Louis Theroux Shares Very Strongly-Worded Tweet About Michael Jackson

This article contains details of alleged sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

Louis Theroux took to Twitter on Thursday to share his views on anyone defending Michael Jackson. The presenter took aim at people who have defended the late singer and alleged paedophile, Michael Jackson, in the wake of the Leaving Neverland documentary.

Some fans have defended the singer, as have high profile stars including Corey Feldman and Macaulay Culkin.

He wrote: "If you can't see that Michael Jackson was a paedophile after watching @danreed1000 's film you are being wilfully blind. And if you are campaigning against it you are actively colluding in the silencing of victims."

HBO/Channel 4

Within one hour the tweet gained over 23K likes from his followers. Fans were vocal in their support of his opinion.

One tweeted: "We as [a] society should not be calling people liars based on "Well they aren't acting like "victims" or "he wasn't found guilty in court" which does not mean it didn't happen, or "they previously denied it" because all three are very real factors in most abuse cases."

HBO/Channel 4

While another commented: "As he brought so many people so many happy memories/moments in their lives, people can't see the truth. Very sad."

Macaulay Culkin said recently on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum" "At the end of the day, it's almost easy to say it was weird or whatever, but it wasn't, because it made sense. We were friends.

"For me, it's so normal and mundane... I know it's a big deal to everyone else, but to me, it was a normal friendship."

Meanwhile Corey Feldman took to Twitter to berate the documentary but has since clarified tweets that seemingly defended Jackson. He said: "I want to be very clear. I stand for any and all victims of sexual abuse or assault," Feldman said in a statement provided to CNN. "As a survivor and someone who has been fighting for this to become a focal topic of our society for decades and is fighting diligently to abolish the statutes of limitations across the country, I applaud all victims for letting their voices be heard and I encourage the public debate to continue."

When asked his thoughts on the 'Thriller' singer by LADbible earlier this week he explained: "I believe that Michael Jackson was a paedophile. He was never found guilty in a court of law, so someone would come back to me and say 'Well he's innocent until proven guilty' - to which I would say 'Well, look, do some research and I think you'll find that the evidence is compelling.'"

HBO/Channel 4

The first part of the new Michael Jackson documentary hit Channel 4 on Wednesday night, and viewers were disturbed by fresh allegations of sexual assault put against the late singer.

Directed by Dan Reed, Leaving Neverland hears from two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who say they were sexually abused by Jackson as young boys.

Each were befriended by the singer as children and spend time on the Neverland Ranch, graphically describing sexual encounters with Jackson in explicit and excruciating detail throughout the two-part documentary.

James also spent time on tour with Jackson, sharing hotel suites with him where he also says he had sex with the singer.

Both Wade and James recalled the abuse in detail throughout the documentary, listing Jackson's sexual likes and dislikes.

James even claimed that Jackson made him perform 'drills' to ensure they never got caught, by making the boy practice getting dressed as fast as possible.

He said that Jackson made sure he never told anyone about what was going on by saying both their lives would be over if someone found out.

While director Reed has defended the decision for the men to give graphic recollections of the alleged abuse, viewers at home were deeply disturbed by what they were hearing.

"For such a long time, Jackson hid in plain sight, saying his relationships with children were innocent... cuddles at bedtime and innocent slumber parties. I needed to establish in the most graphic terms that what Jackson was doing with children was sex," Dan told Cosmopolitan. "It was full on sex. It wasn't slightly inappropriate touching, or a kiss and a cuddle that went too far. It was deliberate, regular sex and that's why we needed the very graphic descriptions to leave people in no doubt."

The Jackson estate has called the documentary a "public lynching", threatening to sue HBO and Channel 4 over it. A number of international radio stations have pulled Michael's music.

Part two of Leaving Neverland will air on 9pm on Thursday.

Topics: Celebrity News, TV News, TV Entertainment, Celebrity Entertainment

Amelia Jones

Amelia is a freelance journalist and editor specialising in beauty, health, fitness and lifestyle. She has previously worked for titles including Women's Health, Cosmopolitan, Stylist, Red and the Mail on Sunday.

@ameliajeanjones