"It kind of takes over my whole body and I'll have to leave."
Wade Robson and James Safechuck are still feeling the affects of their alleged sexual abuse as children.
The two men tell their story in HBO's upcoming documentary Leaving Neverland, where they accuse Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children. Jackson's family has denied all allegations against the late singer, and his estate is suing HBO over the documentary.
"A lot of times, if I'm in a restaurant, I'll be tapping along to the song or I'll be singing the melody and then I'll realize what I'm doing and it kind of takes over my whole body and I'll have to leave," Robson told Gayle King on Friday's episode of CBS This Morning, one day after the majority of his and Safechuck's interview aired on the morning show.
Both men described their alleged interactions with Jackson as "tender" and opened up about why they felt special to get attention from him.
"He wanted to spend all of his time with me. Out of all of the kids in the world he chose me," Robson, who claimed that his alleged abuse began at age seven, said.
"It was very much you and him sort of against the world," Safechuck agreed, before detailing the timeline of his own abuse, which he said began when he was 10, after he worked on a Pepsi commercial with Jackson.
"There were two kinds of phases... When you're young, it is this sort of this loving, tender, relationship and activity," Safechuck said. "And then when I kinda got into puberty, when he started introducing pornography and then he started introducing alcohol, the tone changes a bit."
Though both men are now claiming they were abused by Jackson, they have previously denied that he abused them. Robson testified for Jackson's defense when he was 11 and 22, both times stating that there was no inappropriate behavior.
"I knew that I was lying. I knew that I had to lie, when I was 11 first. I felt I had no other choice," he said. "... At 22, it's so complicated, but it's a combination of still lots of fear wrapped up with shame. My whole life, my whole career would fall apart."
"He always made me believe that I wanted everything that we did sexually just as much if not more than him," Robson added.
Both Safechuck and Robson are aware of the likelihood of some negative responses to the documentary, but still felt it important to come forward about their alleged abuse now.
"I knew there'd be hate coming towards us, so I was expecting that," Safechuck said. "My goal was to connect with other abuse survivors. So I just tried to focus on that."
"I expect people not to believe. There's a lot of threats that are thrown my way from what seems like angry MJ fans," Robson revealed. "... For me, and I believe for James as well, this is not sort of like any vendetta piece. And of course it's not good for Michael's name or legacy, but it's the truth of what happened."
On Wednesday's episode of CBS This Morning, Jackson's brothers and nephew denied all allegations against the late singer, despite refusing to see the film. They claimed that Robson and Safechuck came forward for monetary gain, something both men denied by claiming that they were not paid to appear in the documentary and have no stake in its financial outcome.
"I don't care to see it because I know my brother," Jackie Jackson said. "I don't have to see that documentary. I know Michael. I'm the oldest brother. I know my brother. I know what he stood for. What he was all about. Bringing the world together. Making kids happy. That's the kind of person he was."
"I want [viewers] to understand and know that this documentary is not telling the truth," his brother, Marlon Jackson, added. "There has not been one piece of evidence that corroborates their story, and they're not interested in doing that."
Earlier this week, Oprah Winfrey announced that she'll be sitting down with both alleged victims and the film's director following the conclusion of Leaving Neverland. The documentary is set to air on HBO in two parts on March 3 and 4, while Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland will air on HBO and OWN immediately following part two of the film.
Watch the video below for more on Leaving Neverland:
RELATED CONTENT:
