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Controversial MJ Documentary Leaving Neverland [GENERAL DISCUSSION THREAD]
- Thread starter dam2040
- Start date
myosotis
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LOL's :devil: :bomb: :hysterical:
Kew have previously said that a finance director left the co. amid concerns over their accounts. How very apt if Reed (I did my research!) turns out to have been defrauded by another fraud, over a film about frauds..
‘Leaving Neverland’ director pulls film from Kew Media Distribution
Dan Reed’s Amos Pictures has pulled distribution of Emmy-winning Channel 4 documentary Leaving Neverland from Kew Media Distribution.
Broadcast has learned that Reed’s lawyers have sent Kew a notice stating it is taking back the rights to the HBO co-production after the Canada-listed company failed to pay several tranches of royalties to Amos.
The news follows Kew Media being issued with a cease trading order on 30 January after financial problems came to light at the end of 2019. Numerous producers are scrambling to reclaim royalties, informed sources have told Broadcast.
KMD sold Leaving Neverland to every territory around the world, bar China, with notable sales to Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1, Australia’s Network Ten and numerous other channels.
The documentary focuses on the detailed testimony of US two men who claimed they were sexually abused by late singer Michael Jackson.
Reed’s decision comes after Broadcast revealed KMD’s London-based head of sales Jonathan Ford is leaving the business at the end of the month after 13 years.
Several producers, including The Small Hand co-producer Awesome Media & Entertainment are attempting to extricate themselves from Kew in light of developments, as Broadcast reported on Monday (3 February).
Alan Clements’ Two Rivers Media has already exited the business, along with Collins Avenue producer Jeff Collins and other major international execs such as Julie Bristow.
Kew has been contacted for comment.
https://www.screendaily.com/news/le...m-from-kew-media-distribution/5147000.article
Kew have previously said that a finance director left the co. amid concerns over their accounts. How very apt if Reed (I did my research!) turns out to have been defrauded by another fraud, over a film about frauds..
‘Leaving Neverland’ director pulls film from Kew Media Distribution
Dan Reed’s Amos Pictures has pulled distribution of Emmy-winning Channel 4 documentary Leaving Neverland from Kew Media Distribution.
Broadcast has learned that Reed’s lawyers have sent Kew a notice stating it is taking back the rights to the HBO co-production after the Canada-listed company failed to pay several tranches of royalties to Amos.
The news follows Kew Media being issued with a cease trading order on 30 January after financial problems came to light at the end of 2019. Numerous producers are scrambling to reclaim royalties, informed sources have told Broadcast.
KMD sold Leaving Neverland to every territory around the world, bar China, with notable sales to Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1, Australia’s Network Ten and numerous other channels.
The documentary focuses on the detailed testimony of US two men who claimed they were sexually abused by late singer Michael Jackson.
Reed’s decision comes after Broadcast revealed KMD’s London-based head of sales Jonathan Ford is leaving the business at the end of the month after 13 years.
Several producers, including The Small Hand co-producer Awesome Media & Entertainment are attempting to extricate themselves from Kew in light of developments, as Broadcast reported on Monday (3 February).
Alan Clements’ Two Rivers Media has already exited the business, along with Collins Avenue producer Jeff Collins and other major international execs such as Julie Bristow.
Kew has been contacted for comment.
https://www.screendaily.com/news/le...m-from-kew-media-distribution/5147000.article
Last edited:
myosotis
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and:
‘Leaving Neverland’ & ‘Line Of Duty’ Sales House Kew Media Distribution On The Brink Of Collapse
EXCLUSIVE: Kew Media Distribution, the British sales arm of the beleaguered Canadian TV group Kew Media, is on the precipice of closure as it stares down the barrel of a winding-up order.
Kew Media Distribution represents high-profile shows including HBO’s Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland, made by Amos Pictures, and World Productions’ hit BBC drama Line Of Duty. But after its parent company ran into trouble last year and was ordered to cease trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, producers including Amos are fighting to claw back the money they are owed from the international sales of their shows.
Now, in a final attempt to recover cash, film distribution company 101 Films has served Kew Media Distribution with a winding-up petition. Such a move is seen as a last resort and, if successful, will result in Kew Media Distribution being liquidated and its assets being sold off. The legal action will come to a head on March 4, when the High Court will decide whether to approve or dismiss the winding-up petition.
Other creditors may wish to support the petition and Deadline understands that a number of companies who are owed money by Kew Media Distribution are aware of the 101 Films maneuver and are considering their options. 101 Films declined to comment on the matter.
A winding-up petition usually leads to the company in question — in this case Kew — having its bank accounts frozen, which effectively ends its ability to trade normally. Kew Media Distribution referred questions about its status to its parent company in Canada, which declined to comment on the winding-up order.
