Leaving Neverland Full Transcript
Leaving Neverland Full Transcript
Short instruction:
This is an EXACT word-for-word transcript - with expressions of hesitations
and pauses (made as ‘..’ or ‘…’) to emphasis speaking speed, expressions
etc.) It’s a full transcript on what everybody says in this film.
Also included are what people are saying in video clips and voice messages
in between the interviews.
• Use the search function to search the parts you are looking for!
• There is a content index, so you can find the “crucial” parts that
we fans have exposed - a lot easier!
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
With this Table of contents, you will get an
easier access to the most “talked about”
exposed lies.
Table of Contents
DECEMBER 1986........................................................................................................................................... 8
NOVEMBER 1987 .......................................................................................................................................... 9
In Paris MJ introduced masturbation........................................................................................................ 17
Train station ........................................................................................................................................... 20
JANUARY 1990 ........................................................................................................................................... 22
First sexual experience for Wade ............................................................................................................. 28
Ring scene .............................................................................................................................................. 31
LA Gear photoshoot, do not mention Brandi............................................................................................. 34
Birthday speech from Michael to Wade .................................................................................................... 36
Mentioning of Macaulay Culcin ................................................................................................................ 39
James says MJ gave him alcohol ............................................................................................................... 40
SEPTEMBER 1992 ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Mentioning of Brett Barnes ..................................................................................................................... 41
1993 .......................................................................................................................................................... 43
Wade meets Jordy for the first time ......................................................................................................... 44
Voice message from MJ in Australian accent............................................................................................. 46
Stephanie Safechuck not saying the truth about 1993 trial ........................................................................ 50
Safechucks get a house from MJ .............................................................................................................. 50
James claims MJ told him not to get an education..................................................................................... 51
AUGUST 1994............................................................................................................................................. 51
Bloody underwear................................................................................................................................... 52
NOVEMBER 2003 ........................................................................................................................................ 59
Mark Geragos speech.............................................................................................................................. 60
James telling he was asked to testify in 2005 ............................................................................................ 60
James says MJ is an evil man to his mom in 2005 ...................................................................................... 62
Wade had asked his mom not to testify.................................................................................................... 63
James asked to testify, they go angry ....................................................................................................... 63
Dinner at Neverland, zooming in dining area ............................................................................................ 64
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
The jury members speak 2005 ................................................................................................................. 66
Wade don’t understand it was abuse ....................................................................................................... 66
2008 .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
Wade and Amanda visiting Michaels house with wine 2008....................................................................... 67
JUNE 2009.................................................................................................................................................. 68
Stephanie danced June 25, 2009 .............................................................................................................. 69
We were contacted to come to the funeral............................................................................................... 71
Wade breaks down, and son is born November 2010 ................................................................................ 72
Wade starting to realize abuse in about May 2011 .................................................................................... 75
Wade breaks the news to his family about the abuse ................................................................................ 75
Amanda Robson, no knowledge of child sexual abuse confession .................................................................. 77
MAY 2013 .................................................................................................................................................. 80
James comes out after seeing Wade on TV ............................................................................................... 81
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Part 1
Start
Starting with video of a photo session with James Safechuck and
Michael. The photographer directing the two for the pictures.
James Safechuck
I think when I was with him ... he was happy. He was.. at the peak of.. his
creativity.. and he was at the peak of his success... and everybody wanted to
meet Michael and be with Michael. He was already larger than life... and then
he likes you.
Wade Robson
He was.. one of the kindest.. most gentle.. loving, caring.. people.. I knew.
He helped me.... tremendously helped me with my career, he helped me with my
creativity, all o those sorts of things...... and he also sexually abused
me..... for 7 years.
Wade Robson
I'm Wade Robson. So I was born in Brisbane, Australia.. and.. I am.. the..
third of 3 kids. My dad, he worked in construction for a while, and then he
got into.. like the fruit business. So when I was young, he had a couple of
fruit shops and my mother used to work with him, with those businesses.
Joy Robson
Hi, I am Joy Robson and mother of Wade Robson. We were middle class entrained
family, we lived on 3 acres, we had horses and angora goats and.. a dog named
Sally. Shane was quite a bit older, he's 9,5 years older than Wade and he was
already well .. ak.. into elementary school when Wade was born.
Shane Robson
It was just a.. like a.. thr.. I think a three bedroom like a three story
house. We had a pool, it was always like always family over and we had
parties there and pool parties. Pretty good memories from that place.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
Chantal was very close with him being 3 years apart, they played together a
lot.
Chantal Robson
Wade was always aaa.. a very sensitive boy. He wasn't really a guys guy he
wasn't into like.. you know he played basketball for fun as a little kid but
if you, if he had a choice of doing anything he was gonna read a book or
listen to music or dance.. you know verses going outside to play football
with his friends.
Joy Robson
He was the youngest in the area so he really had nobody to play with, so he
and I were very close, we spent a lot of time together.
Wade Robson
Once I saw that tape.. you know, everything changed for me. The music I
couldn't help.. but move to it .. kinda set me.. on fire. You know, it just
made everything tingle and it was so exiting. I remember just watching the
tape over and over again.. pausing.. rewinding - I would just try over, and
over and over again to really perfect the complexities of Michael's movement.
I slowly but surely started, you know plastering.. my walls with images of
Michael. It literally became the wallpaper.. so going to sleep, waking up..
in.. Michael Jackson land .
Joy Robson
He would have just turned 5 and people kept telling me you know, he's really
good you should, you should do something .. with him. That week, a friend of
mine came to me and said;.... You know Michael Jackson is here on the BAD
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
tour. I said; yes, actually I thought about buying tickets but I thought he's
so young, I don't think I.. but she said; You should, you should go, she
said; There's a dance competition, you should enter him, first price is to
meet Michael Jackson.
The competition was only like a week before the the concert and he went into
the heat, and there were held in a Target store.
He had his little hat on, his little BAD outfit - my hairdresser had made it
for him.
Wade Robson
I was actually too young, It was like 7 or 8 and up and I was 5 at the time.
So they said; well, you know he can't compete because of his age, but aaum,
but we'll let him perform as like a special guest.
Joy Robson
He's one of those little things that he got on the stage.. an, everything
changed, he just wasn't that shy little boy and he got on stage and.. he
brought the place down everybody was screaming for him. And at the end of it,
the manager was the judge and he said; well I wanna get out of here alive, so
I'm going to declare Wade Robson the winner.
Michael Jackson's people were there to interview and asked him if he could
speak to Michael what would he say.
Wade Robson
You this...complete.. impossibility.. this being... from another world.
Michael was gonna happen and we were actually gonna meet now. I was just
exited... beyond measure.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
I remember getting this.. glow that sort of started in my heart and went to
all my extremities, it was an amaaaazing feeling. And something magical was
going to happen I would get that feeling.
James Safechuck
I am James Safechuck (Only real smile throughout the film). I grew up in a
little town called Simi Valley. I was pretty happy and pretty outgoing, kind
of a performer I guess.
My father worked at a rubbish company, so we had a family rubbish company,
that my grandfather started.
My mom, she had a hair styling business and.. I remember being in the beauty
salon as a kid, I'd hang out there while she was working and just.. swept the
floors.
Stephanie Safechuck
My name is Stephanie Safechuck and I am Jam... I am Jimmy’s mother. When I
married Jimmy’s father, he had 2 children, came with the marriage. At the
time my husband had had a vasectomy and I didn't think I could have any
children
About three, four years into the marriage I really wanted a baby. So my
husband had it reversed for me, which back then, they guaranteed nothing. I
was so fortunate to have a baby. I just remember having him and being
overwhelmed, just crying over his crib, that he'll always be alright. He's my
love.
James Safechuck
I have an older brother and older sister, they are much older. They left home
early also, soo... I was alone.
Stephanie Safechuck
It was actually a friend of ours, her daughter was in commercials and.. ran
into my husband and Jimmy in the grocery store and said; you wanna get him in
commercials, he is so adorable and gave my husband the agent's card.. so I
called the agent and when she met him, she said; he is money in the bank,
I'll take him.
So... he did very well right away.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
DECEMBER 1986
James Safechuck
I met Michael on the set of the Pepsi commercial. I don't remember being a
huge fan, I was at the time, I was probably more in to like.. Voltron and
Transformers. (James smiles). This kid wonders around.. backstage and he
discovers the dressing room and me goes in there and he sees the jackets and
the hats and glasses and all that.. I'm trying it on... and then Michael
walks in and.. and he says; "Looking for me? (Michaels voice)".
They were trying to get my reaction on camera the first time I saw him, so..
the first time I see him is actually the shot that they use in the
commercial.
He invited me into his.. auumm... trailer.
Stephanie Safechuck
This was exiting to Jimmy and I didn't want to be in his way, I wanted Jimmy
to have fun and have a good day, so, I let him go in his trailer, Michaels
trailer with Michael's hair stylist/make up artist Karen. And I stayed
outside. What she said to me was; He's like a 9 year old little boy. So that
made me feel comfortable.
James Safechuck
How do you explain Michael Jackson? He's larger than life. There's no stars
like that now, that kind of megastar... and everybody wanted to meet Michael
and be with Michael. He was quiet and laughed a lot at me and he's giggly.
The stand in, we became kind of buddies.. an.. I looked at him and I said:
Oh, were the luckiest boys in the world.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
NOVEMBER 1987
Wade Robson
He was performing two nights in Brisbane. Went to the first night of the
concert.. just to watch. And that was the first time I'd.. seen him..
perform...live.
*images from concert and live music*
I remember.. my mind just being... blown.. experiencing his energy..
magnified.. though all those thousands of people and through all those
speakers.. you know and the energy just.. kinda.. shaking.. my whole body.
Joy Robson
We went to the concert the Friday night and we had a meet and greet with
Michael.
Wade Robson
Here he was now...as.. you know.. a seemingly real human being. He... kept
commenting on my BAD outfit, how great he thought it was.
Joy Robson
And Michael said auum.. were you at the concert tonight? and we said; yes. He
said: “oh I wish I had known, I would have put him on the stage with me.”
Stage mother in me kicked in and I said; we'll be there tomorrow night, cause
we, they had given us tickets as well.. as a winner, so he said; Oh, I'll see
what I can do.
Wade Robson
I know the next day I was on a TV-show, like a morning TV-show.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade Robson
Music is still blaring and all the lights are going this intensity - it was a
wild.. sensation.
Joy Robson
Then all of a sudden, this huuuuge black man came out of nowhere with a big
top hat.. and took Wade out of Dennis's arms and told us to wait there and
took him backstage.
Wade Robson
You know, being the the the curtains being pulled back right, kind of just..
the whole world behind the scenes, his world. Michael... aaa.. came up to
me.. and grabbed my hand and just sort of gave me a signal like.. you know,
come on let let's do it. I kinda look out at this sea of people.. and, and
then something clicked.. and I grabbed my hat and... "making schwoosh sound"
and threw it off and just started going.. started dancing.. like I was him..
almost, for a moment I mean you know the center of his stage.. with his
audience.
You got all these other kids and Stevie Wonder was on stage as well, he was
singing with Michael.
Joy Robson
And then it was time for Michael to leave, it was the end of the concert, so
he called the kids to follow him of stage, but Wade was so into what he was
doing he didn't see that and he'd still dancing, so Michael sort of got,
walked away and realized Wade wasn't going, he turned back and he laughed.
Michael just clapped and walked off and Wade suddenly realized everybody was
leaving, so he followed them out, it was very cute.
Wade Robson
Each moment of that actual kind of eye.. connection.. (in/exhaling), was a..
like a bit of a shock to the system. That performance.. that meet and
greet.. were such dreamlike... experiences, and kind of a........ sensory
overload... emotional overload.
Shane Robson
I remember them coming home after the concert, dad come in my bedroom and he
was all exited, cause Wade had danced with Michael Jackson and.. I, I
remember dad kinda like getting teary eye telling the story about it, you
know dancing with Michael Jackson.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
The next morning I wanted to bring a thank you letter for Michael, cause that
was his last concert, he was leaving Australia. There were a lot of fans
around, they all recognized Wade, so he was a little celebrity, they were all
taking photos with him and talking to him.
Michael had heard that we were in the lobby and he wanted us to come up to
his room. And I can remember Wade's face just lighting up "I'm gonna meet a
real superstar", he was so excited.
I mean this was.. who gets to meet their hero their, their superhero. This
is, this little boy getting to do it twice now.
Wade Robson
I ended up spending two hours with him.. ah in his hotel suite. He was in
some sort of editing process for his Moonwalker.. film. It's like; there he
was.. on the TV screen, as I was used to seeing him and then there he was...
sitting right next to me on the bed.
Joy Robson
Michaels hand was rubbing up and down on the sheets right beside my elbow as
he was talking to us and I can remember thinking; oh my god, I'm on a bed
with Michael Jackson (laughing). I can remember thinking that, because no one
is ever gonna believe this. It was pretty overwhelming, we all had an
overwhelming weekend. That is for sure.
Wade Robson
This little Australian boy who'd had this.. other worldly.. impossible..
experience.. of having this meeting.. with my idol and my mentor and my God
and like I've been.. anointed.. you know, some kinda way.
Stephanie Safechuck
One day, the phone rang and I picked it up; Hi, this is Michael, I'm calling
from Australia. I was... "I saw Jimmy’s commercial". I thought; how touching,
he doesn't think it's his commercial, he think's it's Jimmy’s soo.. I put
Jimmy on the phone and and I could hear Jimmy say; People tell me at school
that you're weird.
Michael said; Don't listen to what anybody says, you know me, you know I'm
not weird. And that started the relationship. So Michael is still in
Australia and asked if he could send a crew to our house to film Jimmy.
So.. ahh.. a crew came. Jimmy didn't have any posters of Michael, so they
put up posters of, of Michael all through Jimmy’s bedroom so when they filmed
it, you know it was more appealing, it was.. exiting for all of us, for the
whole family.
*Clip of Jimmy filmed at his house*
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
James saying: "And I was thrilled, like wooooooow, because it's.. auumm..
it's like it's hard to believe that I can see Michael Jackson when people
just dream about him" and that stuff, it's really neat.
James Safechuck
I sat on the bed and put all his memorabilia there and they just interviewed
me.. and then ahh.. and then I did a little dance performance and they filmed
that (clip is shown, smooth criminal song)
Now that I look, that I look back on it, it's almost like.. and audition..
for him.. he sends his film crew out.
Stephanie Safechuck
He didn't explain it. I just figured he's, he's far away, this is part of how
he can be with people and, he made it clear that he was VERY lonely.. he
didn't have any friends.
