Leaving Neverland: Kiwi doco defends Michael Jackson
Emily Brookes
11:19, May 03 2019
A 23-year-old New Zealander living in Los Angeles has self-funded a documentary that aims to discredit the recently-aired Leaving Neverland.
Liam McEwan has been in LA since early 2017 working as a celebrity interviewer.
He's met the likes of Elton John, Ed Sheeran, Britney Spears, and Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus.
But over the years one star has shone brighter for McEwan than any other: Michael Jackson.
"Michael Jackson has played an important part in my life," says McEwan.
So he found the allegations detailed in Leaving Neverland, which aired on TVNZ earlier this year, pretty upsetting.
That film is about Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who filed sexual abuse lawsuits against Jackson in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Those suits were dismissed on the grounds that too much time had elapsed since the pop star's death and and there was no entity to take responsibility for his actions
"Leaving Neverland gave these guys an opportunity to talk but it didn't give the other side a story," he says. "That's what made me want to investigate it further."
McEwan is no stranger to the media world. While still at high school in Auckland he hosted a show on Devenport's community radio station The Flea FM, which led to a job as a producer at iHeartRadio, and then to a gig on TVNZ's now defunct The 4.30 Show.
His reporting skills garnered international attention, and he moved to the US with a job at Bauer Xcel, a women's interest publisher heavy on celebrity. For the last few months he's been going it alone, funding his meetings with the stars through brand partnerships and publishing them on social media, where he is known for his energetic interview style and trademark shoulder-length curly hair.
Fair to say he's a go-getter. But up until a couple of months ago, he had never considered himself a documentary maker.
"I had no idea how to do this," McEwan laughs. "Usually my content is so light hearted and so fun, I'm not used to having to take things incredibly seriously and that's something I had to do here."
But he had a good in, having previously interviewed both Jackson's father, Joseph, and his son, Prince.
"There was already a level of trust there" with the Jackson family, McEwan says.
His documentary, Neverland Firsthand, packs a lot into its 30-minute run time, unpicking some of the earlier film's claims, particularly those made by Wade Robson.
Its key witness is Jackson's niece, Brandi Jackson, who dated Robson for over seven years. McEwan also speaks with a private investigator who worked on Jackson's 2005 molestation trial (Jackson was acquitted), a technical director who helped to design and build the Neverland Ranch, and Jackson's nephew Taj.
They call into question the veracity of some of Robson and Safechuck's claims, including that they were regularly present in the recording studio with Jackson.
McEwan did not attempt to interview Robson or Safechuck.
"The accusers had four hours in Leaving Neverland in which to share their story," he says. "In the half hour that I had to do something, it was important to share the other side."
To date, Neverland Firsthand film has been viewed over 900,000 times on YouTube. It's been featured in People and Vanity Fair, and McEwan has appeared on Australian TV to discuss the film.
Unsurprisingly, it has attracted the attention of other media platforms and distributors – McEwan declines to say exactly who – but he hasn't yet been tempted to sell it to, or rework it with, anyone else.
"It's sensitive and it needs to be done with respect," he says.
McEwan has other big things cooking: He'll be going on staff again in a couple of months as a celebrity reporter for another US media platform.
But if the right subject came along, he'd definitely make another documentary.
"I really enjoyed myself," he says. "I feel like in terms of a journalist I've been able to one-up myself."
https://i.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...iews-for-kiwis-doco-defending-michael-jackson