Kew Media Distribution has failed to file its most recent earnings for 2018, with its accounts more than four months overdue. The distributor was nearly struck off the companies register, but this action was canceled as creditors seek to recover money they are owed. Its last earnings, for the nine months to 31 December 2017, show it posted a pre-tax loss of £17.8M ($23M), while it owed creditors £223.2M ($288.8M), the majority of which was for “group undertakings.”
According to the 2017 earnings, Kew Media Distribution employed 40 people. The company’s website shows this has grown to nearly 50 members of staff, based in both London and Los Angeles. At least one of those employees, executive vice president of sales Jonathan Ford, has left the company after 13 years this week. Kew Media Distribution says it manages the international rights to a library of more than 11,000 hours of TV and digital content, including signing a three-year deal with ViacomCBS broadcaster Channel 5 in 2018 to represent three of its dramas, such as 2019 hit Cold Call, made by Chalkboard TV.
Kew Media Distribution’s parent company was delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange last week amid a turbulent period for the company. It follows Kew defaulting on its credit facility after former CFO Geoff Webb filed “inaccurate information regarding working capital” in financial reports. A number of its UK subsidiaries are seeking to extricate themselves from the ailing company, including Awesome Media & Entertainment and distributor TCB Media Rights.
Kew Media Distribution was known as Content Media International until it was acquired by Kew in 2017 as part of a $104M takeover of six entertainment companies. The sales house was first established in 1995.
https://deadline.com/2020/02/kew-media-distribution-winding-up-petition-1202853095/
‘Leaving Neverland’ & ‘Line Of Duty’ Sales House Kew Media Distribution On The Brink Of Collapse
EXCLUSIVE: Kew Media Distribution, the British sales arm of the beleaguered Canadian TV group Kew Media, is on the precipice of closure as it stares down the barrel of a winding-up order.
Kew Media Distribution represents high-profile shows including HBO’s Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland, made by Amos Pictures, and World Productions’ hit BBC drama Line Of Duty. But after its parent company ran into trouble last year and was ordered to cease trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, producers including Amos are fighting to claw back the money they are owed from the international sales of their shows.
Now, in a final attempt to recover cash, film distribution company 101 Films has served Kew Media Distribution with a winding-up petition. Such a move is seen as a last resort and, if successful, will result in Kew Media Distribution being liquidated and its assets being sold off. The legal action will come to a head on March 4, when the High Court will decide whether to approve or dismiss the winding-up petition.
Other creditors may wish to support the petition and Deadline understands that a number of companies who are owed money by Kew Media Distribution are aware of the 101 Films maneuver and are considering their options. 101 Films declined to comment on the matter.
A winding-up petition usually leads to the company in question — in this case Kew — having its bank accounts frozen, which effectively ends its ability to trade normally. Kew Media Distribution referred questions about its status to its parent company in Canada, which declined to comment on the winding-up order.
Kew Media Distribution has failed to file its most recent earnings for 2018, with its accounts more than four months overdue. The distributor was nearly struck off the companies register, but this action was canceled as creditors seek to recover money they are owed. Its last earnings, for the nine months to 31 December 2017, show it posted a pre-tax loss of £17.8M ($23M), while it owed creditors £223.2M ($288.8M), the majority of which was for “group undertakings.”
According to the 2017 earnings, Kew Media Distribution employed 40 people. The company’s website shows this has grown to nearly 50 members of staff, based in both London and Los Angeles. At least one of those employees, executive vice president of sales Jonathan Ford, has left the company after 13 years this week. Kew Media Distribution says it manages the international rights to a library of more than 11,000 hours of TV and digital content, including signing a three-year deal with ViacomCBS broadcaster Channel 5 in 2018 to represent three of its dramas, such as 2019 hit Cold Call, made by Chalkboard TV.
Kew Media Distribution’s parent company was delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange last week amid a turbulent period for the company. It follows Kew defaulting on its credit facility after former CFO Geoff Webb filed “inaccurate information regarding working capital” in financial reports. A number of its UK subsidiaries are seeking to extricate themselves from the ailing company, including Awesome Media & Entertainment and distributor TCB Media Rights.
Kew Media Distribution was known as Content Media International until it was acquired by Kew in 2017 as part of a $104M takeover of six entertainment companies. The sales house was first established in 1995.
https://deadline.com/2020/02/kew-media-distribution-winding-up-petition-1202853095/
myosotis
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Little snippet from the Weinstein trial today:
Weinstein defense expert says memories can be distorted after the fact
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A psychology professor called by the defense as an expert witness at the New York rape trial of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein testified on Friday that people’s memories can become distorted after the fact.
