Michael Jackson accuser Wade Robson tells Oprah Winfrey he had 'no understanding' of abuse as a child

Wade Robson and James Safechuck speak out in interview set to air after documentary

One of the men who have accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing him as a child told Oprah Winfrey he had “no understanding” of the situation as a child and that he “loved” the pop star.

Wade Robson is, along with James Safechuck, one of the two subjects of the documentary Leaving Neverland airing this month. Jackson’s relatives have denounced the documentary and denied the accusers’ claims.

Oprah Winfrey has taped an interview with both Robson and Safechuck, as well as director Dan Reed, which will be broadcast in the US immediately after the documentary wraps up on 4 March.

A preview clip of the interview sees Winfrey asking Robson and Safechuck: “If you were abused, why would you continue to want to be around the person?” She said this was something she believed was “so hard for people who have not this kind of trauma or experience in their life to understand”.

“I had no understanding of being abused,” Robson said.

“I loved Michael. And all the times that I testified and the many, many times that I gushed over him publicly in interviews over wherever it may be, that was from a real place, while never forgetting any of the sexual details that happened between us, but having no understanding that it was abuse, and having no concept in my mind that anything about Michael could ever be bad.

“Anything that Michael did was right, to me, for so many years.”

Robson testified during Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial related to a different case, saying at the time that the singer had not molested him.

He and Safechuck filed civil complaints in 2013 and 2014 respectively, which are currently on appeal.

Winfrey explains in another preview clip for the interview that she views the documentary as an opportunity to discuss what she calls ”societal corruption”.

“For me, this moment transcends Michael Jackson. It is much bigger than any one person,” the host said.

“This is a moment in time that allows us to see this societal corruption. It’s like a scourge on humanity and it’s happening right now.”

Leaving Neverland, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, will air on 3 and 4 March in the US on HBO and on 6 and 7 March on Channel 4 in the UK.