Barbra Streisand defends Michael Jackson, says what he did 'did not kill' sex abuse accusers
Barbra Streisand, one of the very few people in the world to have experienced the level of stardom that Michael Jackson did, has given her two cents about the controversial ‘Leaving Neverland’ documentary in which two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, accused the King of Pop of sexually abusing them as children. The EGOT-winner spoke about the allegation with the Times in the UK while promoting her July concert in Hyde Park.
Streisand revealed that while she absolutely believed the accusers Robson and Safechuck, she went on to suggest that both of them were "thrilled to be there", and that whatever Jackson allegedly put them through clearly "did not kill them". The singer only met Jackson a couple of time, and her memory of him is that he was “very sweet, very childlike.”
Probably owing to these memories, she expresses empathy for the pop star. “His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has,” she told the Times.
In the HBO documentary, choreographer Robson claimed that Jackson sexually abused him for seven years, beginning when he was seven years old. In 2013, he had filed a civil lawsuit alleging sexual abuse, while Safechuck, who filed a case against the popstar in 2014, claimed that he was sexually abused for a four-year period from the age of ten.
The duo go into heart-breaking details in the documentary about what they went through. Streisand claimed that it was “too painful” for her to watch. “But those children, as you heard them say [the grown-up Robson and Safechuk], they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them.”
When asked about her own emotions — potentially anger — towards Jackson, she said, “It’s a combination of feelings. I feel bad for the children. I feel bad for him. I blame, I guess, the parents, who would allow their children to sleep with him. Why would Michael need these little children dressed like him, and in the shows, and the dancing, and the hats?”
A vocal anti-Trumper, Streisand also spoke about the #MeToo movement and claimed that, while the movement is commendable, it could potentially have some major repercussions. “Unfortunately, it’s going to cause a lot of women not being hired because men are worried they’ll be attacked,” she concluded.