Professor Elizabeth Loftus, a human memory expert at the University of California, Irvine, told jurors that receiving misinformation about an event, trying to remember it in therapy and discussing it with law enforcement can all distort memory.
“I’ve seen a situation where people are motivated to want to try to remember more,” Loftus said, leading them to fill in “details that feel like memories.”
Although Loftus did not testify about specifics in Weinstein’s case, she told jurors during the second day of the defense case that strong emotions around a memory were no guarantee of its accuracy.
“There are several studies that show false memories can be expressed with a great deal of emotion,” she said.
.....................
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...tent&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
Weinstein defense expert says memories can be distorted after the fact
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A psychology professor called by the defense as an expert witness at the New York rape trial of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein testified on Friday that people’s memories can become distorted after the fact.
Professor Elizabeth Loftus, a human memory expert at the University of California, Irvine, told jurors that receiving misinformation about an event, trying to remember it in therapy and discussing it with law enforcement can all distort memory.
“I’ve seen a situation where people are motivated to want to try to remember more,” Loftus said, leading them to fill in “details that feel like memories.”
Although Loftus did not testify about specifics in Weinstein’s case, she told jurors during the second day of the defense case that strong emotions around a memory were no guarantee of its accuracy.
“There are several studies that show false memories can be expressed with a great deal of emotion,” she said.
.....................
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...tent&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I couldn’t help myself.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karma2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karma2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/wWnPdyboc1">https://t.co/wWnPdyboc1</a> <a href="https://t.co/hENXA3Utz5">pic.twitter.com/hENXA3Utz5</a></p>— Taj Jackson (@tajjackson3) <a href="https://twitter.com/tajjackson3/status/1225838596831072256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let's get this done.. MJGlobal -- <a href="https://t.co/HaC1640x01">https://t.co/HaC1640x01</a> Post your review, explain with facts, how it's all a bunch of lies. <a href="https://t.co/5FTH8emFfo">https://t.co/5FTH8emFfo</a></p>— MJJJusticeProject (@MJJJusticePrjct) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJJJusticePrjct/status/1225865462342250496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let's get this done.. MJGlobal -- <a href="https://t.co/HaC1640x01">https://t.co/HaC1640x01</a> Post your review, explain with facts, how it's all a bunch of lies. <a href="https://t.co/5FTH8emFfo">https://t.co/5FTH8emFfo</a></p>— MJJJusticeProject (@MJJJusticePrjct) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJJJusticePrjct/status/1225865462342250496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Carmour260
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You're right. In their own way, they're just as bad as Trump (save that for another conversation). This is what happens when you do people wrong. Like Mo'Nique once said, "When you do clownery, the clown comes back to bite." As a black man, it's bittersweet because I want to root for everyone's successes, but their true characters have come to light. I'm afraid Tyler Perry will be next.
Michael, we got your back!
ScreenOrigami
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch Bill Bellamy criticize Gayle King's interview with Lisa Leslie, and at 1:41 talk about what he did differently when interviewing Michael Jackson. <a href="https://t.co/pdAcTgf4mb">https://t.co/pdAcTgf4mb</a></p>— andjustice4some (@andjustice4some) <a href="https://twitter.com/andjustice4some/status/1225992026363052032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Carmour260
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After the premiere opening of his own studios (I live in Atlanta, and from what I heard, it's huge! Bigger than any other studios in Hollywood), and the fact he got a sound-stage studio named after Oprah, he will regret it later down the road because eventually, if he don't watch his back, he will be the next target
PoP
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If Oprah dares to target Tyler Perry the gloves are gonna come off AGAIN.
