Michael Jackson's Estate Co-Signs Fan Groups' Legal Efforts Against "Neverland" Accusers

Two French fan groups', the MJ Street and On The Line, compare "Leaving Neverland" to a "public lynching."

BYAron A.
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Leaving Neverland aired earlier this year, ahead of Michael Jackson's 10-year anniversary of his death. The docuseries brought back the age-old allegations of child molestation the pop star faced during his time on the planet. His estate and the singer's fans have been extremely vocal in expressing their disdain towards the docuseries including a pair of fangroups from France who've taken James Safechuck and Wade Robson to court over the allegations. 

According to PageSix, The MJ Street and On The Line -- MJ fan groups from France -- appeared in court today where they made their arguments as to why the claims made by James Safechuck and Wade Robson in Leaving Neverland were out of pocket. The groups' lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot, compared the documentary to a "genuine lynching" -- a claim that's been made on numerous occasions ever since these allegations came to light.

What's strange about this whole lawsuit is that the two fan clubs are only looking for one euro each from Wade Robson and James Safechuck if the judge sides with their case. Clearly, they're not looking for monetary gain but apparently, just the bragging rights. The thing is the laws in France consider smearing a dead man's reputation as a criminal offense whereas U.K. and U.S. laws don't. Needless to say, Michael Jackson's estate is fully supportive of The MJ Street and On The Line's efforts against the accusers. 

"The Estate is in full support of Mr. Ludot’s efforts on behalf of Michael and his beloved fans in France and across the globe that the truth shall ultimately prevail," co-executor of MJ's estate said. "We remain hopeful that a victory in France will soon fuel a movement in the United States to finally explore changes in the law to afford defamation protection for the deceased.”

The estate already took an L to HBO after filing a lawsuit against the company on claims of defamation. 


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Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.