without any scrutiny," he tweeted.
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In another deposition in 2016, Wade Robson's mum again confirmed that her ‘whole family’, including Wade, had gone on the Grand Canyon trip, debunking a significant part of his story. https://t.co/VlDcOCjr7t
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) March 30, 2019
First image: Joy Robson's 1993 deposition, confirming her family went away to the Grand Canyon, and that Wade hadn't been alone at Neverland until that year (1993)
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) March 30, 2019
Second image: Joy Robson's 2016 deposition, she again confirms her 'whole family' including Wade went to the Canyon pic.twitter.com/fck6wE5yka
Director Reed denies making a u-turn but admits Safechuck got the date the abuse ended wrong.
"Nope. No u-turn. No clash of dates. James was present at Neverland before and after the train station was built. In fact, he took photos of the completed station which we included in the doc. And his sexual contact with Michael lasted into his teens. That’s all in the film.," he tweeted.
Nope. No u-turn. No clash of dates. James was present at Neverland before and after the train station was built. In fact he took photos of the completed station which we included in the doc. And his sexual contact with Michael lasted into his teens. That’s all in the film.
— Dan Reed (@danreed1000) April 2, 2019
Smallcombe hit back.
"So @danreed1000 is now saying because the story has been debunked, suddenly the end of Safechuck’s abuse was when he was 16/17 rather than 14. It’s a three year discrepancy. Just hold your hands up, don’t change the story. This is what happens when you don’t investigate properly."
So @danreed1000 is now saying because the story has been debunked, suddenly the end of Safechuck’s abuse was when he was 16/17 rather than 14. It’s a three year discrepancy. Just hold your hands up, don’t change the story. This is what happens when you don’t investigate properly. https://t.co/EydUEztVJJ
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) March 31, 2019
Reed was adamant that Safechuck visited Neverland after the train station was built.
"Safechuck was at Neverland after the train station was completed. He even took photos of the station, we put two of these in the film. And he’s clear in the documentary that the sexual contact with Jackson continued into his teens," Reed wrote.
But many were not convinced.
"In his complaint he says the abuse stopped at 14, he says this in your film and if it isn’t true it defeats the narrative of your film that Michael lost interest when they hit puberty’s. You’re lying again," one tweep wrote.
Another added: "Ummmm your film categorically stated that MJ lost interest in the boys when they hit puberty but now you want us to believe that MJ was molesting a 17 year old???? Give it up Dan!"
Some social media users defended the documentary, saying it's not unusual for abuse victims to get dates and events mixed up.
"I wish all the critics, including Piers Morgan will educate themselves about sexual abuse. The trauma is so great, the confusion so profound, dates and events are often mixed up but the act of abuse is never forgotten. It's called dissociation," one person wrote.
Another added: "Memory is the only evidence in historic sexual abuse. When adults recall past abuse from decades earlier, it can have peripheral information & thus contain reconstructive errors, but recalling the experience of the abuse is usually accurate. The train station date is irrelevant."
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So you’re again saying on Safechuck’s behalf that the abuse happened after the train station opening in 1994 @danreed1000, in complete contrast to what he has always explicitly said? https://t.co/NAXk64oSFS
— Mike Smallcombe (@mikesmallcombe1) April 2, 2019
Safechuck’s own sworn declaration from his ongoing lawsuit makes no mention of him ever visiting Neverland after 1992/3. He only testifies to seeing Jackson in Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Budapest and New Jersey.
— Charles Thomson (@CEThomson) March 31, 2019
Mj didn’t even live at neverland when James was 16/17, and James clearly said the abuse stopped when he hit puberty, which was 12 now dan wants us to believe it carried on for 4-5 years after that?? Come on dan, the game is up! pic.twitter.com/8RtViyBcog
— Michael #MJInnocent (@Mike_dropUK) March 31, 2019
When describing why Aaron Carter wasn’t abused he said he was too old because he was 15,
— Michael #MJInnocent (@Mike_dropUK) April 3, 2019
“the age that Michael routinely lost interest was around 14/15”
now he’s saying that James was “abused” when he was 16/17??
He has shot his own narrative to pieces! pic.twitter.com/sBB3H3xPUQ
Ummmm your film categorically stated that MJ lost interest in the boys when they hit puberty but now you want us to believe that MJ was molesting a 17 year old???? Give it up Dan!
— TrubluJustice (@JusticeTrublu) April 2, 2019
In his complaint he says the abuse stopped at 14, he says this in your film and if it isn’t true it defeats the narrative of your film that Michael lost interest when they hit puberty’s. You’re lying again
— Dwayne Pipe (@DwaynePipe14) April 2, 2019
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