Reed Slams Jackson Biopic, Defends 'Leaving Neverland'

0:00It's April 23rd. This is Entertainment and Celebrity News, AI-powered stories from the world of fame. I'm Cory with the story. Dan Reed, the guy who directed that explosive, 2019 Doc Leaving Neverland, just went off in a new interview calling Michael Jackson. Worst than Jeffrey Epstein. He straight up says Jackson was a nasty pedophile who hurt kids even if he was a killer entertainer. The film spotlighted Wade Robson and Jane Safechuck, who claimed Jackson abused them as boys, and it snagged a big Emmy-win. Reed also ripped into the new Jackson biopic Michael for dodging all the child abuse claims. That movie skips the dark side, focusing on his rise from the Jackson 5 to Solo Stardom, with his nephew Jafar playing him. Turns out they cut a whole ending about investigators raiding Neverland Ranch because of some old settlement claws with an accuser. Critics are torching the biopic, calling it sanitized in full of omissions, like a bland TV flick. But box office wise, it's set to crush with a $150 million worldwide opening.

1:06Jackson's estate has always denied the allegations, never convicted him of anything, and they even sued HBO over Reed's Doc. Meanwhile, leaving Neverland got yanked from HBO and everywhere else this year, after the estate enforced a 1992 non-disparegement deal. From an old concert contract, Reed gets the rights back in 2009 and plans to draw it again. He's already put out a sequel on YouTube last year. Roppsin and Safe Shuck are still pushing a $400 million lawsuit against the estate. Reed's cooking up another follow-up on them too. This whole saga keeps bubbling up, showing how Jackson's legacy stays split between the music genius and these heavy accusations.