Clarifying his initial statements in which he blasted HBO's documentary 'Leaving Neverland' for being 'one-sided,' the 'Goonies' star says his tweets were 'taken out of context' and all victims must be heard.
- Mar 6, 2019
AceShowbiz - Corey Feldman has clarified his statements after he appeared to defend Michael Jackson amid sexual abuse allegations highlighted in HBO's documentary "Leaving Neverland". Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, March 5, the former child actor wrote, "I HAD 2 CLARIFY A FEW THINGS AS I FEEL MY TWEETS R TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT! NO FREE PASSES! I ALWAYS SUPPORT A VICTIMS VOICE AS IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT OUR VOICES R HEARD."
He shared a link to an interview with Page Six in which he claimed that what he said earlier was only based on his experiences, but he wasn't accusing Jackson's alleged victims Wade Robson and James Safechuck of lying. "What happened with me [and Jackson] was strictly aboveboard," he shared.
#TRUTH: I HAD 2 CLARIFY A FEW THINGS AS I FEEL MY TWEETS R TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT! NO FREE PASSES! I ALWAYS SUPPORT A VICTIMS VOICE AS IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT OUR VOICES R HEARD: Corey Feldman blasts parents of Michael Jackson's alleged victims https://t.co/OYaFRxhMIF via @pagesix
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 5, 2019
Claiming that he and Michael connected over their childhood experiences, he said, "You're talking about someone who has spent their life in the industry, who grew up in the industry and didn't have a childhood and have friends and have sleepovers, I could relate. That was my life. We both came from abuse - abusive homes." He added, "That was the common ground we shared."
As a victim of sexual abuse himself, Corey is sympathetic to the accusers Wade and James. "I am not saying they are lying. I wasn't there. I can only go based on my experiences," he stressed. "Every victim's voice must be taken seriously and must be heard. In no way would I ever intimate that I would want them to be silenced."
Of the accusations against the late King of Pop, Corey said, "If God forbid these things were true, then there is a completely different Michael that I knew. I guess anything in the world of pedophilia is possible. All I can say is my heart goes out to both of them - and if for any reason the things are proven true, I would be in full support of them."
"I have to give my personal experiences because it's someone who was a friend to me and treated me as such," he added. "I don't think we can go jumping on a bandwagon without evidence." Recalling a night he spent with Michael, Corey said, "We had many conversations that night and again, there was nothing even remotely sexual that was alluded to." The "Gremlins" star added that Michael even showed him "book of venereal diseases in [one of his homes] the Hideaway and warning me about being sexually active and how dangerous it is."
He went on blaming the accusers' parents. "To me, the most shocking and appalling part of this whole thing are the actions and misdeeds made by the parents of both children, and the decision to allow their kids to be unaccompanied in the presence of an adult they did not know and trust," he said. "As a father, I could not ever imagine allowing my child to go off with a grown man I did not consider as close as family without any adult supervision. Not even Michael Jackson. It comes down to trading your kids out for an opportunity, and making them the focus of your financial interests, as opposed to the child's wellbeing."
PLEASE READ THESE WORDS GIVING CONTEXT 2 MY EARLIER TWEETS ABOUT THE MJ DOC: ALL VICTIMS VOICES MUST CONTINUE 2 B HEARD NO MATTER WHAT! https://t.co/VeU5GGLCzt
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 5, 2019
In a latter tweet, Corey said his "position has changed as I continue to process everything." He said that he would sit down for an interview on CNN to "discuss my decision & reiterate my support for all survivors."
I HAV JUST SPOKEN W @CNN 2 GIV A BRIEF STATEMENT! THIS IS IMPORTANT, AS MY POSITION HAS CHANGED AS I CONTINUE 2 PROCESS EVERYTHING. I WILL GO ON CAMERA TOM AM W THE NEWS NETWORK 2 DISCUSS MY DECISION, & REITERATE MY SUPPORT 4 ALL SURVIVORS! #KIDS2https://t.co/3abQmGKFyg
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) March 6, 2019
Meanwhile, in a brief statement to CNN.com, the 47-year-old singer said, "I want to be very clear. I stand for any and all victims of sexual abuse or assault. As a survivor and someone who has been fighting for this to become a focal topic of our society for decades and is fighting diligently to abolish the statutes of limitations across the country, I applaud all victims for letting their voices be heard and I encourage the public debate to continue."
