Corey Feldman appeared on HLN this week to discuss the controversial HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, in which two men, choreographer Wade Robson and computer programmer James Safechuck, make gut-wrenching accusations about having been sexually abused by Michael Jackson as kids. Feldman, who also alleges that he was abused as a teen by an adult he trusted, appeared to clarify previous remarks in which he seemingly defended the late pop star who had also befriended him as a child.
After watching the documentary however, he says he can no longer defend Jackson — although maintains that the relationships described by Robson and Safechuck were in stark contrast to his own experience.
“As I mentioned in [a previous statement], it is obviously a very emotional time for me, and this is obviously a very emotional process of any survivor of abuse,” Feldman said, when asked how he was processing everything. He then asked people to put themselves in his shoes:
“I don’t want to be perceived as I’m here to defend Michael, because I can no longer do that. I cannot in good consciousness defend anyone who’s being accused of such horrendous crimes. But at the same time, I’m also not here to judge him, because again, he did not do those things to me and that was not my experience. So, therefore, my place is not to be the judge and is not to be the accuser, and not to be the defender.”
Feldman went on to say that his goal was to reform the statute of limitations so that other survivors of sexual abuse can get justice when given the time to process and understand what had happened to them.
Feldman’s remarks on HLN seem to pull a complete 180 on his previous thoughts on Jackson and Leaving Neverland, which he made clear in a flurry of tweets previous to his HLN appearance.
#Neverland OK I WATCHED IT ALL I KNOW IS WHAT I EXPERIENCED, & YES EVERY EXPERIENCE WAS THE SAME….RIGHT UP 2 THE SEX PART! THAT IS WHERE IT BECOMES LALA LAND, INSTEAD OF NEVERLAND 4 ME. WE NEVER SPOKE ABOUT SEX OTHER THAN A FEW WARNINGS ABOUT HOW SEX WAS SCARY, & DANGEROUS. MJ
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
GIV PPL A REAL LOOK @ WHAT A 30 YR OLD MAN/CHILD & A 13 YR OLD BOY WOULD DISCUSS, SO EVERY1 COULD HEAR THE INNOCENCE OF R RELATIONSHIP. AGAIN I WASNT THERE WHEN THOSE BOYS WERE. BUT I WAS THERE AROUND THE SAME TIME AS JIMMY, & I SAW MANY KIDS AROUND (GIRLS INCLUDED) WHO I AM
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
SO GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY WHICH HE CERTAINLY HAD W ME & OTHERS, BEING ALONE, W NO PARENTS AROUND, HOW DID HE CONTROL THOSE URGES SO WELL, WHILE SO BLATANTLY SEXUAL W THOSE 2 BOYS? IT DOESNT REALLY FIT THE PROFILE. BUT WHAT MOTIVE BESIDES $ DO THEY HAV? ABANDONMENT IS A STRONG 1!
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
MY MEMORIES. AND THANK GOD 4 ME, MY MEMORIES OF MJ WERE MOSTLY FOND, ASIDE FROM R 1 & ONLY FIGHT BECAUSE HE INCORRECTLY FEARED I WOULD TURN ON HIM, & MAKE UP LIES. I NEVER DID. I NEVER WOULD! I PRAY THOSE BOYS CAN SLEEP W THAT SAME CLARITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS! LET GOD B THY JUDGE!
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 4, 2019
In either case (and as an alleged victim himself), Feldman, should know to refrain from questioning survivors of sexual assault, so at the very least, perhaps this was a teaching moment for him.