James Safechuck
And then.. his... secretary or somebody called and.. asked if we would like
to go to dinner at the Havenhurst house. Going to Havenhurst, it felt.. felt
magical I guess. The house is beautiful. He had a recording studio, so we
went in there and I think we saw.. his brothers and we said hi. We had dinner
and watched "Batteries not included".
He gets movies before they come out. So he has, he had a little movie theater
there.
I remember seeing his dance floor for the first time. Kind of a magical thing
to see Michael an.. at the dance floor, like his private dance floor.
Stephanie Safechuck
We were so excited, this was big for us. Nobody can befriend him he has to
befriend people, he's unapproachable.
So, for him to wanna be our friend, was "oh my god, how lucky are we"
James Safechuck
Mom and dad, I think they were in awe, and you're just star struck you know
it's, it's aaah, it's like (making big eyes and spreading fingers) and at the
same time he's becoming a real person.. he's not the sort of two dimensional
icon.. he gives you focused attention.. and I think at that age, you want to
be.. important and you want to be noticed and.... loved, so it's
powerful...auhhh.. attraction.
We went to the closet and were looking at the stuff then... he told me I can
pick out a jacket.. I could have that, it would be mine. I picked the
Thriller jacket... of course. I go big. And I took it home. I wore it to the
grocery store. As I was leaving, he gave like an envelope full of cash..
several hundred dollars.. which at the time was a lot, it's still a lot
(smile-sneezing).
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Stephanie Safechuck
He had our phone number and he called the next day, and he was gonna be by
himself. And I couldn't believe.. how can this man be by himself.
James Safechuck
And so my parents offered to go and pick him up. We got in the car and we
drove to the Havenhurst house. And there is always like reporters and fans,
so.. auhmm.. we had to sneak him out. Michael was ducked with me in the back,
some people gave chase and we had to like loose them and... so I think my
father was exited to like loNo table of contents entries found.ose the
reporters, he'd to like drive fast or something (smile-sneezing).
Stephanie Safechuck
When he came to our house and went through Jimmy’s closets, went through
everything - acted like a little boy, giggling...
James Safechuck
We'd watch movies and we'd eat popcorn, he loved popcorn. Michael would come
to our house a lot. Michael and I would take walks around my neighborhood,
just talking... and walking and.. it would be a night time of course. So we
could sort of hide. As soon as somebody notice then, then the newspapers
would be there. I think I went to Havenhurst a few times, the more I would
visit, the more sort of lone time you'd get with him. So I brought him some
toys and.. auhm.. he gave me some gifts. It's more like.. hanging out with a
friend, that's more your age. So it feels natural.
Stephanie Safechuck
I came to feel like he was one of my sons, by how he behaved. I loved him. He
was a son I started to take care for. He would spend the night, I'd wash his
clothes. At the time when I was thinking about; should we get Jimmy in
commercial, I prayed to the Lord that if this is good for Jimmy; open the
doors for him and then let this happen.
And if it's not.. don't let it happen. Well of course, the door's opened so
quickly and then when Michael would come to our house, I told this story to
Michael about how I prayed.. auuh.. about this before it happened and Michael
tells me; I prayed too, I prayed that I could have a friend and then I met
Jimmy.
Well to me.. the two prayers came together, and this was a friendship that
was meant to be (looking very happy).
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
James Safechuck
I went to Hawaii with Michael for the Pepsi convention. The trip felt like an
adventure. We rented out an amusement park.. for the night and everybody went
there and played.
Stephanie Safechuck
We were treated very nicely there, we went on a helicopter ride.. which was
nice.
James Safechuck
And I remember there were dolphins and you could just go see them. I mean
we're from a small town... so this is... bigger than.. I think anybody’s
expectations.
Stephanie Safechuck
I wanted them to have fun and I wanted my son to.. be happy and have a good
time. So, I, I stayed my distance there in Hawaii during the day.
James Safechuck
The hotel was beautiful of course and I remember really wanting to stay in
the room with him and.. my mom wouldn't allow it at.. at the time.
Stephanie Safechuck
I.. didn't think it was appropriate for my son to go sleep with him. I knew
he was a kind man and he was.. doing everything to make our trip there.. as
good as it could be, but you know that.. it didn't fee... you don't… auum, it
didn't feel right.. you don't.. go sleep with an.. you know somebody else
that you don't really know. And Jimmy was; please mom, please.. you know,
cause he, he loved Michael but naah, no I wouldn't let him. But made sure I
had my mills (can’t hear the right word – writers note) with them and that
Jimmy slept with me.
That's how it was.. the first trip.
James Safechuck
I remember the plane being quite empty.. and I did this mock interview with
him and he said I could ask him anything I wanted;
Michaels voice: "We're in the air on our way home from Hawaii, thousands of
feet in the air on a DC10. I've had a wonderful time with Jimmy" '
Jimmy says: "Are you taping?"
Michael says; "sure, you can ask anything"
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
James Safechuck
It was just, I was playing reporter and he never gave interviews.. so it was
kinda like.. sure, you can interview me but nobody else got interviews so..
it was also a big deal.
Jimmy says: "How did you like Hawaii, what was your like best thing?"
Michael says: "My best thing about Hawaii? Being with you"
Jimmy says; "how do you feel about, aum.. performing and stuff, do you like
it?"
Michael says: "I love performing, it is the greatest thing in the world,
becauseaauummm I feel at home on stage, I could live on stage, I'm the most
happiest when I'm on stage and when I'm with Jimmy Safechuck." The best
commercial, of all the Pepsi commercial it's the one that you and I did. I'm
not just saying that, that's the best one.. Cause it has heart, every time I
see it, it makes me smile. And I hope to be you us friends for a long..
forever, for a long time. Goodbye, signing off. Bye."
James Safechuck
And it's.. hard to listen to... you can hear like the infatuation.. and..
and.. how much I was attracted to him.. and then also his.... like..
realign.. his attraction you.. for like...... making you feel special.
*Tape recorder voice of Michael*
“It's Michael. I’m calling from London. Just calling to say I love you all
and I miss you very, very much. I feel like you belong to me all the time.
Bye. I love you all. Bye.”
Stephanie Safechuck
A lot of our conversations were on the telephone. My son would be on the
phone hours with Michael, hours. And he talked to me, he would just call to
talk to me during the day and, and.. the wat.. long conversations, so that's
how he got to know people I think.
*Voices of Michael and James* - (I can't really hear exactly what they are
saying below – writers note)
Michael: ".. my voice right away?"
Jimmy: "I jumped up and I ran to the phone"
Michael: "Is my voice right on?"
James: "Aha"
James Safechuck
We were talking on the phone pretty regularly and I was dancing and taking
dance seriously and it was.. like.. come join me on tour.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Stephanie Safechuck
And he said.. you can choose where ever you wanna come and stay as long as
you wanna come.
James Safechuck
So as soon as school ended, I joined the tour.. for the summer. My mother
went and my father would join whenever he could, but he wasn't there the
whole time.
Stephanie Safechuck
He flies you first class, you have a limo waiting for you at the airport..
amaaazing you know, it's a life.. of the rich and famous.
James Safechuck
I came on at the end of the song BAD, they would pick kids out of the crowd
during the show and then I'd lead like 10 or 12 kids out. I had BAD outfit on
and that was just like his... and so I would dance... we'd like side
moonwalked and did a few moves together. It's hard to explain to people what
tour is like.. it's pretty crazy.
The excitement of him just walking from his car, from the hotel to the car
is.. is insane. People as shoving you.. and snapping pictures.. and.. holding
on to the door handles and being dragged by the car, they're crying and...
it's a unique experience. That, that level of.. star.. power.
I'm 10 on the tour.. you know, having shows every night and.. it's a bit
overwhelming. It's all these sorts of.. amazing moments.. on tour that you
don't get.. in normal life.
Stephanie Safechuck
None of us, were living a normal life when we travelled with Michael. I got
to meet Sean Connery - that was a big for me, it's was like; oh my god,
Seaaaan Connery!
James Safechuck
And then at the, at the shows there's stars coming.. to meet him.. and I met
Harrison Ford and.. George Lucas.. and Stephen Spielberg and.. and we even
went to the set of the Indiana Jones movie and Harrison Ford took me outside
and, and showed me how to use his, his bull whip and then he gave me the bull
whip.
Stephanie Safechuck
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I was on a bus with aa.. Tina Turner, they’d bus the VIP's back and forth to
the hotel and I heard her tell her boyfriend at the time, I was sitting
close.. "that little white boy sure can dance".. well I KNEW she was talking
about Jimmy (laugh out loud), that, that was like.. oh, I know he can dance.
I was so proud of Jimmy, it was always a proud moment to see him om stage.
James Safechuck
By that time you're already best buds, so it's.. like... two friends going on
an adventure or something like that. You're not going off and doing normal
things people do when they travel...so you spend a lot of time just in a
hotel room with him and the hotel rooms are... you know.. the president
suites, so they are quite large. So, there's lots of room to play in, you're
just grow.... closer... I remember, we would fall asleep together and then
when I'd wake up, he would be in another room.. and I would be.. hurt that he
was in another room.. and so, I'd asked him to stay.
Stephanie Safechuck
It seems like it was a natural.. thing that happened. My husband and I have
to had said: Yes, you can go sleep with Michael.
Stephanie Safechuck
He was with Michael 24-7. I would go visit Jimmy...auum... make sure he was
ok, but Jimmy was always; You can go mom, you can go mom. He didn't want me
there. I, I missed him, I really missed my son, aah.. not being with him.
James Safechuck
Michael would like it.. if you... if you would bend over.. and.. like spread
open your cheeks, that's what he liked... and then he would masturbate.. and
he liked.. auumm... if I rubbed his nipples.... So we would do stuff and then
in the end when he wanted to ejaculate.. he would, he would finish himself.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Stephanie Safechuck
Our rooms started to get further and further away from.. Michaels room. And
when I asked about it, we weren't even on the same floor now. I asked.. in
Paris and I asked about that and they said, we couldn't get you a suite close
to Michael, no suites available, this is where we could get you the nicest
room. Oo.. that made sense to me so I, ok... but in Germany we were like
reeeeeally far away from them and, and same thing, same thing - we couldn't
get you a suite near them.
James Safechuck
He would run drills with me were.. you'd be in the hotel room and he would
pretend like somebody was coming in and you had to get dressed...as fast as
possible.. without making noise.
So not getting caught was a big.. like just kinda fundamental.. it was very
much a secret.. and.. he.. would.. tell me that.. if anybody found out.. his
life would be over and my life would be over... and that's something he tells
you over and over again.
And French kissing... he... said I introduced that to him. And it evolved
from like french kissing.. and then kissing different parts of the body...
and then finally.. like kissing.. the genitals.
He started with like; kiss it, can I kiss it... I remember one time I was
sleeping.. and I woke up and Michael said that he had performed oral sex on
me while I was sleeping... and I was like; oh ok (smile-sneezing)
Stephanie Safechuck
I, I wanted to know what was, what's going on in the room (laughing heavily),
my son doesn't know this, but.. I would, you know go to the door, try to
listen.. hear what conversation was going on.. and then I'd sneak away.
I wasn't worried that.. anything was going on. I guess I was more curious
what are they doing in there.
(Dan Reed asks in the background: What were they doing?)
Playing.. reading.. Michael was reading, he bought him a lot of nice, good
books you kno and he...poems, he'd read poems to him. Just kid things, they
were just doing kid things.
James Safechuck
So it wouldn't actually.. like ejaculate... it would be this... like kind of
lubricant without anything in it... and that would sort of leak out.
(Dan Reed in the background asking: "From you?"
From me, yeah... Well Michael would.. ejaculate.
He said that I was his first sexual experience.. and he would say that all
the time. He's the biggest entertainer and his is a creative genius and that
creative genius thinks.. that you're special... what's not to like.. right?
(smile-sneezes).
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Stephanie Safechuck
Michael would always hold Jimmy’s hand.. and he said.. aum.. would you talk
to Jimmy about holding my hand.. it, it people are gonna get the wrong
impression, you know how people think.
They're gonna think something nasty about it. Nothing is going on, but this
is gonna look like something is going on.
James Safechuck
Myself and Michael would, would scratch each other here on the palms over
you're holding your hand and that meant... like you're thinking of them..
sexually. There is no thoughts of this is wrong or.. anything like that. Just
very... accepted way of.. expressing.. your love... that's what he would say.
Stephanie Safechuck
He was very close to us, seen us every day, staying at our home. We were the
first guest he had to go to Neverland. I actually have the brochure that they
used to market it.. to sell it.
James Safechuck
And he said; I'm gonna, I'm gonna purchase this house and.. it's gonna be
yours like.. this place is for you. Me and Michael would be there a lot..
together, like.. for a week at a time.
Stephanie Safechuck
(this part particular is cut from various takes you can hear it in the sound
of each sentence she speaks – writers note)
His property was massive, so nobody was near him. You know the next ranch was
quite a ways. They have the most beautiful guest rooms. This was the room I,
I choose, I loved this room. You could stay in any guest room you wanted.
And Jimmy stayed with Michael in the big house. We had.. people cooking for
us, he had a beautiful wine cellar, you know really good wines, champagne
that was just something I enjoyed.
It was a fairytale, every night
James Safechuck
The routine.. was.. we would get a blanket and lay it down on the floor and
inside of the closet, next to his main bed.. so we could close the doors..
and have like several sort of doors be plot to get through. It was just a
hall that leads to his room, so there were bells, so you, you could.. have a
moment of hearing them trip and released it (really difficult to hear what he
says – writers note, ca 48 min into the film) alarmed him to when people are
coming.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
There was.. like kissing and.. I think, just kind of rubbing.. on each
other... and then aaah......... oral sex... and then... he would want me to
suck on his nipples and then he would finish himself.
He also had a...like an Indian fort, with tee-pees... and so.. we would lay
down.. in sleeping bags, have snacks and then... have.. sexual relations
there.
There was also a game room and then upstairs in the Arcade there was a..
another room and had a bed in there... we would go in to that room.. and
have sex there.
There is this attic, there is a third floor attic, was kind of seclu (voice
is cut here so full word is hard to hear but should be “seclusive” – writers
note).. like if you don't even really get to it from.. from these deep
stairs, you can, you could tell if somebody was coming. So we would go in
there and have sex.
There is toys everywhere, things to do.. so they just kinda mix together.
He had a another house, far away from the main house and then there he had
lot of memorabilia, his jackets from.. like the Grammy’s - the rhinestone
ones and his glove and it was far away from people and you could see if
somebody was driving up this narrow road. Then we would have sex in there
too.
The movie theater.. had.. these two like private rooms.. au.. it had big
glass windows so you can see the theater and so we would have sex in those
rooms. That was a bit dangerous... but there's a bit excitement there.
Stephanie Safechuck
So, I didn’t tell him I was coming.. and the door was locked. And so I, you
have to knock loud because you know, the movie's on.. and he made some
excuse, he came down and unlocked it and did make some excuse; he didn't mean
to lock the door. He didn't know the door was locked. It's what he told me.
He was in there with Jimmy, they were in the bed... they were clothed....
still... didn't think anything.
Train station
James Safechuck
There was a castle in the theme park and upstairs had a bedroom, you could
see if somebody's was coming.. it had just a small bed.. it's upstairs, and
up there we would have sex.
The pool and the jacuzzi... oral sex. Like holding your breath and then going
down.. kinda like a game.
At the train station, there was a room upstairs... and we would have sex up
there too.
That happened every day.. it sounds sick but it's.. kinda like when you first
dating somebody right, and you do a lot of it (smile-sneezes).. so it was
very much like that.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
At the same time, sexual relationship is growing, He's working on.. pushing
you away from your parents... pushing you away from.. everybody else and..
and it feels more like... like it's just you and him.
Stephanie Safechuck
My husband and I are still together.. however we have separate bedrooms. But
our marriage was soo bad, the whole situation.. and.. I don't know that, I
don't even think.. aah.. my son knew. Because my son was so busy having fun,
he didn't know that Jim, Jim and I were in separate bedrooms.. barely getting
along
James Safechuck
We would listen in on peoples phone calls.. eavesdrop on my parents when they
were fighting.. and he would tell me... like; how mean your mom is... and how
evil women are... but at the time, you just hear your mom yelling at your dad
and Michael feeds into that.
Your love for him is growing and your relationships with other people are
getting.. less.
It's constantly reinforced too by everybody else in the world. So it's a
really intense feeling, everybody else is loving him, it's like everybody is
on board.. so it's very powerful.
You start to think that your parents are bad... and that Michael is good.
*Clips with Wade dancing and being interviewed with his parents ca
1989*
Male reporter voice: "We may not have Michael Jackson on the program tonight,
but we have the next best thing. Wade Robson"
Female reporter voice: "Joy and Dennis Robson are suitably proud of their
son."
Dennis Robson; "It's truly amazing cause everything he does, we haven't
taught him anything. The whole... the act that he does, is all himself.
Nobody has taught him anything."
Wade Robson age ca 6; "I started to like Michael and I started copying the
moves and I started dancing."
Joy Robson; "I mean if he wanted to stop, there be no pressure, if that what
he wants to do, that's fine.
Female reporter; "What do you wanna be when you grow up?"
Wade: "I wanna be a star and keep everybody happy while I'm doing it."
Wade Robson
I auditioned for a dance company.. in Brisbane called the "Johnny Young
Talent School". I mean this was.. you know jazz dance company but I showed up
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
as Michael Jackson.. in a full outfit again.. and they wanted me in the
company and I got in the company and I became their Michael Jackson. You
know, we started performing in malls, and all that sort of thing.. pretty
constantly, every weekend at least.
Shane Robson
At some point, the hair got permed.. that was taking it to a new level.. for
me (laughter). He had the full curls and.. yeah. It's like a kid with his
superhero, being obsessed with a superhero, taking it up three or four
notches.. it was kinda.. kinda a weird.
Joy Robson
Every show they did was based around Wade, and it was amazing who this one
would work BAD into every scenario or Smooth Criminal - even Christmas.
And then they announce that they're all going to dance in Disneyland for
Australia day.
Chantal Robson
Because it was a big America trip, obviously my mom and my dad were gonna go
and then my grandparents came as well.
Grandma Robson
My name is Lorraine Gene Cullen and I'm Wade Robson’s grandmother. He is
still copy all the latest steps and what Michael Jackson did, forever
dancing. Wouldn't matter where he was. It wasn't my sort of dancing, that's
for sure.
But we just all went on the plane together and went over to Disneyland.
JANUARY 1990
Chantal Robson
It was like hundreds of kids, like all in our red sweat suits as the Johnny
Young Talent School like going to America for the first time.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
James Safechuck
Michael had said, that last time we saw him, so if you ever come to America..
look me up. I think, oh sure you just look him up in the what.. pages and
find him?
I started calling around some of the television shows that Wade had been on,
trying to find a number, were we could contact Michael and we got passed
around and passed around and passed around and finally somebody gave me a
number of Michaels personal assistant. So, we called her and she said; oh,
let me talk to Michael and I will call you back. Sooo, she did, she called
back and said Michael remembered Wade and wanted to meet us and asked if we
would meet him in Sherman Oaks at Record One, were he was recording.. his new
album.
Wade Robson
The impossible. You don't just... come to America and start calling some
numbers.. and get in contact with Michael Jackson somehow.. and then you're
gonna see him again.. like that was just not a normal scenario.
Chantal Robson
My mom, Wade, myself and my dad all went to Record One and that's the first
time that I actually.. had met Michael.
Wade Robson
He was doing some sort of photoshoot, kind of in.. the lobby area. My mother,
father and sister.. aah.. got in for a set of group photo.. with Michael..
and then he and I took some shoots alone.. I was in.. a full costume.. aah
Smooth Criminal.. outfit.
We showed him some tapes of dancing performances, things I've been doing over
the last two years, that he wanted to see. (WHY DID THEY BRING TAPES TO USA,
HOW?) I think it was a Friday.. and he said; you know, do you and the family,
do you guys wanna come to Neverland... for the weekend?
Wade Robson
Michael asked if me and my sister.. wanted to drive with him.. aaa.. of
course I did... and my parents and grandparents would follow behind. I
remember him playing us some music, like some unreleased music.. just getting
this like secret.. access, right.. to him and to his world.
Joy Robson
It was sort of surreal, for us for all of us. You know Hollywood and, and
this whole entertainment business was.. on another planet from where we were.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade Robson
As we were getting closer and closer.. to Neverland and, and you know Michael
telling us, you know only about 15 more minutes or 10 more minutes and just..
the excitement really building.
Grandma Robson
We had to pull up at the gate and the guards came and wanted to make sure you
didn't have any cameras or.. anything like that. It was a little bit
intimidating. I hadn't met any celebrities, ever and I was quite lost. But I
had my husband there, so ... yes.
Joy Robson
It's like a fairy land, it's all fairy lights and there's beautiful lakes
that are all lit up and the house was all lit up and, it was just amaaazing.
Chantal Robson
As soon as you pulled in there is music going, there is flowers everywhere.
You felt like you was driving into this little heaven, you know. The car
pulls up and there is everybody that works at ranch, kind of lined up, ready
to great you. I've never been in that type of world before and such a big
house and.. it's was magical.
Wade Robson
I remember all tripping out now on this place... you know.. it's just.. out
of a... out of a story book, right.. out of a fairy tale.
Joy Robson
Michael showed us all around the house, and at that time he only had the
theater, he didn't have all the other things... it's like a.. a child’s dream
come true, this.. candy.. store that you just helped yourself to, self-serve
ice cream and all the chocolates in the world and popcorn and the beautiful
theater.
Wade Robson
To the left was a dining room and then kitchen, living room... tons of
beautiful paintings and statues.. everywhere. It's more than just.. going to
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
someone’s house that was beautiful. You know, it felt like.. a lot more than
that, a lot different than that, it felt like travelling to another planet.
Joy Robson
And then we all came back to the guest units and.. Michael came back with the
children, they'd been looking at some other things.. and they came in and..
they asked if they could stay with Michael for the night.
Wade Robson
The guest quarters is a separate building, essentially kind of across.. from
the main house with about, I think 4 like hotel rooms. You can stay in the,
the guest quarters with you parents if you want or if you want, you know, you
can stay with me, in my room. And I was like; (nodding with big eyes) you
know.. I wanna stay with Michael.
Joy Robson
So we sort of.. ok, we didn't seem to think anything of it, we just thought
that's fine and Chantal was with him as well.
Wade Robson
Like for me, to look back at this scenario now... what you'd think would be
standard, kind of instincts and judgement.. a.. seemed to go out the window.
Even if we knew him, which we didn't.. at all.. and we'd know him for.. I
don't know what, 4 hours maybe...not known him - we've met him 4 hours ago,
you know. That's the trippy part is because it felt like we'd known him...
like he had been.. in my living room.. every day.. in my years via his music
and his posters like.. I'd known him.. I thought.. and it for some reason..
it didn't feel strange.. to let you know, me a 7 year old.. and my sister a
10 year old.. aum... sleep in this man’s bedroom.
Chantal Robson
Michael had an extra guest bed, that was above his bed. It was basically like
a stair case that just kinda took you up to this other room.. in his room.
And so.. he said that we could stay in his room, in that guest unit if we
wanted to. And of course we were like; (Happy smile, big gesture with her
arms) please, can we? you know.
Grandma Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
We went to his bedroom and sat on his bed and talked to him and he had a
train running around, running around the bed, an electric train running
around the bedroom and he was just like a child, yes. (big smile).
Wade Robson
It was pillow fights, we're just having a blast.. like no rules, like you
can't get in trouble, you know.
Chantal Robson
We were just kinda all hanging out in Michaels bed, in the same be like me,
Wade and Michael.. aum.. and just watching movies and watching videos.
Wade Robson
And then at some point.. we just knocked out, all three of us on his bed..
yeah, that's as much as I remember that, that first night.
Joy Robson
The next morning waking up and looking at the lake and the flowers were just
amaaaazing. I remember my mother saying her first thought was; oh my god I've
died and gone to heaven. It was just so beautiful.
Wade Robson
Here we go, like a day of.. adventure, right.
Chantal Robson
You know, it was a lot of just silliness, sort of like that chase each other
and you know, big water fights. It seemed right away like you was family. It
was like being with like a, a brother.
Wade Robson
We kinda loaded up in a couple of golf carts.. and him drive us around and
showing us everything right, so this is the first time of seeing.. aum.. the
arcade.. you walk in and flip a switch.. and "buuuung", the whole room comes
alive.
One of the most amazing things that I could ever .. experience and have total
access to, just go play wherever I wanted to, and how exited.. Michael was,
to kinda watch me and watch me react.
Joy Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
He was fascinated with Wade. He said that; it's like looking at myself in the
mirror, I'd see myself all over again.
So that was something to hear that, that wa.. pretty impressive and this
little boy was just living the dream. He really was.
Wade Robson
The theme park.. which wasn't as extensive then, as it became.. but.. still,
a theme park (loud laugh) in someone’s house, you know. You know, seeing my
mother.. kinda just; Hi and giddy and playful and like children.
And the on to the animals right, I mean chimpanzees.. giraffes.. elephant..
tiger.
Wade Robson
You know, then it was bedtime.. and, it was just kinda unspoken like it was
set up already, as to how it.. you know, how we slept.. last night.
At some point, I had fallen asleep... and.. I woke up.. I could hear, like
crying, like sulking and sobbing. And I could see a figure.. over in the
corner, kind of scrunched up.. sort of sobbing, there was kinda hard to get
words out.. cause we were supposed to leave the next day, the whole family.
"I'm just so sad that you guys are gonna leave me.. and you know, I don't
wanna be alone, I don't want you guys to leave". I mean I felt the same way..
I feel like I almost had this kind of.. burden and guilt to like if I leave..
like what's gonna happen to him. Like he was so upset.. you know.
Then the next morning.. the plan was that we were gonna go on this kinda trip
to the Grand Canyon and that sort of thing with an RV (Recreational vehicle).
Joy Robson
I remember.. going in to Michaels room.. to talk to him about it.. and he
said to Wade; We can stay here, we can go to Los Angeles, we can go wherever
you want to do, whatever you want but Wade want to stay at Neverland. And I,
I said I didn't have a problem with it.. at the time. I didn't actually
have.. a hesitation.
Chantal Robson
So then that's when.. I left with my mom and everybody and we went to.. the
Grand Canyon, we had like a motor home and we went and camped and did all
that, and then Wade.. stayed with.. Michael.
Wade Robson
I was ecstatic about this.. Michael was ecstatic about this... so my whole
family left.. auumm, and they had you know 5 days ahead of me, with just me
and Michael.. doing.. whatever the hell we wanted to do.
There were no cellphones... or anything like that. So, you know my parents
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
had.. once they left.. they had no direct access to me... at all.. they were
really far away.. in, in, in many ways (slightly red eyes).
Grandma Robson
We went right through the canyon. First time I'd ever seen snow. It was, that
was exiting too and.. we thought that Michael was teaching him all these
dances and that's, that's we saw.. how lucky he was that have somebody to
take their time and do.. in his position.. to have somebody like that, to
teach him what to do.
Joy Robson
I somewhat regretted it, as we were travelling, I became a little anxious at
times about it, and I remember call him once and.. I couldn't get through. I
remember being absolutely hysterical on the phone at one point because I
couldn't get through and I couldn't find him.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
And then Michael.. pulling my pants.. and my underwear down, pulling them
off...... and aaa, going down and started to.. you know perform oral sex.. on
me....... and I remember him.. putting.. my hands.. on his head.. when he was
down there... I never forget the....the... the feeling of his hair... it was
almost like eeee, like a brillo pad, like this roughness. When he's down
there and.... you know, with his, his mouth.. on, on, on my you know 7 year
old.. penis, you know quickly it turned into having me perform oral sex on
him too. (heavy sigh) I mean to be honest and to graphic about it, like you
know, a full.. adult grown man size penis.. in my mouth you know.. in a
little 7 year old’s mouth... (exhaling, closes his eyes)
He didn't ejaculate when he had me perform oral sex on him.. auum, but he
used to... he would masturbate in front of me.. he would have me kinda go to
like the corner of the bed, like the far corner of the bed.. so he'd be
laying, laying back on the pillow and have me go to the far corner of the bed
and, and... be on all 4's.. and have me sort of just bend over.. my, my knees
you know... auuum, so he could look at my anus.. while he was masturbating.
And I was just kind of.. on display. And then periodically through that, he
would kinda come up and.. stick his tongue in, in my anus.
Right in front of me, there was this big.... kind of elaborate Peter Pan
cardboard cut out.. so it's like I was either looking back at him..
masturbating.. or looking forward.. at aaaa, at Peter Pan.
You know, then we.. get up in the morning.. like nothing had ever happened..
and go have another day.. filled with childhood.. magical games and
adventures.
