In the dispute over a documentary abuse allegations against the deceased pop star Michael Jackson, his estate administrators have sued the TV channel HBO. The two-part film "Leaving Neverland" by Dan Reed is to be broadcast on the pay station on 3 and 4 March.
Jackson's estate administrators filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court demanding an arbitration procedure, according to the industry service "Variety." They are entitled to damages of more than $ 100 million, according to the lawsuit. That's about 88 million euros.
HBO is accused in the lawsuit to have violated a contract in 1992: Back then, the station broadcast recordings of Jackson's world tour "Dangerous" and undertook not to denigrate the musician, neither currently nor in the future. The transmitter has now violated this passage, it is said by the estate administrators.
HBO holds on charisma
"Leaving Neverland" premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. In it tell two today over 30 years old men and their families, as Jackson allegedly sexually abused the two in childhood allegedly on his Neverland ranch.
Directed by Dan Reed of @amospictures1, #LeavingNeverland premieres 3/3 and 3/4 at 8PM on HBO. pic.twitter.com/VaWJw36wFJ
- HBO (@HBO) February 19, 2019Jackson was acquitted on all counts in 2005 in an abuse trial in California. Back then, it was one of the allegations that he had given another 13-year-old alcohol and sexually abused him on the ranch.
The pay-TV channel HBO, which belongs to the Time Warner group, announced on Thursday that they would stick to the release date of the documentary as planned, "despite the desperate efforts to devalue the film". Everyone has the opportunity to evaluate the film and the allegations made in it themselves.
"Propaganda to shamelessly exploit an innocent man"
Howard Weitzman is one of the attorney lawyers. He said on Thursday that HBO "could have and must ensure that 'Leaving Neverland' is based on solid sources, all facts are verified and it is a fair and balanced representation." According to Weitzman, the film is a "one-way marathon of untested propaganda to shamelessly exploit an innocent man."
Jackson's family had described the documentary and coverage of abuse allegations last month as "public lynching." Michael Jackson was "one hundred percent innocent".
The musician died in 2009 at the age of 50 years.