Corey Feldman has admitted he can ‘no longer defend Michael Jackson amid the horrendous molestation allegations’ made in the Leaving Neverland documentary.’
The former child star, now 47, has been very open about being a sexual abuse survivor, although he says this was not at the hands of his friend Michael Jackson.
Days after appearing to defend the iconic singer in a string of tweets, Corey told CNN’s Headline News: ‘I can not in good consciousness defend anyone who’s being accused of such horrendous things.
Tough: Corey Feldman, 47, told CNN on Thursday that ‘he can not defend Michael Jackson after he has been accused of horrendous things’ following the Leaving Neverland documentary
‘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.’
The film examined disturbing claims by Wade Robson and James Safechuck that Jackson sexually abused them over a period of several years as children.
Initially, Feldman criticized the documentary, calling it ‘one-sided’ in a series of tweets on Monday, after watching the first part of the documentary.
Opinion: However, he acknowledged he is not here to judge his late friend because while he was a sexual abuse survivor himself, he said Jackson did not ever do those things to him
But he clarified his comments during Thursday’s interview, saying it had been ‘a very emotional time’, adding, ‘this is a very emotional process for any survivor of abuse.’
Corey went on to explain his tweets by asking ‘people to put themselves in my shoes.’
He said: ‘You’re a kid who has endured sexual abuse and during those times, I’m looking to somebody like Michael Jackson as a friend, as a big brother figure. And he was that person to me.’
‘However, as you’re friends with this guy, all of a sudden you start to hear more and more accusations thrown around by various people.’
Clarifying: Initially, Feldman had criticized the documentary, calling it ‘one-sided’ in a series of tweets on Monday, after watching the first part of the documentary.
Feldman confessed: ‘It comes to a point where as an advocate for victims… it becomes impossible for me to remain virtuous and not at least consider what’s being said and not listen to what the victims are saying’
‘It comes to a point where as an advocate for victims, as an advocate for changing the statutes of limitations to make sure victims’ voices are heard, it becomes impossible for me to remain virtuous and not at least consider what’s being said and not listen to what the victims are saying.
‘This is very important. We must give them their voice. We must allow them to speak, and therefore we must consider all sides of this, even as uncomfortable as that may be.’
The former Lost Boys star has claimed the he and his late friend Corey Haim were sexually abused by people in the entertainment business as minors.
He maintained he reported his molestations to the police in 1993, while they were investigating Jackson for the first time.
‘I’ve never had a shot at justice. I never had a chance to bring my predators to the court system,’ Feldman said.
Police looked into the accusations after Feldman filed them in 2017, but the case was dropped due to the expired statute of limitations.
During Thursday’s interview, Feldman was adamant that nothing inappropriate had ever happened during his time with Jackson as a youngster.
‘My place is not to be the judge, and is not to be the accuser, and not to be the defender, he said.
‘My job in this is to focus on what’s most important, which is helping to reform the statues of limitations in every state, because if we can reform the statutes of limitations we can prevent these things from ever getting to this point.’
He said: ‘I’m looking to somebody like Michael Jackson as a friend, as a big brother figure. And he was that person to me’