Barbra Streisand is catching heat after she said that she believed Michael Jackson’s accusers, but she felt that they must have been “thrilled” to be there.
The EGOT-winning singer came under fire for her comments to The Times in England after the interviewer had asked her thoughts on HBO’s Leaving Neverland.
The world is still grappling with the accusations of alleged molestation and sexual abuse by Jackson on James Safechuck and Wade Robson when they were boys. They each told their story in excruciating detail when the doc, despite a $100 million lawsuit filed against HBO by Jackson’s estate, aired.
“Oh absolutely,” Streisand said in the interview when asked if she believed the boys. “That was too painful.”
She continued by adding she was sympathetic towards Jackson who seemed “very sweet, very childlike” when she met him.
“His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has,” she told the Times.
“You can say ‘molested,’ but those children, as you heard them say they were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them.”
Ultimately, Streisand has struggled with how to think about Jackson since the doc
“It’s a combination of feelings. I feel bad for the children. 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 shows and the dancing and the hats?”
On Twitter, many pushed back on Streisand’s comment taking issue with how she assumed the victims enjoyed the experience.
The effect of the documentary is still being felt today. Already, radio stations worldwide have started pulling his music from rotation, the infamous episode of The Simpsons that featured Michael Jackson, “Stark Raving Dad,” was pulled, and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in Indiana has removed three items of Michael Jackson memorabilia from their exhibits.
Streisand has yet to speak on the reaction to her controversial comments.