ScreenOrigami
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The irony of people coming to the defense of <a href="https://twitter.com/GayleKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GayleKing</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/Oprah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Oprah</a> cause people are attacking their legacy despite all the good they’ve done.<br><br>But the reason people are attacking is cause they attacked the legacies of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kobe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kobe</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MichaelJackson?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MichaelJackson</a> despite all the good they’ve done.����*♂️</p>— Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacHayes3/status/1226218713705218050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Get in order... Y'all did that documentary on Michael Jackson that was false. Y'all doing false accusations on black men but you're hanging out w/ Weinstein; Oprah's former spiritual adviser is doing 19 years for sexual allegations and she ain't said nothing about him..." -Snoop <a href="https://t.co/QprdnQTRc7">pic.twitter.com/QprdnQTRc7</a></p>— TSCM (@MJJRepository) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJJRepository/status/1226259910389850113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Get in order... Y'all did that documentary on Michael Jackson that was false. Y'all doing false accusations on black men but you're hanging out w/ Weinstein; Oprah's former spiritual adviser is doing 19 years for sexual allegations and she ain't said nothing about him..." -Snoop <a href="https://t.co/QprdnQTRc7">pic.twitter.com/QprdnQTRc7</a></p>— TSCM (@MJJRepository) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJJRepository/status/1226259910389850113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We’ve been knowing that for years <a href="https://t.co/o7fYysKT6X">https://t.co/o7fYysKT6X</a></p>— Brett Barnes (@IAmBrettBarnes) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAmBrettBarnes/status/1225946167516659712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Having a really hard time conjuring up much sympathy here... <a href="https://t.co/5JL8KHuPvW">https://t.co/5JL8KHuPvW</a></p>— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zigmanfreud/status/1226311506058366976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Exclusive: Taj Jackson Exposes Disturbing Info About Whats REALLY GOIN O... <a href="https://t.co/RxvhiPFX3I">https://t.co/RxvhiPFX3I</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTube</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tajjackson3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tajjackson3</a></p>— Viral Hip Hop News (@ViralHipHopNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ViralHipHopNews/status/1226301588953849856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Having a really hard time conjuring up much sympathy here... <a href="https://t.co/5JL8KHuPvW">https://t.co/5JL8KHuPvW</a></p>— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zigmanfreud/status/1226311506058366976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Exclusive: Taj Jackson Exposes Disturbing Info About Whats REALLY GOIN O... <a href="https://t.co/RxvhiPFX3I">https://t.co/RxvhiPFX3I</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/YouTube?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouTube</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tajjackson3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tajjackson3</a></p>— Viral Hip Hop News (@ViralHipHopNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ViralHipHopNews/status/1226301588953849856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Antwort
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Funny you should mention that. I believe it was during one of the awards show like the one taking place right about now that the aforementioned monster was referred to as a 'god' and at the White House he was called an 'incredible human being'. Of course, his predilections were completely unknown at the time....NOT. Give me a break; as if the casting couch in Hollywood is anything new; as if it wasn't there since the very beginning of the industry of illusion. The true revelation seems to be the horrid reality of rampant pedophilia in that swampy place and that has YET to be truly exposed.
I bet they have all forgotten about HW in the meantime, unless there is a Gervaiseque type of encore, which I very much doubt. They'll probably just congratulate each other, thank their moreeee than dubious deities, dare and 'educate' the deplorable masses without having Pol Sci degrees (from MIT), while traveling the world over in private jets and yachts and in the company of child predators.
You can say that again, you can definitely say that again. Far more powerful than any of them puppets and their masters dare think..................
wednesday
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And his daughter interned with the Weinstein production company. As George Carlin said: "It's one big club and you ain't in it."
wednesday
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Unfortunately, Gervais threw Michael under the bus in his Golden Globes speech by shouting out Leaving Neverland and made fun of Michael being a you know what during his comedy tour. He himself is part of the problem!
Also, who else feels sorry for Johnny Depp? Didn't really follow the story, but since the audios have been leaked and noticing how SILENT mainstream media has been on the story I've thought of Michael and his situation.
8701girl
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I cant belive it
myosotis
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Macaulay Culkin Wants to Set the Record Straight About His Relationship With Michael Jackson
If you saw HBO’s Leaving Neverland, the explosive documentary exploring allegations that Michael Jackson sexually abused children, you may have been surprised when Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin didn’t make an appearance. As a child, Culkin starred in the music video for Jackson’s “Black and White,” after which he and Jackson became lifelong friends. Throughout the years, as allegations of Jackson's behavior have exploded into the mainstream, Culkin has continuously denied that he ever had any sexual contact with Jackson.
In Esquire's March 2020 cover story, Culkin discusses at length his friendship with Jackson, going into detail about their relationship and what did and did not happen.
“Look,” Culkin said. “I’m gonna begin with the line—it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on. If anything—I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything.”
Culkin spoke about the special bond he and Jackson shared by virtue of their unique childhoods—or lack thereof. Both raised by fathers pushing them toward fame at a young age, Culkin and Jackson were kindred spirits, despite their 22-year age difference. The last time they encountered one another was in a men’s room at the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in 2005, where Culkin testified as a character witness in People v. Michael Jackson, wherein Jackson was charged with intoxicating and molesting a 13-year-old boy who had cancer. Jackson was later acquitted.
“We better not talk,” Jackson said, according to Culkin. “I don’t want to influence your testimony.”
The two embraced before returning to court. It was the last time Culkin would see Jackson before he passed away in 2009.
Though Jackson has been dead for over a decade, Leaving Neverland has introduced new aftershocks into Culkin’s life. He spoke about a memorable celebrity encounter that occurred not long after the documentary’s release.