You know when my parents came back at the end of the week (exhaling) I
definitely remember a feeling of.. us and them, you know our relationship had
evolved in.. so many ways and he had done soooo much... auum... so much
talking to me.. about aah.. not trusting people. Any people.. especially
women.
He started calling me son.. and for me the idea of.. Michael Jackson being my
dad.. was the most like, incredible idea in the world. You know, I didn't had
anything against my dad, that’s for sure.. but Michael was just.. it was just
too big. That fantasy.. was just.. too good to turn down.
Joy Robson
And then, the following week, we were supposed to be going to... San
Francisco.. and... Wade didn't wanna go, he wanted to stay.
Michael was actually going back to Los Angeles for the week.... uuum... but
he invited us to go with him so.. Wade and Chantal and I went to LA with
Michael and Dennis and my parents went to San Francisco for the week.
He was living in Westwood at the time, he had a condo in Westwood which they
called the "Hideout".. auuh... I remember walking in there and there was
statues of Shirley Temple and posters everywhere, it was a really interesting
place... childlike.
Wade Robson
Shopping.... I think that when that's really started.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Chantal Robson
We would go in to like the record stores and I remember like, Michael just
filling up like, a whole cart, like full of records and CD:s and we were
allowed to put whatever we wanted in there.
Wade Robson
Every time we entered a place like... look around and get anything you want..
get everything, you know. Normally the experience was; you go in a toy store
and it's like; you can get ONE thing, you know and now this was like grab a
cart and fill it up.
Chantal Robson
Me and mom slept.. in the living room... Wade slept in the room with Michael.
Wade Robson
I don't remember any sort of comment about me staying with Michael and
sleeping in his room (shakes his head).
Joy Robson
When we were in Los Angeles Chantal and I spend quite a bit of time
a..alone.. they.. auum.. we went to Westwood, we walked down there and do
things. Wade and Michael would stay in the room a lot... just playin.. I
presume playing games and... they did a lot of that sort of thing, watching
cartoons - he was a big cartoon watcher.
Wade Robson
Once the abuse started.. within that first week, you know.. every night ..
that I was with him.. there was abuse. While my mother was.. you know, next
door. You know, he started talking about how much he loves me.. what this
is.. is us, how we show our love.. for each other. "Other people are
ignorant, they are stupid, they never understand" If they ever found out what
were are doing... about this sexual stuff, that he and I'd be pulled apart
and we'd never be able to see each other again.. and that he and I would go
to jail for the rest of our lives.
Stephanie Safechuck
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
You do feel sorry for him. You honestly believe that this is a lonely man and
that.. we can help make him happy. Us! Us, who are just nobody’s. We couldn't
believe that he would wanna hang around us in this tiny little house and he'd
walk in the house and he'd walk in the front door and he'd go; "Aaahhhh, The
Safechucks!!!!" Like he was at home, you know - full armed up, acting "aahhh,
the safechucks!" That's how he felt about us.
You go from your normal lifestyle day after day, everything is the same..
toooo.. this big star... calling your house... wanting to come to your home
and have dinner in your home, wanting to spend the night in your little
house.
He could be anywhere, with anybody in the world and Michael wanted to be with
our family. This was all so.. overwhelming and like a fairy tale and I got
lost in it. And I know my husband got lost in it too.
Ring scene
James Safechuck
I was just like fully... in love at that time. When I wasn't with him, I was
always thinking about him. Just feels like the greatest thing when he calls.
He'd come over and we'd spend the day shopping and hang out and he'd spend
the night. Alright, we'd go to the hideout in Westwood and spend a few nights
there.
So we were like this... married couple. And I say married because.. we had
this.. mock wedding ceremony. We did this.. in his bedroom.. and we...like
filled out some vows.. it's like were bonded forever.
(Ring scene 01:25:40) It felt good.
And the ring is nice (opening the box with 4 rings). It has.. a row of
diamonds with a gold band. The wedding ring....... it's hard to go back to
that... moment.... I was really into jewelry... and he would reward me with
jewelry for doing sexual acts.. for him. He would say.. aaum, that I need to
sell him some.. so that I can earn.. the gift.
You know I like jewelry and I liked it as a kid and.. I think that...
something that I enjoyed was used against me, so I think that that... causes
discomfort and.... it's still hard... for me to.... not blame myself.
This piece of jewelry is like a Rolex.. ring, with a diamond in the middle...
my hands are shaking... just holding them (smile-sneezing).
We would go buy them... at jewelry stores .... and we would pretend like they
were for somebody else and... like for a female... but.. you would pretend
like my small hand fit whatever female we were buying it for, yeah.
(inhaling) Yeah, I don't, I don't like looking at the jewelry (closes the
box).
Wade Robson
You know I left Australia.. as.. this.. young.. fan.. of Michael Jackson...
and came back Michael Jacksons best friend.
(Dan Reed in the background saying: "And his lover?"
Wade: Yeah.. and his lover.
Trying to adjust back to reality.. was hard.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I was back in school.. the thing that I think made it...ok, was that the
contact with Michael.. aaa, was constant.
Joy Robson
We used to spend.. hours and hours and hoooours on the phone. He called every
day.. for 2 years.
Chantal Robson
Every blue moon I would talk to Michael, like if he called I'd get on the
phone and I'd say; hi, how are you, bla, bla, bla - we talked for a couple of
seconds but it's not like I.. can... you know, I didn't stay on the phone
with Michael for hours or have big conversations, my.. brother did that.
I was sort of.. he would call to talk to Wade.
Joy Robson
He would talk to Wade for sometimes 6, 7 hours at a time. And I would say;
what on earth do you talk about for all that time? I would try to listen, but
there seemed to be very innocent phone calls.
Wade Robson
He told me that I was gonna be.. this massive film director, you know bigger
than Spielberg. He was telling me to keep working on my dancing, keep
training. You know, you're gonna come back out here soon and.. and you're
gonna be ready.. for us to.. change the world.
If I was at school, it was hard to focus on the work cause it was like when I
got off from school, when I got home, I was gonna get on the phone with
Michael Jackson.
He used to call me "applehead".. auum...I would call him "applehead"
sometimes. And then he started calling me "little one". I don't know were it
came from.. auum.. but that became my, my name.. from him, little one. It
came with a song... that he would sing to me, like this kind of.. lullaby.
*Wade singing*; Has anyone seen me little one? and then he would sing; "My
little one is here". Yeah.
I mean, it just felt.. aum.. really a... cozy. It felt really endearing.
At some point, we got a fax machine.. so we could communicate more. If I'm
not mistaken I think he bought it... so were still having these really long
conversations, but then now there would be these constant faxes.. back and
forth, you know.. I love you Wade, I love you Little one.. auum, my best
friend forever and... all kinds of stuff like that and I would send stuff
back. Telling him how much I loved him.
Joy Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
We'd get home and the whole living room would be filled with faxes like all
over the floor, everywhere.
I felt like he and I had a relationship outside of his relationship with
Wade. I felt like we had something quite separate.
Grandma Robson
Michael, he, he used to ring her all the time. He was, forever ringing her
and talking to her. She turned her life upside down, because of Michael.
Wade Robson
This separate relationship.. with mom, began. I don't remember him
explicatively saying hi do Dennis, it would be like - that's my dad's name -
it would be either.. the siblings or say hi to the family... you know.
He sent me back with some memorabilia.. like clothing of his.. that I could
wear. He gave me the hat, the white fedora hat that he wore in the Smooth
Criminal music video...
*Video clip with wade in SC outfit on a TV-show*
Wade 5-6 years old: "I was just looking at this and he said; do you want it?
And I said; If you wanna give to me, I said; Sure. And, and then, he.. this
is the actual hat that he used in.. Smooth Criminal clip, and it still go his
make up on it"
TV-host; "on the top here, yeah. Just put it on and see how you look in it,
let’s see how you ... Hey!! That's pretty cool, that's pretty cool"
Wade Robson
And he gave me big gloves.. that he wore in the BAD music video.. sort of
buckled gloves. So I use to wear those now.. when I'd perform.
My whole life was.. focused on him... and leading towards him. This kinda
fantasy... began for me... that.... that like pretty soon I was gonna end up
living.. with him, you know that I would kinda be with him.. like a father
and son... for the rest of my life.
Joy Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Basically we were in limbo, waiting to come back, aa.. took quite some time
before he actually got around to bringing us back again.
Joy Robson
I have some really, really happy memories from Neverland. We drive in and
forget about everything that was going on in your life, forget about all your
problems.. you were.. in Neverland. It was a fantasy.
He and Wade would avoid me, I could tell they were avoiding me. You know,
there's a big place, it's 2700 acres and they'd take off for the day and I'd
spend all day looking for them, couldn't find them.
So I spent a lot of time alone there. Playing with the chimps, we became good
friends (laughing).
Wade Robson
We were back and forth throughout the trip between Neverland.. and the
Hideout in Westwood.. but.. you know, my mother being in a different room
and.. Michael and I sleeping in his bed. The sexual contact.. continued
..every night... we were together.
I guess it sort of became a routine.. masturbating, the oral sex.. both sides
and.. and the touching and the fondling and... the gyrating and the
kissing... me bending over with the masturbation and the tongue and all that.
And then one of the, kind of newer things.. that started to happen.. was he
started.. to show me....aahhh.. some pornography. Pretty graphic...
heterosexual porn... auummm.. you know oral sex.. full penetration... aaahh
anal stuff. It seemed like he liked it... that Michael liked it.. so I wanted
to like it. It was the first time he showed me.. aaah, some video.. porn...
and this was, you know full oral sex and.. ejaculation.. in the mouth, on the
face, all.. you know all that stuff - full graphic. I remember THAT affecting
me.. internally.. e.. even more.. than the photographic.. porn. I remember
that feeling in the stomach being really heavy, like a nervousness. I just
really didn't know.. I didn't know how to deal with it.. you know, so it
was.. again like him pulling back the curtain on this whole other universe.
But this one wasn't so fun, you know. I was 7, you know.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
He just came across as a loving, caring, kind soul. So.... it was easy to
believe that he was... just that.
Wade Robson
It was coming to.... time for us to leave, to go back to Australia and.. I
was at the Hideout with Michael in Westwood.
Joy Robson
And Michael said to me; Will you leave Little one with me for a year?
Wade Robson
I was.. on board with this... I wanted to... are you kidding me.. like live
with him for a year!? That was like, the most incredible idea I'd ever heard.
Joy Robson
I was stunned.. and said; absolutely not! He said; I, you know I would do
wonders for his career, I could work with him, we, we'd do so much together,
it would be absolutely wonderful for him to stay here with me.
I said; Michael, he's my child, he's 7 years old and I'm not gonna leave him
with you.
Wade Robson
And I'm sort of like... a toggle war started.. between mom and Michael.
Joy Robson
We went through this for a couple of hours, where I tried to explain to him
that.. it wasn't going to happen. And afterwards, all I ever, he looked at me
and he said; I always get what I want. And I said; Not this time. I said, I
will share Wade with you, but I am NOT going to leave him with you.
Wade Robson
Michael asked; like.. well ok then you've gotta let me... have him.. for, you
know 4-5 more days, a few more days.. to... prepare him.. to leave.
Shane Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I remember at some point getting a phone call.. and... mom saying, oh, were
gonna stay longer.. you know.. I was like; what the hell is going on.. you
know, pretty.. kinda disturbing when your mom and brother just... you know
when are they gonna come back.
Wade Robson
Things started to....change.. with my father. My consciousness was just so
full with Michael, that there was less and less of my attention and
consciousness for my dad.
Joy Robson
He enjoyed what Wade was doing, he loved it and I think he would have liked
to have been more of a part of it two, but I think I sort of pushed him out.
Wade was doing a lot in Australia and I was more or less managing what he was
doing there, and I enjoyed that, and it just took us in to a different world
and Dennis was sort of excluded from it. So it did affect.. the marriage.
Grandma Robson
Dennis was always in the background and he went to as much as he could, but
being in business, it was hard for him always to be away. She put Wade first.
Taking him to places where he danced. It was a big thing for her.
Wade Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
My mother and his relationship.. was changing. Over the next year.. or
so...... he started having all sorts of a... I don't know.... eeehhh..
emotional trouble.. and anxieties.. and he was diagnosed with.. bipolar
disorder.
Chantal Robson
I have memories of my dad fighting with my mom and I remember my dad at one
point saying; you know, you are talking to lawyers and you're trying to get
out of here, I know you are.
Joy Robson
Wade had been working pretty regularly in Australia but there was only just
so far he could go there. He could be the big fish in the small pond, but I
thought if he was really going to succeed he need to move to the United
States.
Wade Robson
So this was happening... at the same time that.. my fathers.. kind of mental
and emotional health.. was really declining. His mood being more..
unpredictable. It's like he was, that just like... drifting further and
further away from me.
Shane Robson
It kind of become like the.. Wade & Mom show. That's when I really noticed
dad started to go downhill.. you know, with his, his mental state. She
definitely was not the mom that I grew up with at that point, she was....
very determined to go on this, this new life.
It wasn't so much about the family anymore.. you know, it was, it was
about... getting over there, starting this new opportunity for, for Wade,
which you know, in reality was an opportunity for mom as well.. and.. when I
kinda look at things in perspective.. it was probably moms chance.. the
easiest way for her to.. maybe get out of her marriage.
Joy Robson
And I had a diary, that had a.. uummm, just a quote for every day and it said
something like; today is the first day of the rest of your life something
like that. And suddenly I thought, you know I'm just gonna go, I'm not gonna
wait any longer.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Grandma Robson
Michael, he encouraged her to go over there. Yes, it was his decision. He
made the arrangements for where they could stay when they go there, he did
all that... ahah.. yes, he was to blame. He's to blame.. for a lot of things
that happened in our lives.
Chantal Robson
I had a choice but it was sort of obvious that I was going with my mom. I
remember my dad just saying; please don't leave (starting crying) to me..
and.. he said; please don't go, stay with me and I remember I said; dad,
don't ask me that, like dad don't, don't make me choose like, that it was
just obvious that I was going with mom.. you know.
Wade Robson
Beyond whatever was going on, with him mentally.. almost his whole family was
about to leave him. I am sure... for my father.. it felt like, you know there
is no way (start crying) we are ever coming back.
Shane Robson
I used to have dreams and nightmares about my family dying. I remember going
to Brisbane airport (starts crying). I remember my grandmother, my mom’s mom,
like standing at the window.. she was just like moaning and.. crying.
Grandma Robson
I remember being at the airport with Dennis, it was so sad to see, to see
them all going on the plane, knowing that they.. we wouldn't just be able to
pick up a bag and go and visit them. No. Yeah, it was sad.
