After Neverland: Oprah Winfrey wades into Michael Jackson accusations

Mar 06, 2019 06:00 am

Celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey waded into the Michael Jackson debate on Monday, hosting an hour-long interview with the men who say the late superstar sexually abused them as minors.

The special, titled After Neverland, aired on HBO after the conclusion of the network's presentation of a bombshell four-hour documentary entitled Leaving Neverland.

Calling sexual abuse "a scourge on humanity", Winfrey said: "This moment transcends Michael Jackson. It's much bigger than any one person."

She unpacked how Jackson's accusers, Wade Robson, 36, and James Safechuck, 41, began to identify themselves as victims, and why they remained silent for so long.

Robson said he had testified in 2005 on behalf of Jackson, who was ultimately acquitted of those sexual abuse charges, because "if I was to question Michael and my story with my Michael, it would mean I would have to question everything in my life". - AFP