“Here’s a good Michael Jackson story that doesn’t involve Michael Jackson at all,” Culkin said. “I ran into James Franco on a plane. I’d bumped into him two or three times over the years. I give him a little nod as we’re putting our bags overhead. Hey, how you doing? Good, how ya doing? And it was right after the Leaving Neverland documentary came out, and he goes, ‘So, that documentary!’ And that was all he said. I was like, ‘Uh-huh.’ Silence. So then he goes, ‘So what do you think?’ And I turned to him and I go, ‘Do you wanna talk about your dead friend?’ And he sheepishly went, ‘No, I don’t.’ So I said, ‘Cool, man, it was nice to see you.’ ”
Culkin is godfather to Jackson’s daughter Paris, to whom he remains close. He has shared with her his habit of stealing spoons from restaurants, bars, and cafes as a bit of “harmless” fun. The two give one another spoons as gifts, and they have matching spoon tattoos on their forearms.
When Paris entered public life, Culkin had just one piece of advice, given by virtue of the spoons: “Don’t forget to be silly, don’t forget to take something away from this whole experience, and don’t forget to stick something up your sleeve.”
https://www.esquire.com/entertainme...hael-jackson-relationship-friendship-details/
If you saw HBO’s Leaving Neverland, the explosive documentary exploring allegations that Michael Jackson sexually abused children, you may have been surprised when Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin didn’t make an appearance. As a child, Culkin starred in the music video for Jackson’s “Black and White,” after which he and Jackson became lifelong friends. Throughout the years, as allegations of Jackson's behavior have exploded into the mainstream, Culkin has continuously denied that he ever had any sexual contact with Jackson.
In Esquire's March 2020 cover story, Culkin discusses at length his friendship with Jackson, going into detail about their relationship and what did and did not happen.
“Look,” Culkin said. “I’m gonna begin with the line—it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on. If anything—I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything.”
Culkin spoke about the special bond he and Jackson shared by virtue of their unique childhoods—or lack thereof. Both raised by fathers pushing them toward fame at a young age, Culkin and Jackson were kindred spirits, despite their 22-year age difference. The last time they encountered one another was in a men’s room at the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in 2005, where Culkin testified as a character witness in People v. Michael Jackson, wherein Jackson was charged with intoxicating and molesting a 13-year-old boy who had cancer. Jackson was later acquitted.
“We better not talk,” Jackson said, according to Culkin. “I don’t want to influence your testimony.”
The two embraced before returning to court. It was the last time Culkin would see Jackson before he passed away in 2009.
Though Jackson has been dead for over a decade, Leaving Neverland has introduced new aftershocks into Culkin’s life. He spoke about a memorable celebrity encounter that occurred not long after the documentary’s release.
“Here’s a good Michael Jackson story that doesn’t involve Michael Jackson at all,” Culkin said. “I ran into James Franco on a plane. I’d bumped into him two or three times over the years. I give him a little nod as we’re putting our bags overhead. Hey, how you doing? Good, how ya doing? And it was right after the Leaving Neverland documentary came out, and he goes, ‘So, that documentary!’ And that was all he said. I was like, ‘Uh-huh.’ Silence. So then he goes, ‘So what do you think?’ And I turned to him and I go, ‘Do you wanna talk about your dead friend?’ And he sheepishly went, ‘No, I don’t.’ So I said, ‘Cool, man, it was nice to see you.’ ”
Culkin is godfather to Jackson’s daughter Paris, to whom he remains close. He has shared with her his habit of stealing spoons from restaurants, bars, and cafes as a bit of “harmless” fun. The two give one another spoons as gifts, and they have matching spoon tattoos on their forearms.
When Paris entered public life, Culkin had just one piece of advice, given by virtue of the spoons: “Don’t forget to be silly, don’t forget to take something away from this whole experience, and don’t forget to stick something up your sleeve.”
https://www.esquire.com/entertainme...hael-jackson-relationship-friendship-details/
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myosotis
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and extracts from the main article:
Macaulay Culkin Is Not Like You
............... But he was gone for so long. Or seemed gone. A kind of nether-celebrity. What about the stories about Michael Jackson? The drugs—that photograph, when he looked so skinny? Why did he stop making movies?
Is he weird? He’s weird, right?
Before the shot, when no one else is around, he says to me, quietly, “This is not really my cup of tea. These are all lovely people, but the poking, the prodding—honestly, it’s part of why I don’t do this anymore. Any of it.”
And yet here he is, and on the set, when it’s time to pose, he is golden. He awaits instruction, a pillar amid swirling photographer’s assistants and helpers and a groomer and production people. He occasionally warbles along with the radio, but otherwise he says little, stands where he is asked, politely obliges when a different angle of the neck is requested. He positions and repositions his body; says, “Okay” and “Sure” and “Like this?”
He is working.
The photographer asks him to lean against the wooden wall, and he does. Then he rests his head against the wall, which makes him look contemplative, but really he’s just posing, because these are the conventions of celebrity: the pose, the hair spray, the fashion credits, the staring into the camera. It’s what celebrities do to promote their next movie, their new song, their comeback.