Shane Robson
Dad was just... I think he was crying but he was just.. he, he wasn't really
there.. yeah (crying heavily) yeah, it was a tough day.
You know, they were exited going off on an, on an big adventure.. so.. I
guess that was really like the, the end of the family.. yeah (SR is very
emotional)
Joy Robson
I left my oldest son Shane... my husband, my parents, two brothers, cousins..
big family.... and funny at the time, I really did not think about any of the
long term ratifications, I was so caught up in.. everything.
I remember my father looking me in the eye at the airport and said; have you
lost your mind? And that has stayed with me for 26 years. It's as many times
as I look back and think; yes, I think I had.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade Robson
You know, I think I definitely had some sort of.. idea.. in.. my.. head..
of.. the way.. this was all gonna go down.. once we moved to Los Angeles,
that it really was going to be.. life with Michael.
So I remember.. being shocked.. when.. the first place we went to live.. was
like in oakwood apartments.. aah, which is kind of part time residence sort
of thing... and.. it was.. at least a week, maybe a couple of weeks, after we
moved before I saw Michael. And that was REALLY hard for me. Here I was in
this, in this new place in America and in Los Angeles but now it's like.. we
were alone.
Joy Robson
I knew straight away that things were different. First time that we got
there, they said that the.. Oakwood had not been payed for, I needed to give
them a credit card. And I'm like; noooo. They said; well, you have to give me
a credit card til we can sort it out tonight. That was.. unusual for them,
they usually had us pretty well looked after.
Michael had talked about bringing him to do the Black or White video and then
they called and say we're going to rent you a car, so that you can drive
yourself to the studio, which was unusual as well... aauummm, and then when
we got to the studio to do this, then we realized why.
Joy Robson
It was very obvious to me, that Macaulay had taken Wades place in Michaels
(making quote marks) best friend category. So that was very hurtful. Broke
Wades heart. But.. it made me realize that if things were gonna happen we, we
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
have to get busy and do it ourselves.
Stephanie Safechuck
We went up for the weekend and Michael showed up with another family and a
young boy. Ssss, it reminded me of us. My husband and I came in and said; Hi!
and they were zipped mouthed, just like we were. I could tell they had been,
had the talks we had: you don't talk to strangers, everybody wants to be your
friend just to get to me.
So, the people were very stand off-ish. And I thought, were in Michaels
home.. geez.. they could be a little friendly.
SEPTEMBER 1992
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Mentioning of Brett Barnes
Wade Robson
I would say like in that first year.. of living in LA.. that I saw him maybe
like 4-6 times.. either at his Century city apartment or, or back at
Neverland. The sexual stuff would happen every night... so, every time that
it was just he and I again.. and the sexual stuff would happen again... like
made me feel a little better, made me feel like... things were ok again, and
things went back to normal and.... that feeling didn't stay for long, aaah,
cause I would keep coming up against... scenarios.. where.. there was
another.. boy.
*Clip with fans and Michael, Brett Barnes with MJ on roof top*
Male speaker voice: "They've been waiting three days to see they hero, when
the moment came, it was the type of bizarre appearance you'd expect from a
man they call "Wacko Jacko. The pop star seem to be playing hide and seek,
joined by his travelling companion, an 9 year old cousin, he began throwing
items to his admirers below.
Great joy from the 33 year old multi-millionaire, his youngsters below
scrapped the presents from their god."
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
*Clip showing Brett with Michael*
During that Dangerous tour, when Michael took Brett Barnes on the tour with
him... Wade had asked to go on the tour and Michael had told him no, he
couldn't go because he wasn't allowed to take children on this tour. And
then, he saw Brett Barnes with him on television.
Wade Robson
*Clip showing Brett with Michael*
I don't think he liked to mix us, he liked to keep these relationships..
separate. Remembering it being particularly hard with Brett because I found
out and I knew that he was Australian. I would say, a new Australian boy, it
was like reeeeally feeling replaced.
Joy Robson
Michael had told me that we would call him... and he.. that little boy would
come every day and sit on the couch and wait for that phone call, it just
didn't come.. he wasn't calling and it just broke my heart so see.. him...
waiting for that call..
Wade Robson
All of the.. dreams and plans.. that Michael was.. selling... me and my
mother.. from you know, day one at that first trip, this partnership we were
gonna have.. aahh didn't seem to be... like something that was gonna really
happen.
Joy Robson
After a while I realized that there was a pattern. Every 12 months.. there
was a new boy in his life.
After text: “Macaulay Culcin and Brett Barnes have consistently said they
never had any sexual contact with Michael Jackson.”
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Part 2
Start
Wade Robson
I never told anyone about any of the sexual stuff that went on. I felt
special, I was this... boy from the other side of the world.
And Michael choose me. Yeah, there is no question that I was head over heels
in love with Michael. And he said he loved me.
Wade Robson
A real momentum, had started behind my career and the dance world started to
do music videos, commercials and acting and TV-shows .
A lot of it became about impressing Michael. Hopefully make him happy and
make him impressed and....you know, and get that... stamp of approval.
1993
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade meets Jordy for the first time
Wade Robson
There was kinda mass sleepover at Neverland. I would have been about 11 and
it was Jordy... Jordan Chandler, Macaulay Culcin and myself.
Jordy was the new kid, the new boy and the one who was super close with
Michael. Michael and Jordy would disappear...a lot, and I remember this
particular moment... when... all of us kids and Michael... were... were
hanging out in Michaels bedroom at Neverland. All of a sudden Michael and
Jordy.. were gone,.. they had gone in one of his... bathrooms... and the
doors was closed.. you know, I used to be the boy who was in there .. with
Michael. I just knew in my gut that, that’s what they were doing when they
were disappearing, they were doing all of that same.. sexual stuff.
Joy Robson
He loved children, he missed out on his childhood, he just enjoyed being with
children. I can hear him saying to me "I would never hurt a child"... He
would cry.. "I could never hurt a child" then he would break into tears.
Very convincing.
Shane Safechuck
You know, I've been told that Wade was sleeping, doing sleep overs with
Michael and sleeping in his bed. And then you hear stories of.. you know,
someone accusing him of molesting a child and like... holy crap, is, is that
what's happening with my brother.
Wade Robson
The next big thing I remember.. was two cops showing up.. at my door.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
They said that Michael had been charged with... ah.. child abuse. I said to
Wade; You've done nothing wrong, you, you can tell us, it's not your fault,
you've done nothing wrong.
Wade was very stoic.
Wade Robson
But, this was... (exhaling) you know, terrifying, right from the "get", this
is the first time that.. anyone, ever...directly...asked me, you know "did
Michael Jackson ever touch you sexually or anything like that". Without
flinching, without batting an eyelash ... you know, my answer was "No, no
way, absolutely not". You know, did this "Did he ever touch you here, did
this sort of thing ever happen, did he ever... show you... any pornography...
all of those sorts of questions you know, over and over again without
flinching, my answer was "no, absolutely not, never".
Joy Robson
Obviously, as a mother, when these allegations were brought to us the first
thing I, when I get Wade by himself. I said to him: OK, so, as your mother I
need to ask YOU, has Michael ever done anything inappropriate with you? And
he was soooo convincing.. "absolutely not". He has never, ever done anything.
Never.
Wade Robson
You know, soon as the cops starting asking me these questions, the first
thing that came to mind for me was, everything Michael started saying to me
when I was 7. You know, if anyone ever found out... that... we were doing any
of these sort of things, these sexual things, that he and I would go to jail
for the rest our our lives... it was terrifying..
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
He had been.... I think a little absent ... from... my life. And then, he's
back in it as he needs you for something, he needs you to testify.. so
honestly, you are like happy that he is back (small laugh). You're kinda
just... exited that he is talking to you again.
Stephanie Safechuck
I first heard it on the news... totally shocked . I told my husband, we need
to talk to Jimmy.. he said Michael did not touch him. Are you alright, did
anything happen to you... "no mom, he was like "no mom" (shaking her head
hard).. like that.
Wade Robson
After these phone calls had been going on for a while.. there were.. you
know, really similar each one and just the same sort of.. talk... and what I
understand now.. as coaching sessions, you know.
Joy Robson
I went in and to meet his lawyers, for like a rehearsal. They gave me, they
did like a mock interview.. you know, kind of role playing... a policeman or
a lawyer and... you know, "we know guys have done this, we have photos.. so,
just tell us... just tell us about it". That, that's like a ploy, that they
don't know, they don't have photos.. just tell them "no"... that's like...
the golden rule.. you know, just don't tell them and they don't actually know
or they cant prove it .
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Katie Curie: “It was reported in Vanity Fair that, that Michael convinced
that his 13 year old mother… the mother of this 13 year old accuser to
allow.. to allow him to move in.. with them in house and that for 3 months,
he slept in the same bed with this 13 year old boy.
I mean, at best, would you.. describe Michael Jacksons behavior as just
extremely weird?”
Johnny Cochran: “Well, I wouldn’t accept what I read in Vanity Fair ah, Katie
and that’s one of the thing I’d like to talk about at some point but let me
say this; I think when the facts come out, that you’ll find out that Michael
Jackson.. aa.. loves children and he loves them in a very, very proper way.”
James Safechuck
You known, very much.. aa used the.. “they want fame and money card”, like
was kinda what he he pitched to everybody... uhhmm... So that's what he told
my parents. And they believed him.
Stephanie Safechuck
And I said to Michael, why is this boy doing this to you? and he said, oh,
it's not him, it's his father. His father wants money. I asked if he was
angry with the boy. He said no, I am not angry with him.
And I thought... what a good man! WHAT a good man Michael is! He is not even
mad at the child.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
From 1993 clip above: He just developed that trust with him immediately, he's
just a very special person.
From 2019: Because we were so close with Michael, obviously... I wanted to
believe that, but more than anything, I believed my son, I believed that he
would have told me had something happened.
Reporter from 1993 clip says; “Sources tells CNN that authorities may attempt
to bring Wade before the grand jury.”
Wade Robson
I was exited, by the idea of being able to defend him. And being able to save
him.
*Clip of Wade 1993 speaking on TV to CNN*
Wade Robson: Yeah, you know there has been different times where it would be
just me and Michael and there been other times when were he has other friends
over to, it's just a slumber party, we just have a lot of fun.
Joy Robson: I've been there´, when these has been in Michaels room, I've been
there with them. It's just paaarty time. They watch videos, they eat junk
food, they play video games. They play, so hard, they fall asleep. they're
exhausted, they fall asleep. There is nothing more to it than that.
Reporter ask: From your stand point, does it seem unusual for a 34 old year-
old man to have kids sleeping over?
Joy Robson: Not when you know Michaels background. Under normal circumstances
possibly yes, but Michael... everybody knows he didn't have a childhood.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Michael says: “Everyone is presumed to be innocent and totally innocent until
they are charged with crime and then convicted by a jury of peers.”
James Safechuck
He asked me to testify, it was like a pre-trial... so I went to court.
I remember going in there... and.... I've been very... robotic... I mean
like, like I said, I rehearsed is too much that I was just going through the
motions.
They asked... then, so I said no of course. Like just part of my job. To, you
know, to do that for Michael.
Wade Robson 1993 part of interview: “He's a very, very, very nice kind
person. He wouldn't hurt anybody. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body.”
Wade Robson
Like I knew it was true...... but, I couldn't let myself go there and it was
just like Jordy... was the enemy. Michael told me that I had to lie. And
that's what I did. I lied.
Wade Robson
I don’t have any... (inhales air) guilt (exhales heavily) about not being
able to tell the truth. I had no choice, but to say what I did in that
deposition when I was 11. (long wait) That's was what I had to say.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Larry Feldman: "We wish to jointly announce a mutual resolution of this
lawsuit"
Jonnie Cochran: "The resolution of this case is - in no way - an admission of
guilt by Michael Jackson"
Joy Robson
Then they took that money. People said to me, that's just proves he is
guilty. And I would say, no that to me proves that all it was about, all
along was money. How much money would make it ok for your child to be abused.
10 million? No. 20 million? waaa maybe... I said, to me no amount of money
would make that ok. If I thought that he had touched my son I would not stop
til he was behind bars.
Wade Robson
My mom and I, went to Neverland soon after that for a few days. You know,
same sort of physical scenario happen, meaning moms stayed in one of the
rooms upstairs at Neverland... and I went in to Michaels room and...in to
Michaels bed... an.. and the same sexual stuff all happened again.
First year in that, that he wanted to see me , that he wanted me to come
there, felt so good. I'm back, like we're coming back together.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
James claims MJ told him not to get an education
James Safechuck
He would just call once in a while. He gave me a car when I turned 16. He was
very much into film making and I was doing my film making classes and..
Michael tells you, that you don't need school, nobody who ever did anything
good goes to school So he'd say, you don't need it. All you need is me. He
very much said, you know, you're gonna be like little Spielberg....
Michael would fund these short films and I made those all throughout high
school, I made like a 35mm short film at Neverland.
And he talked to my parents, cause I was in some of the advanced classes and
he said "you don't need math", so he convinced my parents to pull me out of
the classes, so that I can, kinda like don't have to worry about studying and
just focus on film making and he would, he'd tell them "don't worry, I'll be
there". Very much it's like making you depend on him. Like don't go and get
an education, just I'll take care of it.
And then when he went away, it just kind of derailed and I was pretty lost.
(nods his head slightly)
AUGUST 1994
James Safechuck
I remember Michael saying to me that he is gonna have to.. have these public
relationships with women so people don't think anything. He would always say
he just.. he's gonna get married, he said he'd have to go get married at some
point, but that it wouldn't mean anything.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Stephanie Safechuck
So one day I got a phone call from Michael. He said Stephanie, I am not gonna
be able to come over as often. It was a short phone call. Hung up, went to my
husband and said "we'd just been dumped" Yeah, it was an emptiness. I loved
him, he was one of my children, so it was a child leaving the home. It's how
it felt.
Wade Robson
Again, I was seeing less of Michael, still talking to him.. but less. Two to
three times a year. Still, every time that I was physically with him and
stayed the night with him anywhere, the same sexual stuff happened.
Wade Robson
My dance world was kinda really building and moving towards me being a
choreographer. The dance studio that I had been going to for years, I came to
them and said I want to teach. They gave me a shot. Substituting for the
teachers, they gave me my own class and really quickly that class became
massive packed. (So Wade was only 13-14 when he had his own dance class job
now? – Writers note)
Michael was preparing for his History world tour. I was brought by Michaels
driver to the dance studio were Michael was rehearsing for me to be able to
watch rehearse for at little bit and hang out. And that night he took me back
with Michael back to the hotel.
