Oprah Winfrey to interview Michael Jackson accusers for ‘After Neverland’ special
Oprah Winfrey will sit down with James Safechuck and Wade Robson, the two men who allege they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson in the upcoming HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” in an hourlong television special.
“Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland” will air Monday on both OWN and HBO, immediately after the second part of “Leaving Neverland.”
The special will be taped in front of an audience of sexual assault survivors and will also feature Dan Reed, the director of the four-hour documentary series.
In “Leaving Neverland,” Robson and Safechuck recount years of alleged abuse that began as they were young children, pressure from Jackson and his lawyers to keep silent and the lingering, devastating effects of the alleged abuse.
The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it received a standing ovation. Though the Jackson estate and many of the late singer’s online fans have attacked the project, critical response thus far has been strong.
Winfrey’s 1993 interview with Jackson remains one of the biggest moments of her career. In the ABC special, broadcast live from the Neverland Ranch and watched by 62 million viewers, Winfrey asked the pop star about a number of difficult topics, including his changing appearance, childhood abuse and his sexuality.
After Jackson’s death in 2009, Winfrey reflected on the interview, saying, “I can tell you I really, really liked him. After this interview, I thought I could be his friend, because I felt that he was really honest.”
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour »
Follow me @MeredithBlake
The complete guide to home viewing
Get Screen Gab for everything about the TV shows and streaming movies everyone’s talking about.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
