Leaving Neverland: Why Michael Jackson Documentary is Unavailable to Watch on Streaming

While the Michael Jackson biopic rages on at the box office, the documentary Leaving Neverland has been unavailable for streaming for years now. The documentary film directed by Dan Reed focused on two men who accused Jackson of s*xual abuse when they were children. The sensational documentary was produced by HBO at the time.

However, the estate of Michael Jackson filed a lawsuit against HBO for agreeing to distribute the film, and in 2024, the documentary was removed from HBO Max. It is currently unavailable to stream anywhere in the United States. Dan Reed has not let this be an obstacle, however, in his fight.

Leaving Neverland Director Spoke About Michael Skipping the Allegations

Michael Jackson was one of the biggest pop stars of all time and had fans worldwide. While his talent and persona garnered him fame and fortune, accusations of child s*xual abuse and the subsequent trial became a dark mark on his life. However, the biopic, Michael, did not explore these allegations and chose to end the movie in 1988, during the Bad tour.

Dan Reed, the director of the documentary film Leaving Neverland, criticized the makers for not exploring this side of the King of Pop. His own documentary followed two alleged survivors of abuse from Jackson, and the filmmaker has been vocal about bringing them to justice. 

Reed mentioned that there were several ways in which Michael could have addressed the issue. The film reportedly initially covered the scandal, but a legal clause led to the team overhauling the entire segment (via Variety). Reed said to The Rolling Stone,

It’s kind of a shame they didn’t go there. The level of delusion that you need to believe that you can put a $150 million movie out there with this preposterous version of the Michael Jackson story takes either immense foolishness or courage. You’re opening yourself up to intense public humiliation by anyone who has their head screwed on.

Reed mentioned that he read an early copy of the script and was disgusted by the film’s attempts to change the narrative about the allegations. While Lionsgate has hinted at a sequel in development to continue the story of Jackson, whether the allegations will be addressed and how they will be is still unclear.

Even A Lawsuit Couldn’t Stop Leaving Neverland Director From Making a Sequel

Dan Reed’s Leaving Neverland was dropped by HBO after they got slapped with a lawsuit from the estate of Michael Jackson. The studio was reportedly sued for a $100 million for agreeing to distribute the film, as it had previously signed a non-disparagement clause with Jackson during the Dangerous World Tour (via Variety).

While the two-part documentary was removed from HBO Max and the cable stopped airing it, Dan Reed did not let this stop him from continuing the story. Last year, he premiered Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson on YouTube. The sequel followed the two accusers from the first film as they continued their legal battle against the Jackson estate.

The sequel was distributed by Little Dot Studios and is available on the YouTube channel, Real Stories. Reed mentioned that he was disappointed with how the documentary performed and also blamed the large fanbase of Michael Jackson for downvoting the film.

How To Watch Leaving Neverland?

Leaving Neverland | Credits: HBO

While Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson is available to watch on YouTube, the original two-part documentary is not available to stream in the United States. This is the result of the lawsuit filed by the Jackson Estate against HBO. However, the rights of the film will reportedly revert to Dan Reed in 2029. The film might see the light again then.

What do you think about the accusations against Michael Jackson? Should the biopic have explored it differently? Comment below.

Michael is currently playing in cinemas.