Bloody underwear
Wade Robson
And so I am 14 at this point and I had a major growth spurt, am I
probably..... 5.11".. so the same or taller than Michael, just a whole
different physical vibe... and at some point at night, you know, we slip back
into the routine, the same sort of sexual stuff and I don’t remember.. how...
exactly it evolved to this - how it moved to this next...stage... but what
ended up happening is.....Michael.. uh, tried to... penetrate me.. uh, in my
anus with his penis (swallows loudly) ... trying for a while, and I guess was
able to a bit, but it was really painful, and too painful for me... so, so he
stopped… (long pause, thinking, sighing) I don’t remember us like talking
about it or anything like that or... acting like ...
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
anything particularly different had happened. I think after that, after it
wasn't working, after it was too painful for me.. we kinda went back to our
regular sexual routine.
The next morning, Michael had like kinda recording session to prepare for, he
handed me some new like camera, that he had gotten, that I could play with. I
was dropped off.. by his driver.. uhmm back to my condo in, in Hollywood and
then that afternoon my mother receives a phone call from Michaels personal
secretary.. that "Michael wants to see Wade right away".
I think I was picked up again, by Michaels driver and brought to the dance
studio were he was back in rehearsals - right away he just went right in to a
(devious?), kind of super nervous and said... "what did you do with your
underwear... from last night?" I said, "I don't know I, I took them off and
you know, showered and put new ones on". He said "you gotta go home and, and
find them". And, I don.., I don't if there was any... , there might be some
blood... on them. If there is, you gotta get rid of them.
A female voice in the background - probably Joy Robson: "How long does it
take you to get home"
Wade Robson
Got back in the car and he drove me back to the condo and luckily, not
luckily, you know I guess my mother hadn't found them, hadn't tried to clean
them or anything yet. I found the underwear and there was some drops of blood
on, on the inside.
Dan Reed: "your blood?"
Wade: "My blood"
I grabbed them and stuffed them in my pocket, down into the garage and threw
them in the bin. That was the last sexual experience that I remember... with
Michael.
Wade Robson
Somewhere in 2001 or 2002 I think some desire stared building in me to...
aaa.. want to try and connect with dad more.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
We had a couple of phone conversations when (we're?) still in Australia. He
told me some stories of his life, and, I don't know - it felt like the
beginning.. of something.
Shane Robson
I'd moved from Brisbane to the Gold coast, he was living down the coast, so I
was seeing him a little bit more often, we were made and like go to a pub,
play some pool and talk. I don't know if he was even working at that point,
know he didn't have any... much money. You know I think he was probably just
living on, you know like the government, kinda hand out.
He'd gone kinda downhill.
Wade Robson
I would see my dad, usually about every two years. And his mental and
emotional state... just...really continued to degrade over the years. He was
diagnosed with.. bipolar disorder. He was doing things like disappearing in
the night and, and going on walks through the city, through LA and catching
buses and, and we'd have to find him.
Shane Robson
I think I kinda scared Wade a little bit and, and Chantal which didn't help
their relationship at all.
Wade Robson
I mean I think it terrified at me, but my reaction to it, was just to get
angry and I like just wanted him to go.
Chantal Robson
Wade really pushed my dad away. He didn’t understand why he had to understand
him, cause he didn't even know him really, you know. Didn't feel that he
needed this person in his life.
Joy Robson
We talked a lot and at some point he said; "Don't you ever let anybody tell
you that you did the wrong thing". He said, "you did the right thing for
Wade" and it was the right thing for me. He said, I leaned how to stand up on
my own two feet. I was so dependent on you and I had to learn to without you
and stand on my own two feet, so he did.
He did write above it for while, it's only when Shane left, that.. uummm...he
couldn't cope anymore.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Shane Robson
At that point, I didn't know if I was leaving for good. I said, I am taking 6
months off to go out and hang with the family. The day that I left, my
grandparents - his mom and dad and dad came over, like say goodbye before I
headed to the airport. An, and I remember dad didn't say a word, nothing at
all, he was just kinda like a statue, kinda just starring off in the distance
and... uuummm... And then I remember like, saying goodbye and giving him a
hug.. and... I don't.. I didn't even think he hugged me, I think he just
stood there while I hugged him, he was just.... you know, like you know
what's wrong but no one was home.
I feel like I been here for a day, maybe. Mom was driving around in the car,
I get a phone call and, it was my girlfriend at the time from Australia and
she was, she was a police officer as well and she called me and said, you
know but sorry Shane but, but your dad is dead.
Joy Robson
The day that he left, his father hung himself.
Shane Robson
I think my response was just anger.. at first. He also, basically I kinda was
pissed off. He'd hung himself in his apartment. His mom and dad found him.
Wade Robson
I was... in a recording session, I was writing and producing some music for,
for a pop group. Got out of the recording session, went to my car and I'd had
all these missed calls from my mother. She told me..... your dad died.
Joy Robson
I brought all the children in home for the night, we sat there all night and
we laughed, and we cried, and we laughed and we cried.
Wade Robson
But, then from.... I think the next day...........
I don't know, I feel like I just started stitching myself up again already.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
*Reporter in a news clip*
Australian news reporter: You might not have heard of Wade Robson, but right
now, he is one of the biggest names in world music.
The Queensland born 19 year old has found fame and fortune as the most sought
after hitmaker in America. The creative force behind pop star Britney Spears
and boyband N'Sync.”
Australian female reporter: “At 16, after the family had move to LA, he
started choreographing Britney Spears. She was so impressed she asked him to
take creative control of every facticity of her world "Dream within a dream"
tour.”
Wade Robson
Michael had some sort of obsession with Britney. And he would call me and
he'd wanna know.. ummm.. what it was like working with her what she was
like.. and uuuh... isn't she sexy, isn't she beautiful. Wondering if I can
set up like a way for them to meet. And in those conversations as well,
Michael was really... interested .. in my sexual life with girls.
I remember that just being really weird, considering Michael and I's whole
sexual history. It's a weird pull cause while at the same time, I mean I
still loved him. Deeply. Maybe one day I was gonna be the friend for him,
that he could have a real, honest, vulnerable conversation with. The one
person that he could really be real with.
Laura Primack
My name is Laura Primack and I am James's wife. I grew up in the suburbs
outside Chicago. I went to college on the east coast, I went an art school in
Rhode Island and afterwards I thought that before I settle back home, I
should try the other coast.
There was a Dive bar, very close to my apartment in Hollywood, and I would go
there, almost on a nightly basis. One night a girlfriend of mine said she'd
wanted to go there cause she'd had a crush on a guy in the band, which was
actually James. He was in a band called SkyLab, the singer was British and
the music was kinda like Smashing Pumpkins and Radio Head and, they were
really fun to watch, they were really good performers.
*Video clip of James band playing live*
So, I went to the bar to meet her and she ended up falling ill, didn't come,
so when James's band was up at the bar buying drinks, I decided to go up and
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
introduce myself. I mean he looked.. the party looked awesome, but the first
thing he said when I told him I was there to see him cause my friend thought
he was cute was, I, I don't think you are talking about me.
He seemed so whole heartedly modest and humble and it just caught me off
guard cause that's not what I'd experienced in Los Angeles so far.
James Safechuck
She was really sweet... and, she is very up beat... she just turned out to be
a great person. So I got lucky.
Laura Primack
I think the first night that I went to his house.. auh, it was, you know late
a night and he probably had a band practice and maybe I got there at 11, but
he had candy's on the side of the bed and the intention that we were gonna
watch Harry Potter, I mean that's was his like "come on over, we'll have a
date night thing", and I thought the fact that he had just bought me candy's,
was adorable.
So I think we moved in together about 6 months after we'd stared dating. I
think right around that time too James had been taking art classes at a local
art school and doing his homework in our office and at that point we were
growing, we needed more help and our owners said; why don't you come in and
work with us. So, we went from dating, to living together, to living together
and working together, so I got very intense, very quick when you combine all
those things.
It was a pretty traditional start that's not to say that.. uuhhm... that it
weren't ups and downs but from my perspective there were kind of ups and
downs that most relationships had.
James Safechuck
Secrets will.. eat you up. It sucks life out of you... just deteriorates you
from the inside.. like a part of you is dead.
It kinda took everything I had to function.. during the day, to let other
people see me as a functioning person... so it took a lot of effort (smile-
sighs) to.... keep it together (smile-sighs again). And then I would go home
and... be a wreck, and it was hard... I am sure it was hard on my wife
(smile-sighs).
Laura Primack
You know, James had a lot of.... personality quirks, you know he go throw,
but he just wanted to stay in bed all weekend and TV or...uuhh... you know,
be a little bit more anti-social, but for me, especially cause I know that I
am a people person, I'd.. a lot of these things I just assumed were what's
it's like when you are not a people person.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I, I loved it, I mean from my perspective "let's stay in and cuddle and watch
movies and be in the dark and never leave the house and then, you know may
after the first year I was like; should we just go to Target and get
groceries or do something? hehehe.
Later on, as it didn't really go away, it, it you know, it could get a little
bit more boring or confusing (sitting with arms crossed here)
James Safechuck
I, I couldn't sleep and... I would have, just have panic attacks
about...things that shouldn't get me panic attacks...and.. one of the weird
things is like not liking yourself and not knowing why, like I didn't know
why.. I had.. these problems or felt these ways. Constant anxiety... and...
then depression and... not knowing why you're like that.
When I was in my early twenties I did a lot of... substances.. to.. help...
deal with it. At the time I didn’t know that that's what I was doing. But
then when I got off the substances and there is nothing to mask it... was
when I was.... phfp really noticed... that I was anxious all the time.
Amanda Robson
My name is Amanda Robson and I am Wade's wife. Wade and I met at a night club
and I was working as a promotor there.
My girlfriend and I was just like totally playing around on the dance floor,
dancing very goofy and Wade and his friends, kind of like, jokingly called us
out to do a little battle, which I didn't know who Wade was at the time.
This huge.. crowd began to form around us and then Wade and his friends went
into this full on choreographed routine and made us look..
really...ridiculous.
My girlfriend that I was at the club with.. auhm.. was like; do you know who
that is? That's Wade Robson, N'Sync's choreographer and, you know, thought it
was very cool. And I thought he was a total asshole.
He was 19 and I was 22. On our first date, I remembering him ...uhm, you know
mentioning Michael Jackson was a huge part of why they came over from
Australia and that Michael was his teacher.. and role model. I was like, wow
that sounds really intense, that's what is sounded like to me.
Wade Robson
*Clip of home video showing Wade and Amanda at Christmas*
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I had really started a whole new aspect of my adult life with Amanda. She'd
been this incredible breath.. of fresh air .. to me...... and her
perspective.. on life, what life meant to her, what relationships meant to
her, I was just so clear.
Wade Robson
Boom, there is these... new allegations... and all of this craziness unfolds
and then I see via the news.
NOVEMBER 2003
Wade Robson
Michael.. in hand cuffs... was.. painful to see.
Speaker voice from TV clip: "When Michael Jackson was arrested his mug shot
was taken, he was fingerprinted, he gave up his passport and he was released
of 3 million dollars bond."
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Another speaker voice on TV: "His lawyer calls the charges, that could send
Jackson away to prison for years, a big lie."
Stephanie Safechuck
Michael could do no wrong in my husband's eyes. He felt what Michael did for
world, made the world happy, all his songs about piece and love in the world.
That's how my husband saw Michael. The songs he sang. And.. he truly believed
it.
*Video clip showing Michael singing Heal the world*
I absolutely didn't believe it the first time. It was wrong, it was the
father’s greed and then the second time, I stared to question it in my head.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Joy Robson
We didn’t know this boy at all, since during a period where we really didn't
have much to do with Michael.
Once again, I thought, you know this is a kid who is suffering from cancer
and I thought defending Michael is just another case were Michael's probably
paying for all his medical bills. And, these people are taking advantage of
it.
That information about Gavin’s mother, she had been arrested for shop lifting
and she had blamed the security people; it was a big thing about that.
There's been information against the parents. I believed it all.
*Video clip from Sheriffs interview with Gavin Arvizo with 2 police
officers*
Gavin: He said that he could show me how to masturbate.
Police officer: "He wanted to show you how to masturbate? OK
Gavin: "Then he said he'd do it for me"
Police officer: "ok.... And did he do it for you?" "Go ahead Gavin, it's
fine."
Amanda Robson
In the time that I was with Wade...... you know, he, he didn't hear from
Michael a whole lot. Michael all of a suuudden.. started to... ahh...was
starting to communicate with Wade a whole bunch and reaching out to him. But,
it was like every day.
Wade Robson
The first conversation.. after he was arrested ..was.. like.... a
continuation, like picking right back up from the phone conversations when I
was 11.. and, the Jordy Chandler investigation was going on.
Here they are again. Trying to take me down. These evil people.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
*Clip outside court house where Michael thanks his fans at the trial*
Wade Robson
So I was 21 or 22 at this point and I really did not wanna go through this
again. I did not wanna testify. So at some point I worked up.. the courage..
to tell Michael that I don't wanna testify. I remember silence.. on the phone
...for a while... He said, you know.. I, I, I you know I understand, I
understand it's really.. hard and it's.. it's tough to go through this with
all of the media and everything... but you know, we, we, we can't let them do
this to us.
We can't let them take us down. Us, us, us you know.
James Safechuck
I was kinda breaking like... having a nervous breakdown.. and I didn't wanna
be involved and so I told my mom.. then, that he wasn't a good person ... and
that a....I don't want them involved. (inhaling heavily) so that was tough
(dog eyes down).
James Safechuck
I didn't talk with her really about it. I couldn't talk about it, I just said
enough to like not get them involved... and she never...pushed.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade had asked his mom not to testify
Joy Robson
Actually, Wade had asked me not to testify, that's how it started. He came to
me and said; I do not want you to testify this time, I am not going to
either. And so I just.. you know, I don't wanna go through all that again,
I've had enough.
I said what; ok, I am gonna ask you as an adult now, he was 21 at this point,
I said, I haven't asked you this for many, many years since you were a child,
but I am gonna ask you one more time as an adult; did Michael EVER, do
anything inappropriate with you? And he once again, looked me in the eye and
said; No, he never did.
I said; so.. I said, I think you need to testify, this is your friend. I
said, I think at this point you and Macaulay Culcin are probably the only two
people in the world who can save him. And if Michael goes to prison, he won't
survive prison, you know that.
