Barbra Streisand says Michael Jackson’s accusers were ‘thrilled to be there’ and his ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’
- Singer and actor Barbra Streisand, 76, has said alleged sexual abuse victims of Michael Jackson ‘wanted to be there’ as children
- Streisand was referring to now-adults Wade Robson and James Safechuck
- The two men are the subjects of recent documentary, ‘Leaving Neverland,’ which details their alleged sexual abuse at the hands of Jackson, from ages 7 and 10
- Streisand told British newspapers The Times that she believes that allegations, but it ‘didn’t kill them’ and Jackson’s ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’
Singer and actor Barbra Streisand, 76, has made bizarre statements about the harm suffered by alleged sexual assault victims of Michael Jackson, in an interview published on Friday. Jackson is pictured in 2002
Barbra Streisand has made bizarre statements about the harm suffered by alleged sexual assault victims of Michael Jackson, in an interview published on Friday.
The 76-year-old singer and actor told British newspaper The Times that the two main subjects of documentary ‘Leaving Neverland,’ now-adults Wade Robson and James Safechuck, ‘were thrilled to be there’ as children and whatever happened to them ‘didn’t kill them.’
The recently released ‘Leaving Neverland’ is about how Robson and Safechuck, now in their 30s, say Jackson, who died at age 50 in 2009, sexually abused them from the ages of seven and 10, respectively.
Streisand said she believed the claims, but felt bad for both them and Jackson, adding that Jackson’s ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’ and the blame should lie with the boys’ parents.
The director and producer of that film, British filmmaker Dan Reed, joined many in being appalled at Streisand’s remarks.
‘”It didn’t kill them” @BarbraStreisand did you really say that?!’ Reed tweeted on Friday.
Barbra Streisand, 76, told British newspaper The Times that the two main subjects of documentary ‘Leaving Neverland,’ adults Wade Robson and James Safechuck, ‘were thrilled to be there’ as children and whatever happened to them ‘didn’t kill them.’ Streisand is pictured at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017 in Manhattan
Streisand apparently did say ‘it didn’t kill them,’ and much more.
‘You can say “molested,” but those children, as you heard [grown-up Robson and Safechuck] say, they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them,’ she said.
‘His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has.’
In an interview that covered a wide range of topics including cloning her dogs, her tendency to stay up until 4am and upcoming concerts in the United Kingdom, she also expressed how she felt sorry for both the boys and Jackson, who died after going into cardiac arrest from ingesting a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs.
‘I feel bad for the children,’ she said, of Robson and Safechuck. ‘I feel bad for him. I blame, I guess, the parents, who would allow their children to sleep with him. Why would Michael need these little children dressed like him and in the shoes and the dancing and the hats?’
Streisand said she believed the claims by now-adults Wade Robson and James Safechuck in the documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’ but that Jackson’s ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’ In this January 24, file photo, Robson (left), Reed (center) and Safechuck (right) pose during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah where the documentary was released