The thing is, Macaulay Culkin isn’t promoting anything at all. What’s more, he would apparently rather be home with his cats. .............................
A month before Hughes died, in 2009, Michael Jackson died after being given an overdose of medication. If Hughes sometimes played the father Mack’s father couldn’t be, Jackson was often the schoolmate he never had. Jackson got in touch with Mack after Home Alone, and suddenly they were hanging out. His parents neither encouraged nor discouraged the friendship. The way Mack sees it, Michael had a similar childhood, which is to say that he didn’t really have one, because his father was forcing fame upon him. So, at twenty-two years older than Mack, living in a place called Neverland, he felt the same age, in a way.
Mack and Jackson used to prank-call people. Jackson used to do these voices, real nerdy—“Hello, I’d like to buy a refrigerator. How big are your refrigerators?” And Mack would laugh and laugh.
The last time Mack saw him was in the men’s room at the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in 2005. Mack was twenty-four. Michael was forty-six. Mack was testifying in Jackson’s defense in People v. Michael Jackson, in which the singer was charged with intoxicating and molesting a thirteen-year-old boy who had cancer. He was eventually acquitted.
There was a short recess during Mack’s testimony. Mack took a leak, and Michael came in. Jackson said, “We better not talk. I don’t want to influence your testimony.” They laughed a little at this. Michael Jackson, who had been more famous perhaps even than Macaulay Culkin when he was eight, ten, eleven years old, looked whipped. Exhausted. Drained.
They hugged.
I ask Mack if he is bothered that people assume—because he was one of many boys who spent time at Jackson’s home, some of whom accused him of heinous acts of sexual abuse—Jackson must have abused him, too.
“Look,” he says. “I’m gonna begin with the line—it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on. If anything—I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything. ............
“It’s nice to see Mack out there doing stuff, and not getting caught by paparazzi looking hungover one particular day,” says his friend Har Mar Superstar, a performer who toured alongside the Pizza Underground. “We all have rough moments, but he was under a microscope. People love to see a child star fail for some reason. But now people know he’s alive and has opinions and has a good heart and isn’t some dark character that people want to create.”
Brenda hopes that Mack will get back into his profession for real. “I truly believe that he is the actor he is now because of all the things he had to go through,” she says. “He has gone through so much tragedy; he’s had so many ups, so many downs; he’s seen the ugly side of this industry; he’s also seen the amazing side of this industry. So he can pinpoint exactly what he doesn’t want and what he doesn’t like about it. But yeah, I hope, I hope, I hope.”
https://www.esquire.com/entertainme...SQ&utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=twitter
Macaulay Culkin Is Not Like You
............... But he was gone for so long. Or seemed gone. A kind of nether-celebrity. What about the stories about Michael Jackson? The drugs—that photograph, when he looked so skinny? Why did he stop making movies?
Is he weird? He’s weird, right?
Before the shot, when no one else is around, he says to me, quietly, “This is not really my cup of tea. These are all lovely people, but the poking, the prodding—honestly, it’s part of why I don’t do this anymore. Any of it.”
And yet here he is, and on the set, when it’s time to pose, he is golden. He awaits instruction, a pillar amid swirling photographer’s assistants and helpers and a groomer and production people. He occasionally warbles along with the radio, but otherwise he says little, stands where he is asked, politely obliges when a different angle of the neck is requested. He positions and repositions his body; says, “Okay” and “Sure” and “Like this?”
He is working.
The photographer asks him to lean against the wooden wall, and he does. Then he rests his head against the wall, which makes him look contemplative, but really he’s just posing, because these are the conventions of celebrity: the pose, the hair spray, the fashion credits, the staring into the camera. It’s what celebrities do to promote their next movie, their new song, their comeback.
The thing is, Macaulay Culkin isn’t promoting anything at all. What’s more, he would apparently rather be home with his cats. .............................
A month before Hughes died, in 2009, Michael Jackson died after being given an overdose of medication. If Hughes sometimes played the father Mack’s father couldn’t be, Jackson was often the schoolmate he never had. Jackson got in touch with Mack after Home Alone, and suddenly they were hanging out. His parents neither encouraged nor discouraged the friendship. The way Mack sees it, Michael had a similar childhood, which is to say that he didn’t really have one, because his father was forcing fame upon him. So, at twenty-two years older than Mack, living in a place called Neverland, he felt the same age, in a way.
Mack and Jackson used to prank-call people. Jackson used to do these voices, real nerdy—“Hello, I’d like to buy a refrigerator. How big are your refrigerators?” And Mack would laugh and laugh.
