Jackson's accusers detail grooming allegations by a pop star: "He said I was his first"

Wade Robson met Michael Jackson after winning a dance competition in his native Australia at the age of five. James Safechuck met the pop singer for the first time while he was shooting an advertisement for Pepsi around his ninth birthday. In a new explosive documentary that will make its premiere on HBO this Sunday, Safechuck and Robson claim Jackson has sexually assaulted them for years.

In their first TV interview on the film "Leaving Neverland", the men tell Gayle King, co-host of "CBS This Morning", that the attention of the pop music icon was not theirs foreign at all. This made them feel special.

"It was once again the feeling:" Of all the children in the world, I'm here and Michael chose me, "and he also told me," I've never done this with anyone ". Yeah, so it was more so too. Wow, said Robson. "He chooses me and he loves me."

As Robson described these feelings, Safechuck nodded. "Yeah, I mean, it's all the same … you know, he's also done the same thing to me," he says.

"Were you scared or did you think, this is strange or false?" King asked.

"No, no," says Safechuck. "It's in the context of a close and loving relationship so … there are no alarm bells or thoughts of this type." is right: "I love this person and we try to make each other happy. "And he said that I was his first.But even as a child, you do not even know what it means.You do not question yourself, you do not even ask the question further than that, "said Safechuck.

the Jackson family Robson and Safechuck have been denounced as "opportunists" and "confessed liars". In another interview, he told King that they believe the allegations of these men are motivated by money. Robson and Safechuck sued Jackson estate, but their lawsuits were dismissed because of the statute of limitations. They appeal the decision.

The documentary was criticized for not asking the family or the musician's domain, who sued HBO last week, calling the film "a one-sided uncontrolled propaganda marathon to shamelessly exploit an innocent would be no longer there to defend himself ".

Asked to respond to this criticism, director Dan Reed said Tuesday, "We know that the family and the estate[s] and Jackson during his life and his lawyers all deny that sexual abuse has occurred and these views are strongly represented in the film. We give a lot of time to these points of view in the film and we have people who doubt Wade's change of heart. "

Jackson has already been accused of sexually abusing young boys. In early 1994, he settled a civil case with the family of Jordan Chandler, a boy who had accused the pop star of having sexually assaulted him. In 2005, when Jackson faced criminal charges, Robson appeared at the bar and his testimony is often credited with helping Jackson win in court. Safechuck also said earlier that Jackson had never hurt him, raising skepticism from Jackson's family and patrimony about why the men decided to come forward after his death. They do not believe that any of the men would have come forward if Jackson was still alive.

"I mean, it's hard to speculate on what would be the situation if Michael was still alive, if I suppose, if I could speculate – if Michael was still alive and all the other details of my life were the same. I went through the same process as during this awareness and through the healing process, I am confident we would do it again, "Robson said.

The answer is more complicated for Safechuck.

"I do not … yeah, I do not know, would I take this to my grave?" I had it intending to do it, "said Safechuck. "I did not expect anyone to tell anyone, so you know he – he was still alive, yes, I do not know." to be that I would have taken it to my grave. "

Robson thinks Jackson has mistreated "many" other boys. "I find it hard to believe that he has boys around for another reason than sexually abusing them."

The Jackson family vehemently denies the claims of Robson and Safechuck. Jackson has also denied any allegations of abuse throughout his life.

Listen to "CBS This Morning" on Thursday, February 28th for their extended conversation