Wade Robson
Like I would have dreams and.. of, of, of Michael being in jail and being
killed in jail or dying in jail, I mean, just like... those two things;
Michael Jackson.. and jail, just did not go together for me. I mean, I still
loved him ...deeply you know.
*Video clip with Macaulay and Wade going in to testify at the trial*
Male speaker voice: "Macaulay Culcin almost single handedly devastated and
shook the foundation of the prosecutions pattern evidence against Michael
Jackson."
Another male speaker voice: "Certainly if the jury believes Culcin, it would
be a significant boost for the defense."
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
conversation short, I just said, you know... just don't call again. And I
hung up. And that was the last time I spoke to him.
Amanda Robson
Michael, he had been reminding Wade, you know, how Wade could support him and
how much he loved him, he wanted to talk to me, saying you know, how much he
cared about me and how happy I was in Wade's life and.. suddenly having a lot
of ...aaaauuh,... interest in Wade's life and how he was doing and that felt
really good to Wade.
Wade Robson
And then within.... a week or so, after that I received a subpoena... to
testify.
Amanda Robson
I remember asking Wade;...nothing happened to you, right? Like you were
never.. like he never did anything to you did he? Just, I just needed to
aahh... just put it out there. And he assured me;... no.. no, never.. and I
believed him.
Wade Robson
The idea.. of this truth .. coming out and Amanda knowing about it.. and my
family knowing about it, and everybody in the entertainment business in my
career knowing about it.. I mean ... was just a ridiculous idea that was
never going to happen in my mind, because my, my, my whole life would be
over. If I questioned.. Michaels... perspective that he was telling me about
Gavin... then I felt like I would.. you know I would break, like I couldn't
be strong, as strong as I needed to be.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Chantal Robson
So we were at the ranch with all his family.. Michael didn't look well..
auhm, he looked VERY sick, his kids were there, everybody was there.
Wade Robson
Like his mind was just in a whole other place. I remember.... all of us
sitting at dinner.. and... Paris, his daughter... just wanting to, to.. waan,
wanting her dad's attention. (Video clip is showing Michaels kids – writers
note) Kinda like pulling on his arm and pulling on his fingers and; daddy,
daddy, daddy and he was, I mean he just - he wasn't there. I remember that,
just feeling really sad. What if he looses, what if he goes to jail. You
know, and these are the last couple of times that they see their daddy, you
know. Which built my conviction even that much more.. to.. aaa... to save
him.
Amanda Robson
I think that definitely.. helped Wade to go in to the, you know courtroom,
feeling, you know, that he wanted to support Michael and feeling good about
that.
To me it was like he was his, you know life long friend that just really
needed him. Looking back, I... it's horrifying to think about.. you know,
the... pf.. what that experience really represented for Wade. Love is so
powerful.
Wade Robson
And I remember how... white he looked... and his face was really thin, drawn
out. He looked like a statue... lifeless.
Chantal Robson
I testified, which was hard, I mean.. I think for anybody being on the stand
is just a scary scenario. Because you feel like people, the way there is a..
the way people are attacking you and they are saying different things and..
you know, you had this feeling of like... did I just put my friend in jail. I
was up there for a couple of hours, the whole scenario was intense. Wade was
up for a long time.
Wade Robson
You know, if this didn't go well for Michael, he was gonna go to jail for the
rest of his life. I was going to my grave.. with that truth.. of the sexual
stuff that happened between Michael and I. There was no way in hell I was
ever telling anybody in the universe. And that was period.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
*Clip from TV news report*
Female reporter: "Choreographer Wade Robson acknowledged sharing a bed with
singer many times when he was a child, but he denied ever being molested."
Male reporter referring to the hearing: "Did Mr. Jackson ever molest you at
any time? the defense lawyer asked. No, never Wade Robson replied. That
contradicts testimony from a former Michael Jackson maid, who'd said she'd
seen the singer showering with the boy."
Jim Moret, Legal analyst being interviewed: "We'd seen a parade of witnesses
saying Michael Jackson is not a good guy, this is what I saw him do. If you
can get one or two or three people on that stand, who'd say they were talking
about me, it never happened. Very powerful."
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I didn't believe or understand.. that the sexual stuff that happened between
Michael and I was abuse.
I didn't feel like I was hurt by it, that it was anything bad that happened
to me. At that point, it was.... I loved Michael, Michael loved me.. this was
something that happened between us, that's it, but I still absolutely had no
understanding that I was affected or any feeling that I was affected
negatively.
2008
Wade Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Amanda and I'd go to the grocery store and get hot dogs and all that kind of
stuff.. and, a couple of bottles of wine, and.. go to the house. And so, it's
Michael and the 3 kids. You know, once we got in, one of the first things he
asked was; Did you bring the wine? We hade some, those sort of the larger red
plastic cups and he grabbed one of those and just (showing how to poor
heavily to a cup) filled one up to the brim you know, with white wine and ...
just...slugged it down and then he kept going back and.. just filling it up
and.. So, but this, this was is my first experience of ever seeing him drink
- at all.
It was nice and we would crack some jokes there was still that feeling of
kind of reminiscing about our relationship from the past, we we watched a
movie.. with the kids, you know, he just kept, kept drinking. And then at
some point, we're getting kinda into the, into the evening, Michael says you
know, I'm, I'm gonna go upstairs for a second. 30 minutes goes by... an hour
goes by.. aauhm, you know nothing from Michael, he never comes back down. And
probably an hour, hour and half and we're just there with the kids, it's
getting late now, it's like 10 or something like that.
So Amanda and I are like (shrugging shoulders) what do we... hah...you know,
what do we do? And, I remember asking the kids like... like do you wanna go
check on.. on your dad? on he's ok and they were just sort of like...neeh,
he's fine. Like it was someth... that was nothing it seemed like it's was
nothing out of the ordinary, for them ... and that was the last time I saw
him.
JUNE 2009
Wade Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I was in my house. I was working on some choreography, for a show and I
believe it was a.. friend of mine, who texted me and said; turn on the
news... now! I think the first image I saw was.. the.. paramedics.. that were
carrying Michael to the hospital. You know, did Michael had had some sort of
cardiac arrest or something like that.
*Clip of ambulance*
Corresponding reporter (The Situation Room): "And we're just getting this in
right now, and, and it's very, very sad news that Jim Moret and to all of our
viewers, both the Los Angeles Times and CBS News are both now reporting that
Michael Jackson has died.
Female reporter: "CNN can now confirm from the LA coroner, that Michael
Jackson is dead.
Female reporter speaks (Hollywood TV): "Jackson appeared to have suffered
from cardiac arrest, he was 50 years old.”
Chantal Robson
It's not like I just got a call from my friends mother to tell me that my
friend died. You know, you're watching it like on a news cast, you know just
a whole different way of finding out that somebody you know died.. and I'm a
mess.
So much of my stories, so much of my life has been him, you know I've came to
America like everything and he's been such a big part of our life, that all
of a sudden he's just gone.
Wade Robson
I guess you'd call it being in shock, I mean just being... numb.. and not
believing.
James Safechuck
I was at work and.. I think a friend of mine texted said; I'm sorry you know.
I was just like for what?
And then I looked on the news and saw it.. an... I was sad! My first reaction
was being really sad.
It was like we would never be friends again, I'd never know him again.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
(raising voice to emphasize her joy).... (exhales in a sigh) I was so happy
he died (nodding her head with a slight smile).
Joy Robson
I had a jacket that Michael had given me. I curled up in bed with the jacket
for a week. I.. could not believe it. It was like.. it was loosing a family
member. We had loved him for all a long time, we'd been friends with him for
over 20 years. It was hard to accept. (no emotions, down slow voice though)
Chantal Robson
You know, you drive in the car, and you hear their music and you cry. It's
all around you all the time, so you grieve for multiple days, you know, you
have beautiful moments where you remember beautiful memories, being at the
ranch and all these great things and remembering him as a beautiful person
but then also being.. feeling really sad.
Wade Robson
I didn't know how to feel. I just kinda started to going for walks around the
neighborhood and.. you know people are trying to call me like crazy and get
in contact with me and I don't wanna talk to anybody. I don't wanna talk to
my mother and don't wanna talk to anyone.
Amanda Robson
I remember him just sitting on curves and just being really incredible
emotional. A lot of, yeah a lot of like curling up and crying.
Wade Robson
And press increase were like coming through my agents and it got to a point
when they finally said to me like; listen you gotta do a statement. So I
remember going to... a sort of park in Santa Monica to, to sit down and try
and.. figure out what.. I wanted to say. It was extremely loving.. and
grateful for Michael in my life and talking about he's the reason I danced,
the reason I make music and ending with you know I never stop missing him but
you know now he is, something of the lines, of now he's.. aaah.. blessing
that, that the heavens with a melody and moonwalk or something like that.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
James Safechuck
Michael had a lot of great attributes and he was great in a lot of ways and
you loved him in a lot of ways... and then th, the you know Michael does..
these things to you .. that are not healthy... but you still have...a, aah...
you still love for him, so it's really hard to .. have those two.. feelings
together. I am still today... am... grappling with that.
Wade Robson
I mean that was so surreal experience, I mean not your average memorial or
funeral. You know, musical performances.. and.. Michael's.. ah... image upon
the massive screen.
Chantal Robson
You know, I first felt like; oh, this is a big coupla but actually was really
nice, respectful you know the fans, everybody were quite, it actually felt
like a ceremony and it was very emotional for all of us that were there.
Joy Robson
Wade sobbed at the memorial service like I've never heard him sob. He put his
head in his hands and actually sobbed and sobbed - he didn't do that when his
father died.
Wade Robson
It's the last time I remember crying about him being dead....and then.. I
went back to work. I mean... yeah. I went back to work, full pelt.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
It was a new phase in my career and choreographing and stage directing.
Amanda and I were married now, we were starting to.. ah... work together a
bit creatively.
Amanda Robson
The phones are ringing like say "yes, yes", you know, work begets work like
this is time to explode, this is what you've been working for.. that he'd
been in adrenaline of a job.. and it was always followed by lot's of
depression.
Wade Robson
You know I'm just a perfectionist.. and I just was never able to enjoy.. ah..
my work. Auum it wasn't, it wasn't fun and the more success I gained, the
less fun it became, it was more about pressure.
Amanda Robson
And he went through this really.. dark, sort of sad, lonely.. a depression in
a way.
Wade Robson
I don't know what's going on, I think I'm gonna have a heart attack or
something.
Chantal Robson
He was freakin out, he was so afraid that whatever decision he made was gonna
be the wrong one. I've gotta stop, like ..I can't go through this and not
figure out what's wrong.
Joy Robson
So we were all struggling trying to find out was all this was about.
Wade Robson
Amanda is so clear about how she felt about everything and could communicate
it. And I just couldn't.
I would be sad, I would get angry and I just.. and she would ask me what's
wrong and I would just say; I don't know.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
We had been working a ton, travelling a lot, doing lots of exiting work and..
I remember telling myself you know, when they're.. when I can't think of
anything but becoming a mom, that would be the time that.. you know, we think
about starting a family.
And Koa arrived on this earth November 10th, 2010.
Wade Robson
I just entered.. this.. state of.. absolute.. uforia. Thinking like this is
the most important job.. I've ever had.. being a father.
Amanda Robson
Koa's birth.. was a.. directly aligned with Wade receiving.. auum, his.. ah..
dream job opportunity.
You know, Michael had always prophesied to Wade that he would be a film
director, like Stephen Spielberg film director.
That that's what's he was working towards.
Wade Robson
You know, so these were kinda two really, intense.. life.. happenings.. at
the same time. Becoming a father and getting my first gig as a future film
director.
The demands of the.. film.. started to become more apparent, it was a big
budget film, and there is a lot of.. people looking for answers from HIM, in
reference to story, in reference to you know.. production and fatherhood was
also on his plate.
I stop being able to sleep.. at all. Laying in bed for 8, 9 hours..
starring.. at the walls. Stressed and anxiety and fears beyond belief. It
gets to the point were I'm barely operating. I remove myself from the film, I
remove myself from any work.. I disappeared from the world. You know agents,
managers don't call me, I was barely talking to my family.
Amanda Robson
What ever was going on inside of him.. I mean it was relentless.
Joy Robson
They say time heals all wounds, but that.. I don't think time heals this one,
it just gets worse.
You can't talk to anybody about it.. you know... you don't get advise or
perspective.. you're stuck.. keeping a secret and then.. so you don't ever..
you'll never figure it out you're just.. stuck.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Stephanie Safechuck
I could see he was having a rough time.. just with his body language.. and I,
I.. do you honey, do you wanna go to a physiatrist? "No!" that was an
absolute NO... aauumm... he just wouldn't talk, he wouldn't open up to me, he
wouldn't.. was, it was different.
Joy Robson
It's fine for brief moments when you spend years like that.. and you don't
sleep well... you kinda go crazy.
Laura Primack
When Killian was born, he had a little break of a break down.. and again, me
being me I thought "oh, this most happens to dad's when they have their first
kid", it's just (smiling), makes people feel scared and I, I understood...
and I, I know I've probably sounding incredibly naive, but some of the things
he did and didn't do, I just distributed to.. this is our life, this is.. you
know he sleeps an awful lot...ann... so I stay up and take care of the kids
or.. you know he can't be around. The friends and the schools, so I'll do
that.
It was sort of survival mode, I guess is a good way to put it. it was like
this is our scenario and we love each other so we're gonna work around
whatever this is.
James Safechuck
I think the... abuseee symptoms intensify when you have kids, like it ramps
up even more, and then you see how like.. innocent kids are. Having having
kids.. kinda shoves that in your face.
He's getting closer to the age I was when I was abused.. So that is
difficult.. to.. deal with, and see, watch him become you at that age.
Wade Robson
Found a therapist.. trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with me. I
went trough the story of my life, and through this.. the story of my life
with Michael, but... just.. the... good parts, just the creative inspiration
and work and the friendship and all of that stuff.
And I was saying things at this point, like to Amanda.. I don't know.. I
don't know who I am.. I don't know what I want, and don't know left from
right.. all I know is you and Koa. Like that's all that makes any sense to
me.
Amanda Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
It was so incredibly frightening, cause for him just to sit still... he was
just tear... There was just tear in his eyes all the time.
I would tell myself like on our porch like.. just keep it together, like it's
gonna be ok, were gonna.. he's gonna be ok, we're gonna figure this out.
Amanda Robson
There were little things that we were trying to do and to look forward to..
dinners or something, you know they try to put on a happy face.. and like
look forward to something instead of like the dread and fear of... a reality.
