17 Years After His Death, Michael Jackson Is at the Center of an Explosive New Claim
In a new interview, Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed has made comments about Michael Jackson that include a comparison involving Jeffrey Epstein. The remarks, made 17 years after Jackson's death, are drawing attention due to Reed's history of discussing the pop star and the timing of his comments ahead of a new biopic.
Reed spoke with The Hollywood Reporter just days before the release of the film Michael, starring Jaafar Jackson. In the interview, Reed criticized parts of the industry response to Michael Jackson projects, saying there is "a ton of money to be made" from association with the Jackson brand.
"I think clearly some of the press is sucking up to the Jackson machine because: A, the estate and the fan base has always ensured that the price of criticizing Michael is years of invective and smears and what have you," Reed told THR.
"And B, there's a ton of money to be made by any kind of association with the Jackson IP," he continued. "If you can get on board and be part of the success of this movie, then that's going to be good for you. So a lot of people, I think, will kind of swallow any misgivings they may have and just sort of say, ‘Oh well, it's a great jukebox movie' and just completely ignore the fact that this guy was worse than Jeffrey Epstein."
Epstein was convicted of sex crimes involving minors and died in jail in 2019.
In the Reed-directed Leaving Neverland (released in 2019), Wade Robson and James Safechuck spoke about the child sexual abuse they say they experienced at the hands of Jackson. The documentary was a success, even winning an Emmy, but the Jackson Estate did not approve.
"'Leaving Neverland' isn't a documentary, it is the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death. The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact. These claims were the basis of lawsuits filed by these two admitted liars which were ultimately dismissed by a judge. The two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred. They have provided no independent evidence and absolutely no proof in support of their accusations, which means the entire film hinges solely on the word of two perjurers," the Estate told Us Weekly in a statement at the time.
As for Michael, the biographical drama is already a box office success. According to Deadline, the new movie is on track to hit $100M in its opening weekend.
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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 8:55 AM.