Michael Jackson Estate tries to distract fans with “limited time only” concert films
As the controversial Leaving Neverland documentary is set to air in Australia this week, Michael Jackson’s Estate is doing its very best to distract the King of Pop’s declining fans.
Around 20 minutes into the airing of Leaving Neverland in the US overnight, the official Michael Jackson Twitter account announced that the 1992 concert film Live in Bucharest (The Dangerous Tour) was now “available for a limited time” on YouTube.
Don’t miss the magic from the King of Pop himself! Immerse yourself in Michael Jackson. Live in Bucharest and Live at Wembley Stadium available for a limited time on Michael Jackson’s @youtube!
Watch Now – https://t.co/fnD2IonLsP pic.twitter.com/z9heNX3AGP
— Michael Jackson (@michaeljackson) March 4, 2019
The Estate had hoped that while Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck were discussing claims that they were targeted and sexually abused by Michael Jackson during their childhood, most fans would be ‘immersing themselves in the magic’ of Jackson’s concert films.
Interestingly, the Live in Bucharest concert film has a run time of two hours and two minutes—the exact length of Leaving Neverland part one.
A second Jackson concert film, Live at Wembley Stadium, will be live on YouTube at the same time Leaving Neverland part two airs in the US.
Michael Jackson’s moonwalk
But not even the resurrection of Jackson himself could distract from the claims brought to light by Wade Robson, an Australian former child dancing star, and Jimmy Safechuck.
Taking its name from Neverland Ranch, the California estate where Jackson lived from 1988 to 2003, the film goes into detail on the two boys’ relationship with Jackson at the acme of his fame.
Accuser James Safechuck has said Jackson held a pretend wedding ceremony with him when he was 10-years-old. He claimed a 30-year-old Michael Jackson later rewarded him with jewellery when he had finished raping him.
When Leaving Neverland made its debut at Sundance Film festival, it left some filmgoers in tears and was immediately hailed by critics as an urgent, important film.
Now, the men claim they received death threats in the wake of the documentary’s premiere, while the estate of Michael Jackson has called it a “tabloid character assassination”.
“The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact,” Jackson’s estate explained. “We are extremely sympathetic to any legitimate victim of child abuse. This film, however, does those victims a disservice.”
Leaving Neverland will air on Channel 10 Friday, March 8 at 9pm and Saturday, March 9 at 9:30pm.
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.