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On Sunday, HBO and the British Channel 4 aired the explosive first part of Leaving Neverland, which details allegations of sexual abuse from Wade Robson and James Safechuck against Michael Jackson. After the unrelenting two-hour first part, they returned tonight with the final chapter, which is just as disturbing.
As expected, this series has caused quite a stir online, even though Jackson's YouTube page tried to throw up his classic "Live in Bucharest" concert to divert eyes. With Part 2 (and Oprah's interview with Safechuck, Robson, and director Dan Reed following it), the conversation will dominate our timeline for at least another night.
Here are the five biggest takeaways from the second part of Leaving Neverland.
Michael's team held mock interviews with the alleged victims
To prep for any potential testimony or questioning about Jordan Chandler's sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson, both Robson and Safechuck say they were essentially coached by members of Michael's team, who would play the parts of police officers and lawyers. During these sessions, the boys learned how to respond if they were told that evidence of what they were doing with Michael existed.
Michael maintained regular communication—when he needed to
While Jackson's pattern was that he'd practically stop talking to one boy when there was another one in the picture, things changed during the Chandler trial. Both Robson and Safechuck say that their communication with Jackson increased as the trial unfolded, which Safechuck was fine with because Michael was at least back in his life.
Robson said Michael would call every day during this period, and said the same thing happened when new charges popped up years later.
Michael played a large role in the alleged victims' lives
One of the more intriguing factors in both relationships is what Michael meant to Robson and Safechuck. Robson says that, as a performer, he always worked to get Michael's "stamp of approval." He also says he was "head over heels" for Michael (and that Michael felt the same way), but doesn't confirm why he always strived to make Michael proud of his work—which included everything from working with *NSYNC to being an in-demand choreographer for everyone from Britney Spears to Cirque du Soleil.
Safechuck says he felt that Michael wanted him to depend on him. He speaks about how, at the age of 16, he got more interested in filmmaking, and Michael would push him to pursue that craft, to the point that he'd tell Safechuck that he shouldn't worry about attending school. Jackson even went as far as to fund a number of short films that Jimmy would shoot at Neverland.
Michael bought the Safechucks a home
Safechuck's mother says that Michael had loaned them money to help purchase their home, for which they'd been making payments back to him. She alleges that, around the time of his trial over the Chandler allegations, Michael told them to forget their debt with him, meaning that he had practically bought the house they were living in.
Michael allegedly made Robson hide evidence
Robson reveals that during his last sexual encounter with Michael, the superstar attempted to penetrate him anally. Robson said it was too painful, so Michael stopped. The next day, while working in a studio, Jackson is said to have summoned Robson, telling him that he needed to get rid of the underwear he wore that night because there might be blood in it, which Robson ended up doing.