Shane Robson
Wade and Amanda were living in Santa Monica and food trucks were like the big
thing in LA at the time. And I spoke with Erica my wife, on the phone as I am
driving there and she aaa... she says aaa... I gotta tell you about a crazy,
crazy dream I had last night.. aaa...Wade had told her that Michael Jackson
had abused him... aaaa... she said it was so real, she woke up from the dream
actually crying about it.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
instinct when he said that was.. to.... crack a joke.. and a joke that had
sort of become.. kinda standard for me.. which was;.. you know.. yeah man,
like I don't know if it, if it was true I don't know why I wasn't sexy
enough... like what was wrong with me. And that was my instinct to kinda go
right to that joke... but I just couldn't, I couldn't this time. I mean at
this was just like just... an hour and a half ago that I had told Dr Shaw for
the first time. So my, my head just dropped..... and, and I just kind of, I
just looked up and said; it is, it is true.
Shane Robson
And I'm, I'm looking at him.. and I'm like is he telling me a joke or
something right now... and I'm like... what do you mean? eumm, all sorts of
things are going through my head like the amount of years that, you know he's
defended this guy.
Wade Robson
I remember (tear red eyed) Amanda... was, was on my left and remember
physically she just aa.. she just caved in, like someone punched her in the
chest... (tear red eyed) and my brother sort of had the opposite physical
reaction (wiping tear), like his chest just kinda puffed out, he got.. he
got angry, he's, I think he's first word was WHAT? It was real kinda like
anger in his eyes.
Amanda Robson
The.. it’s like the world was kinda like spinning, and all I could see was..
Chantal was holding Koa, so it's like a blur and I just honed in on Koa and I
like needed to hold him (smiles).
Chantal Robson
And they then come over to me, and as soon as they come to the table, Shane
turns to me and he says; “Wade, tell Chantal what you just told us”.
Wade Robson
My sister's always been the one in my life who's.. more...emotional like
more.. much more readily available, wears her heart on her sleeve. And I
remember the look in her eyes that just aaa... her just staring at me, and
just tears.. you know.
Chantal Robson
I was hurt and angry for Wade, I was upset for myself and my relationship
that I had and I was really scared for my mom (tearing up, wipes tears) I was
afraid that my mom would commit suicide. Cause it's not like it's uncommon
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
for me (crying). But I was afraid that my mom would do something to
herself... because of the shame, you know her not knowing or... you know.
Wade Robson
It's like this was the.. the story that I had been telling all these years
(sobbing), the lies that I have been telling about you know... that none of
this sexual stuff ever happened... like that was.. that story, that version
of the story, was the.. the whole foundation of my life, and my sister's and
my brother's life I mean like.. my whole life with Michael is the reason...
my family split apart and we moved to America and you know like, all wrapped
up in that. And now it's like this whole... the whole foundation of this
story was bullshit, you know.
Chantal Robson
It's like I, I used to be the person that said.. you know... oh, that person
is after money or they trying to bring Michael down and he's famous.. and I
was the person that said all that. You know, and then now being on the other
side of it, you know now I understand why people are saying that to me, but
at the same time it's like... umm.. I'm.. you know I am awake now (tiny
smile), it's like I see the reality and I see truth and I you know.. the
pattern of what happened and, and that it happened to my brother. But I feel
so bad for every little boy - prior that tried to talk and got shut up really
fast.
Grandma Robson
It's so hard to believe that he would do that to a little boy, someone as
beautiful and talented as Wade was. It's just overwhelming to think that.
He's ruined a lot of lives, a lot of lives.
Wade Robson
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
What began to happen (sitting arms crossed) was just this.. (sigh)..
emotional like upheaval, that was just.. all of these anger and sadness and..
you know back and forth all over the place, unpredictable.. I mean just
coming out of me.. constantly (exhaling really heavily). After about 2 weeks
after I first told Dr Shaw, I.. aaa, I told mom I wanted her to, to come in
to a therapy.. session.. with me. I didn't tell her why.
Joy Robson
I spent 30 minutes with the therapist, first just to have a chat, talk about
things.. so then.. after 30 minutes, Wade had joined us and we sat together
on the couch and... he turned to me and said.. that.. Michael Jackson has
abused him... from age 7 to 14. Auh, I was.. it was like being hit by a
truck. I REALLY didn't know. (calm and not showing any sadness)
Wade Robson
I remember her just.. I mean just... tears streaming down her face instantly
and this kind of collapse in her body and, and she just kind of reached out
to grab me and she... the first thing she said was; How could, how could
you've not have told me.
How could you've not have told me. (inhales heavily) It's a real complicated
question.. you know I couldn't.. I couldn't answer that question.
Joy Robson
I held him and held him and we sobbed together (playing sad, trying to cry)
and I said; I have to take some of the blame for this, I am your mother and I
didn't protect you. And that's what he wanted to hear apparently.
Wade Robson
I couldn't really, I don't know, I couldn't really hug her.. yet. I mean I
just.. sigh.. very beginning for me and very confused about.. aaa.. just my
relationship with, with mom.
Shane Robson
I was.. angry... at my mom. I was angry at my mom before that, I was angry
with her for breaking up the family to start with for this whole.. Michael
Jackson nonsense.. like I didn't care who some guy is, how do you leave your
7 year old, right, you're all cute just, have sleepovers at the house, I
mean... that's just fuckin crazy.. eeh, like as a parent, I don't understand
how that...is even possible.
Joy Robson
For 5 months after that, Amanda wouldn't allow me into their home. Wade and I
would meet, so I could see Koa, we'd have to meet in a park. I was so hurt, I
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
was so.. I'd always had such a great relationship with a man, all my family,
I've never have anything like this happen. That was the hardest thing for me
to deal with. And I thought, she blamed me.
Amanda Robson
Now I am hearing stories about what was done to his young body, with his mom
(gesture as to what?)... close by.. in, in another room. Me being a young mom
you know, and my just...how you know, how could you ever let your young child
sleep in a bed of a stranger. You know, I just couldn't comprehend it.
Joy Robson
Wade and I met...and... he said there is things he needed to say to me. He
told me.... that he felt no emotion for me. As mother, that's like.. the last
thing you wanna hear from your child (trying to cry). He said he had no, he
had no feelings for me.
Chantal Robson
I you know remember asking her like; how did you not know?.. you know and she
just kept saying; I don't know, I don't know, I don't know how I didn't know.
You don't think that I wish I do, you know that I, that I wish I didn't see
this you know but it has changed and affected everyone’s lives, my family’s
life, the anger from my family in Australia and... the anger from my family
toward my mother like.. it goes so deep.
Grandma Robson
She did everything she could, she turned her life upside down.. even in
marriage she turned everything upside down.. because of Michael (heavy sigh)
It's, it's not easy to accept. Even at this stage.
Amanda Robson
The.. the abuse...was a bomb that dropped in our lives and exploded (sweeping
arm gesture) like.. you know and ripped apart everything that we found sound
and secure and safe.
Laura Primack
Of course I want James to be happy and feel better, but I don't always know
how to get him there. A few things had happened auum.. that just sort of sent
him on a spiral. His father got sick, work got very challenging. All these
things were coming together and... auum, he just.. he went someplace else, he
went to a dark place. He started drinking a lot, he started going out at
night.. auumm.. he wouldn't come home. During that time, was the first time
we were.. really... fighting.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I didn't understand what was going on at all. That was like the first time we
ever talked about.. you know.. this, this is into our relationship right now,
is this heading towards divorce.. I mean, that was the first time we talked
about things like that.
James Safechuck
I, I had a lot of self hatred, and I didn't know why... and you're not
putting it on him, you're putting it on yourself.
You think it's your doing.. that's part of the manipulation.
People, I mean when I look at me and see a grown up... but you.. need to see
a... wwr.. mentally little kids.. we just gotten (smiles), we just gotten
older.
MAY 2013
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade Robson
I had to defend.. the lie, you know for so many years.. and I didn't wanna do
that anymore. You know, I was just trying declare this whole new life for
myself, based on the truth.
Male interviewer: "Let me take you back to 2005 Wade alright, the child
molestation trial of Michael Jackson. You were the first witness called by
the defense and the attorney for Michael Jackson said he called you first
because you were so convincing and powerful asserting the innocence of
Michael Jackson (you can hear Wade say, "Yeah" - writers note.) and here we
all these are years later and you're going to say just the opposite. (Wade
says; "right" - writers note.)
Male interviewer: What happened?
Wade: (inhales air) "First of all I wanna clear things up that this is not a
case of repressed memory
Male interviewer: "which has been reported in the press.
Wade says: "yeah") I never forgot one moment of what Michael did to me, but I
was... psychologically and emotionally completely unable and.. and willing..
to understand.. that it was sexual abuse".
Male interviewer: "So, what are you pledging that he actually did?
Wade: "He sexually abused me from 7 years old until 14"
Wade Robson
And even though there is lots.. of parts of it that are still.. scary and
uncomfortable.. aauum.. to talk about these sort of things and talk about the
sexual details and this.. crazy stuff.. that, that, that happened between
Michael and I. It still a whole lot better.. than.. than the lie did.
Laura Primack
At that point in time we had a computer in our bedroom, and I was working
late at night, and he was sitting at the edge of the bed just waiting for me
to finish, which was not like him. And.. I ... was working, working; can you
please just stop! and he sounded so irritated with me. I said you know; what
the heck! huh
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
I turn off the computer and I turned around and that's when I saw how serious
and sad his face was and he said; Laura, I have to tell you something. And he
just said; Bad things have happened, you know Michael wasn't, he wasn't a
good guy.. and.. he just clearly was a ball of emotions, and aum, I was
scared. It was just like a punch in the chest.
James Safechuck
You're not positive it's the right decision (slight smile and kinda sneezes
out a sigh). And then thinking that, that action is gonna ruin your
life...is... I can't.. I don't know, I can't even.. I can't describe.. how
scary it is.
Laura Primack
It wasn't a heavy long conversation.. it was a cry. He sort of just.. we gave
each other a hug and.... auumm, he showed me Wade's interview.. and he just
sort of cried and.. He didn't go into much detail then, it was just more of
this like, Oh wow, our lives just go heavy (smiling and nodding her head).
James Safechuck
It still.. feels.. shame ful (he is almost lettering it as two words).. I
still have...feelings that I was... like my fault.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
brainwashed, we had repressed memory, we didn't face the facts, we didn't
deal with reality - I just find very, very suspicious.”
Black woman: "The story keeps changing. His story keeps changing.. shaking
head".
A fan-guy speaks from a private made video: "I really fucking had it with you
dude. FUCK.YOU. Fuck you to fuckin hell. FUCK YOU Wade. Fuuuck I hate you so
much."
Amanda Robson
The die hard Michael fans.. some of them are... very... auu... hateful. It's
been scary for me as a mom with our child ... auuu, you know, in regard to
the.. the threats that come from... that Wade receives.
Wade Robson
I'm not gonna lie and say that's not hard.. to see and to hear and to feel..
aum..people not believing me and people thinking that it's all about the (!)
money, but nothing but the money.
Female robotic speaker voice: "A judge has dismissed a choreographers claim
that Michael Jackson molested him as a child."
Another female robotic speaker: "Los Angeles superior court judge Mitchell
Beckloff dismissed Wade Robson's claim on Tuesday. After determining he
waited to long to file it in court."
Robotic male speaker voice: "He did not rule on the credibility of Robson's
allegations themselves."
Chantal Robson
These people don't even know Michael, they know Michael Jackson, the amazing
musician and the amazing superstar.
I am not taking anything away from Michaels talent as a superstar...but as a
man...as a human being... he's hurt people. And those people that he's hurt,
should have a chance to talk about it and they should be allowed to be ok.
Laura Primack
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
They way that I understand it, it's very common for this type of abuse to be
registered later in life.. that when you're that small and that hurt, you
don't even understand what's happened to you. So... we can't change it.
Michael is gone.
But it doesn't change the fact the he destroyed these people and that the
world still goes on loving him.
James Safechuck
He had so many good parts about him, people thinks his music's great so he's
great, then people grew up with him too, because he was a star since he was a
little kid, so to think that that person.. is doing the worst possible things
to kids... (shrug’s his right shoulder)... you know it's though to think for
people to... wrap their heads around.
Stephanie Safechuck
I didn't protect my son... that will always, always hunt me. I had one job, I
had one child and I had one job... and I fucked up. So I’ve had all these
months of loving my life with Michael and travelling and living the good life
sort of speak. All those wonderful memories.. it was all based on.. aum...
the suffering of my son, my son had to suffer for me to have this life.
My son is messed up today.. because of it. And I'm messed up today.. because
of it. So you keep secrets and secrets since secrets kill you, and
everything's been a secret.. nnn finally can say something.
Joy Robson
I don't wanna know to much about what.. went on, I don't wanna have that
discussion with him, cause... that would give me nightmares.
I don't wanna hear that, so I've not really had a discussion about the sexual
side of it. I don't know what else I've could have done... but whatever it
is, I wish I had.
Shane Robson
I don't know if I ever really fully forgive it or what happened to the
family, what happened to Wade.. euumm... I still love her you know, show
support as much as I can but.. there's some things that.. I don't know if
you... (shrug’s shoulder), I don't know if I can forgive.
Amanda Robson
I don't know how many there are that Michael have abused but you can only
imagine with the power that he had. And the influence that he had. We, like
the public knows how many children were there.. and then there is all those
children that we don't know about. (yuck face).
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2
Wade Robson
If my story.. of.. abuse...with Michael.. and.. and all of the ways that it
affected me... if speaking that truth, other survivors of child sexual
abuse.. at the hands of anybody could be helped in any way, shape or form by
me coming forward and speaking it. I wanted to be able to do that. I wanna be
able to speak the truth as load as I had to speak the lie.. for so long.
Joy Robson
This is a fame, the whole thing.. you do get caught up in it. Maybe I can
forgive him at some point, if I try to understand that he was sick.... but
forgiving myself is another thing. I don't know if I will ever... do that
(trying to be emotional).
Stephanie Safechuck
He took my son's childhood away.. he took the man he could have been away...
he was a pedophile (nodding her head), you know, the word says it all,
pedophile.
James Safechuck
I think they thought they were doing the right thing and he's the biggest
star and he's gonna... I'm gonna help your son and.. your son is amazing..
and I'm gonna be there for him. It's all a big seduction.
So, do I blame them?......(smiling) I'm still working on it (sneezes out a
laugh).
The End.
Images showing Wade burning MJ memorabilia in still pictures at a beach.
Transcript Leaving Neverland full 4 hour film | March 2019 | Part 1&2