The last time Mack saw him was in the men’s room at the Santa Barbara County Superior Courthouse in 2005. Mack was twenty-four. Michael was forty-six. Mack was testifying in Jackson’s defense in People v. Michael Jackson, in which the singer was charged with intoxicating and molesting a thirteen-year-old boy who had cancer. He was eventually acquitted.
There was a short recess during Mack’s testimony. Mack took a leak, and Michael came in. Jackson said, “We better not talk. I don’t want to influence your testimony.” They laughed a little at this. Michael Jackson, who had been more famous perhaps even than Macaulay Culkin when he was eight, ten, eleven years old, looked whipped. Exhausted. Drained.
They hugged.
I ask Mack if he is bothered that people assume—because he was one of many boys who spent time at Jackson’s home, some of whom accused him of heinous acts of sexual abuse—Jackson must have abused him, too.
“Look,” he says. “I’m gonna begin with the line—it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on. If anything—I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything. ............
“It’s nice to see Mack out there doing stuff, and not getting caught by paparazzi looking hungover one particular day,” says his friend Har Mar Superstar, a performer who toured alongside the Pizza Underground. “We all have rough moments, but he was under a microscope. People love to see a child star fail for some reason. But now people know he’s alive and has opinions and has a good heart and isn’t some dark character that people want to create.”
Brenda hopes that Mack will get back into his profession for real. “I truly believe that he is the actor he is now because of all the things he had to go through,” she says. “He has gone through so much tragedy; he’s had so many ups, so many downs; he’s seen the ugly side of this industry; he’s also seen the amazing side of this industry. So he can pinpoint exactly what he doesn’t want and what he doesn’t like about it. But yeah, I hope, I hope, I hope.”
https://www.esquire.com/entertainme...SQ&utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=twitter
DangerUs'91
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I don't think that was Gervais throwing Michael under the bus. I think he felt his joke didn't work with only one example of a sex-abuse documentary - and it wouldn't have as much.
I think if Ricky was aware of it's BS - he'd be savage about it. But I doubt he's aware. But saying he threw Michael under the bus is a bit much. Gervais cares about one thing - what helps a good joke. And I think that's the only reason he mentioned it - he needed more than the R. Kelly documentary example.
Besides, all he said was that it was a sex abuse documentary. Which it was. Just a false one.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">They tried to defend the backlash of MJ and “LN” by saying he has “crazy fans” who are stans and defend anything he does. Now they did it to Kobe, are all these people “crazy” too? Time for them to look in the mirror to see who’s really out of line.</p>— Brandi Jackson (@BJackson82) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJackson82/status/1226219446139645952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"In light of the one sided documentary Leaving Neverland, and lawsuits from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, Mack could just verify their stories and end all the speculation. But he doesn’t. Quite the contrary." <a href="https://t.co/SBGqDMxGUv">https://t.co/SBGqDMxGUv</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/showbiz411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@showbiz411</a></p>— Leaving Neverland Facts (@NeverlandFacts) <a href="https://twitter.com/NeverlandFacts/status/1227297422591660032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yet JS claims MJ repeatedly threatened him to testify, including how they'd get him for perjury for his 94 support (MJ self-incriminating himself over a potentially recorded and wiretapped line 🙄
. A story even dumber than train station yet nobody in media ever questioned it. <a href="https://t.co/nBsnjUXyoJ">https://t.co/nBsnjUXyoJ</a></p>— TSCM (@MJJRepository) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJJRepository/status/1227254491638050816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"In light of the one sided documentary Leaving Neverland, and lawsuits from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, Mack could just verify their stories and end all the speculation. But he doesn’t. Quite the contrary." <a href="https://t.co/SBGqDMxGUv">https://t.co/SBGqDMxGUv</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/showbiz411?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@showbiz411</a></p>— Leaving Neverland Facts (@NeverlandFacts) <a href="https://twitter.com/NeverlandFacts/status/1227297422591660032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yet JS claims MJ repeatedly threatened him to testify, including how they'd get him for perjury for his 94 support (MJ self-incriminating himself over a potentially recorded and wiretapped line 🙄
. A story even dumber than train station yet nobody in media ever questioned it. <a href="https://t.co/nBsnjUXyoJ">https://t.co/nBsnjUXyoJ</a></p>— TSCM (@MJJRepository) <a href="https://twitter.com/MJJRepository/status/1227254491638050816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Robbsaber01
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Dave chapelle made that point during sticks n stones standup "If Mj was really molesting all these boys then why didnt he abuse Culkin?" He won a grammy for that "controversial" stand up. Good for him. Culkin could of easily said something during the trial or LN if he believed MJ was guilty. Its clear he has always said the truth.
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Staffordshire Bullterrier
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Mac is a good guy, always stood by MJ. He's a real one, whereas Wade and James are fake as hell.
