Myth: Dan Reed Lied about Wade and James Meeting for the First Time at Sundance

May 1, 2020

Ever since Dan Reed’s Leaving Neverland was released in March 2019, Jackson supporters have worked tirelessly to discredit its central figures — Wade Robson, James Safechuck, and Reed himself.

Even before the documentary aired, its announcement triggered a wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Some claims have been merely misguided, while others have been openly degrading or outright absurd.

Now, Reed’s credibility is once again under the spotlight. In a bid to portray him as dishonest and undermine the documentary’s legitimacy, critics have accused him of lying about when Wade and James first met.

The remarks at the centre of this dispute come from a Rolling Stone article, in which Reed stated that Wade and James met for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival.

From the article:

Q. For legal reasons, Wade and James were kept apart, long before you even approached them about making the movie. That’s fascinating. 

A. Yeah. So they couldn’t exchange stories. Sundance was the first time that they’d met. It’s the first time they’ve had any significant time together." 

Central to the belief that Dan Reed is being dishonest is footage showing Wade and James together as children on the set of the Jam music video in the 1990s. This point is further reinforced in the Michael Jackson Estate’s rebuttal documentary, The Lies of Leaving Neverland, which features 2016 deposition footage of Wade stating that he spoke to James in 2014.

However, it is important to note that Dan Reed’s statement has been taken out of context. Both Wade and James have consistently acknowledged knowing each other prior to their meeting at the Sundance Film Festival.

Below are several statements that provide further context.

Sundance Q&A's

During the premiere of Leaving Neverland at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2019,  Wade and James took part in a Q&A session with the audience following the screening. One of the questions they were asked was about when they had first met each other.

Question: You hadn't really met, except before this week, right?

James: Yes, they kept us apart for legal reasons, of course. We had met once or twice when we were kids but once the court cases started, we couldn't talk to each other.

Watch the clip below.

Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland

After HBO aired Leaving Neverland in the United States, Oprah Winfrey hosted a special follow‑up programme in which she interviewed the documentary’s main subjects and its director.

Before an audience made up of survivors of sexual abuse, Wade and James gave deeply emotional responses, including recalling the moment they first met each other.

Oprah: Did you know about Wade?

James: I knew about Wade, I found myself with Wade twice when we were kids. We met on the set of the music video for "Jam" and then Michael did a Weekend at Neverland, with us and a few other guys. So I knew Wade and you know, he was nice, we got along when we were children. But that was it.

Watch the clip below.

But Wade Says He Spoke to James in 2014?

Providing full context here is difficult, as Wade Robson’s 2016 deposition is only partially available online. Without access to the complete record, extensive fact-checking is not possible. Nevertheless, in the excerpts that are available, he gives the following answers:

Q. When was the last time you spoke to James Safechuck?

A. I believe the last time we spoke would have been sometime in early 2014.

Q. What did you talk about?

Mr. Finaldi (Wade's lawyer): Hang on. Objection to the extent it calls for attorney/client communications. So if this was a conversation with attorneys there, I'm going to instruct you not to answer.

Q. By Ms. Kleindienst: Did you have a conversation without an attorney present with Mr Safechuck in 2014?

A. No.

Q. Prior to 2014, when was the next last time you spoke to James Safechuck?

A. I believe I would have been 14 or 15 years old and there was a, a weekend at the ranch that was organized by Evvy Tavasci, and it was Michael, myself, James Safechuck, there was another young man who was, I don't remember his name but he was a burn victim that Michael, you know, befriended at some point, and Robert Weiss who was a film director.

And the purpose of the trip, of the weekend trip, was to spend time -- both James and I and I guess this other guy were interested in filmmaking, as was Michael, and so spent the weekend having talks with Robert Weiss.

The Jackson Estate’s The Lies of Leaving Neverland claims that the meeting took place over dinner. However, the conspiracy‑laden “documentary” makes no attempt to verify this assertion.

In truth, it remains unclear whether Wade and James met in person or whether their interaction took place via a telephone or video call in 2014. In his deposition, Wade stated only that he spoke to James; he did not mention a face‑to‑face meeting. In either case, when they did speak, it was not a casual conversation but an official meeting arranged by their respective legal representatives.

As Dan Reed told Rolling Stone: “Sundance was the first time that they’d met. It’s the first time they’ve had any significant time together.” In other words, he stressed that this was their first opportunity, as adults, to spend time together as friends—free from the presence of their legal teams. Before that, Wade and James had never been at liberty to speak privately or to discuss their ongoing cases.