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Michael Jackson's estate slams new documentary

Michael Jackson's estate condemned last Thursday an upcoming documentary about alleged child sexual abuse by the late US pop star as another "outrageous and pathetic attempt" to cash in on his fame.

The documentary Leaving Neverland will be screened at the Sundance Film Festival later this month and will be aired on cable channel HBO and Britain's Channel 4 television network.

It features interviews with two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, now in their 30s, who say they were befriended by the singer and sexually abused by him when they were young boys.

Both men filed lawsuits against the Jackson estate alleging sexual misconduct after Jackson's death in 2009 and both cases were dismissed. Robson had testified at Jackson's 2005 trial in the singer's defence.

"This so-called 'documentary' is just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations," the estate said in a statement.

But director Dan Reed said he had no question about the validity of the stories of the two men.

"If there is anything we've learned during this time in our history, it is that sexual abuse is complicated and survivors' voices need to be listened to," he said in a statement. - REUTERS