In other news on Twitter I saw some article posted asking how we can still support a person that abused multiple boys. It's pathetic how some of these "journalists" still push this narrative. They're doing the same with Johnny Depp, basically ignoring the actual facts.
In other news on Twitter I saw some article posted asking how we can still support a person that abused multiple boys. It's pathetic how some of these "journalists" still push this narrative. They're doing the same with Johnny Depp, basically ignoring the actual facts.
myosotis
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Bearing in mind that the magazine 'Vanity Fair' has published some very anti-MJ material in the past (not least by Maureen Orth):
Vanity Fair Oscar Party May Be Last Hurrah, Magazine Cancels Its New Establishment Event For Next Fall in Los Angeles
Vanity Fair is in trouble according to NBC/MSNBC’s Dylan Byers, and he’s right.
After putting on the dog Sunday with their annual “Oscar party,” the once hot magazine has suffered a crushing blow. They’ve “suspended” their annual New Establishment Summit, a gang bang of moderated talks with Hollywood and tech hot shots, scheduled for this October.
Byers says on Twitter it’s just the beginning of major setbacks for the magazine.
When I called The Wallis Annenberg Center in Los Angeles this morning to confirm the cancellation, the person who answered the phone said he couldn’t say anything and to call Vanity Fair. An email sent to the magazine’s publicist went unanswered last night.
The Oscar party and other events this week were held at the Wallis. But on their calendar there are no bookings for the Summit. By this time last year, the dates were set for October 2019. But Byers says they had trouble selling tickets last year.
The fact is, no one reads Vanity Fair anymore. It’s become irrelevant. Even their website has lost substantial traffic. Over the weekend they sent out an Oscars newsletter composed of old articles written by journalists no longer associated with them. The press doesn’t care too much for the Oscar party any more. On Sunday, all the main entertainment writers were at the “Parasite” party at Soho House.
If Vanity Fair can’t make Hollywood pay attention to its New Establishment issue, then they really have a problem. Tina Brown and Graydon Carter each played the Hollywood connections like fiddles. Newer editor Radhika Jones has squandered what she received on arrival. It’s hard to guess whether she can get it back.
https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/02/...ablishment-event-for-next-fall-in-los-angeles
Vanity Fair Oscar Party May Be Last Hurrah, Magazine Cancels Its New Establishment Event For Next Fall in Los Angeles
Vanity Fair is in trouble according to NBC/MSNBC’s Dylan Byers, and he’s right.
After putting on the dog Sunday with their annual “Oscar party,” the once hot magazine has suffered a crushing blow. They’ve “suspended” their annual New Establishment Summit, a gang bang of moderated talks with Hollywood and tech hot shots, scheduled for this October.
Byers says on Twitter it’s just the beginning of major setbacks for the magazine.
When I called The Wallis Annenberg Center in Los Angeles this morning to confirm the cancellation, the person who answered the phone said he couldn’t say anything and to call Vanity Fair. An email sent to the magazine’s publicist went unanswered last night.
The Oscar party and other events this week were held at the Wallis. But on their calendar there are no bookings for the Summit. By this time last year, the dates were set for October 2019. But Byers says they had trouble selling tickets last year.
The fact is, no one reads Vanity Fair anymore. It’s become irrelevant. Even their website has lost substantial traffic. Over the weekend they sent out an Oscars newsletter composed of old articles written by journalists no longer associated with them. The press doesn’t care too much for the Oscar party any more. On Sunday, all the main entertainment writers were at the “Parasite” party at Soho House.
If Vanity Fair can’t make Hollywood pay attention to its New Establishment issue, then they really have a problem. Tina Brown and Graydon Carter each played the Hollywood connections like fiddles. Newer editor Radhika Jones has squandered what she received on arrival. It’s hard to guess whether she can get it back.
https://www.showbiz411.com/2020/02/...ablishment-event-for-next-fall-in-los-angeles
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ScreenOrigami
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myosotis;4281341 said:
myosotis;4281341 said:
Well, that’s interesting. I’ll just leave this here.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Three more songs at the Vanity Fair Oscar party: Shake Your Body, Rockin’ Robin, Rock With You. Six MJ songs overall. <a href="https://t.co/bsbq2AneTP">https://t.co/bsbq2AneTP</a></p>— ThatMJLMPfan (@thatMJLMPfan) <a href="https://twitter.com/thatMJLMPfan/status/1226966825713504263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
ChrisC
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After his 'Michael Jackson is a paedophile' bit during a recent stand-up tour (prior to Leaving Neverland) many fans took to Twitter to educate him. He certainly didn't back down and in fact began reposting debunked articles he found online, including the child porn at Neverland/FBI files bullshit (as memory serves).