Michael Jackson’s Daughter Paris Fears ‘Leaving Neverland’ Documentary Will Ruin Acting Career
This week, HBO aired Leaving Neverland, a documentary in which two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, allege that Michael Jackson sexually abused them when they were boys.
The late singer’s daughter Paris Jackson has reportedly told friends that she is nervous about Leaving Neverland ruining her acting career, reports The Daily Mail. She is apparently afraid that the reintroduced allegations against her father could discourage casting directors from hiring her.
A source said to The Sun that she is in the beginning stages of establishing an acting career but is concerned about the documentary hindering her aspirations.
“She was in a movie last year but believes the documentary is already scaring directors away because the abuse her father is accused of may put movie goers off her. It all comes down to marketing. The worry is that any movies she stars in will be derailed if Michael’s abuse scandal is all people think about when they see her on screen. She wants to act but knows this could affect those plans.”
Jackson made her acting debut in March 2017 with a guest starring role on the FOX series Star, as social media expert Rachel Wallace. In 2018, she made her movie debut as Nelly in crime comedy Gringo, which starred Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, and Thandie Newton.
Deadline also reported that she had obtained a co-starring role in The Space Between, an indie comedic drama starring Kelsey Grammer. Jackson is reportedly set to play Cory, a singer desperate for her big break and the love interest of would-be record executive Charlie Porter.
Robson and Safechuck filed lawsuits in 2013 saying that the stress and trauma of what had happened forced them to admit they were sexually abused. The suits were thrown out on technical grounds, but are currently under appeal.
Leaving Neverland premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, with Robson and Safechuck receiving a standing ovation after its viewing. It aired March 3 and March 4 on HBO.
Michael Jackson’s family have hit back at the documentary, saying that the singer is the victim of a “public lynching” as he is no longer around to defend himself.
The family has also argued that the singer went through a complete investigation, but was still acquitted at his 2005 criminal trial in a case that involved a different young man.
Robson had testified at that trial, saying he slept in Michael Jackson’s room many times, but was never molested by him. Safechuck also made similar statements to investigators when young. Actor Corey Feldman, who was friends with Jackson as a child, came forward and said Jackson did not act inappropriately towards him, calling the documentary “one-sided.”
When Michael Jackson died in 2009, it seemed like the long-boiling national conversation around his multiple allegations of child molestation died, too. "Leaving Neverland" has revived the discussion. https://t.co/jpL9Ln5FeR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 4, 2019
