Backlash over Barbra Streisands Michael Jackson sexual abuse comments deepens: 'I feel sick'

[Fujikawa Yamamoto]

https://tinyurl.com/y3bk9m97

The backlash against singer and songwriter Barbra Streisand has deepened
after she shared her thoughts on HBO’s recent documentary, “Leaving
Neverland,” which follows the story of two men who allege Michael Jackson
sexually abused them as children.

Though Streisand said she “absolutely” believes Wade Robson and James
Safechuck's molestation accusations against the King of Pop, which were
detailed in the two-part documentary, the “It Had To Be You” singer also
made controversial remarks regarding the allegations in an interview
published by The Times of London on Friday.

"His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he
has or whatever DNA he has," she said of Jackson.

“Oh god no. This is horrible. I feel sick. @BarbraStreisand is my idol and
I look up to her so much. This breaks my heart that she would say this.
Because this is such a wrong and hurtful thing to say. Ugh.”

— A Twitter user in response to Streisand's comments
"You can say 'molested', but those children, as you heard [the grown-up
Robson and Safechuck] say, they were thrilled to be there. They both
married and they both have children, so it didn’t kill them," Streisand
continued.

Streisand, 76, then said she feels “bad” for both the children Jackson
allegedly abused and the late singer himself.

“It’s a combination of feelings. I feel bad for the children. I feel bad
for him,” she said, also noting she blames the children's parents because
“who would allow their children to sleep with him?”

Streisand’s comments immediately drew criticism from the documentary’s
director, Dan Reed.

“'It didn’t kill them' @BarbraStreisand did you really say that?!” he
wrote on Twitter.


Dan Reed
@danreed1000
“It didn’t kill them” @BarbraStreisand did you really say
that?!#LeavingNerverland

The Times of London
?
@thetimes
As she announces her UK concerts, @BarbraStreisand talks from her Malibu
boudoir about stage fright and how Brexit has made her poorer.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/barbra-streisand-at-76-dog-cloning-art-
collecting-and-being-a-grandma-
rvcgqd5cb?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1553246105 …

494
5:01 AM - Mar 22, 2019
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Many other users quickly followed suit, one person even writing that
Streisand’s comments made her feel ill.

“Oh god no. This is horrible. I feel sick. @BarbraStreisand is my idol and
I look up to her so much. This breaks my heart that she would say this.
Because this is such a wrong and hurtful thing to say. Ugh.”


Camilla
@Camilla_33
Oh god no. This is horrible. I feel sick. @BarbraStreisand is my idol and
I look up to her so much. This breaks my heart that she would say this.
Because this is such a wrong and hurtful thing to say. Ugh.

E! News
?
@enews
Barbra Streisand on Michael Jackson's alleged sexual abuse victims: "They
both married and they both have children, so it didn't kill them."
https://eonli.ne/2Fwg34D

104
1:52 PM - Mar 22, 2019
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“These comments by Barbara [sic] Streisand on Michael Jackson’s sexual
abuse accusers are sick and says volumes about Hollywood’s demented and
perverted thinking,” a second commented.

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Fritz2
@Fritz757
These comments by Barbara Streisand on Michael Jackson’s sexual abuse
accusers are sick and says volumes about Hollywood’s demented and
perverted thinking.

82
5:18 AM - Mar 23, 2019
49 people are talking about this
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“Who knew in 2019 I would throw my love for Barbara [sic] Streisand into a
dumpster but here I am,” another wrote.


nikki mccann ramírez
@NikkiMcR
Who knew in 2019 I would throw my love for Barbara Streisand into a
dumpster but here I am.

New York Daily News
?
@NYDailyNews
Barbra Streisand says Michael Jackson’s accusers were ‘thrilled to be
there’ and his ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’

“You can say ‘molested,' but those children...both married and they both
have children, so it didn’t kill them," she
said.https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-barbra-streisand-
michael-jackson-accusers-thrilled-sexual-needs-20190323-
7z3b2dqgbzh7jfs4yyhqhdfjyi-story.html …

18
7:47 AM - Mar 23, 2019
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See nikki mccann ramírez's other Tweets
“It’s with great honor that I can happily report that Barbara [sic]
Streisand is officially canceled,” one man wrote.

Whoops! We couldn't access this Tweet.
"Barbara [sic] Streisand's take on survivors of child sexual abuse: ‘It
didn't kill them.’ Survivors of sexual abuse have higher rates of suicide,
eating disorders, drug addiction, repeat victimization later in life, etc.
Child sexual abuse literally does kill people,” one person argued.


Dani Bostick
?
@danibostick
Barbara Streisand's take on survivors of child sexual abuse: "It didn't
kill them"

Survivors of sexual abuse have higher rates of suicide, eating disorders,
drug addiction, repeat victimization later in life, etc.

Child sexual abuse literally does kill people.

New York Daily News
?
@NYDailyNews
Barbra Streisand says Michael Jackson’s accusers were ‘thrilled to be
there’ and his ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’

“You can say ‘molested,' but those children...both married and they both
have children, so it didn’t kill them," she
said.https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-barbra-streisand-
michael-jackson-accusers-thrilled-sexual-needs-20190323-
7z3b2dqgbzh7jfs4yyhqhdfjyi-story.html …

348
8:09 PM - Mar 22, 2019
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132 people are talking about this
“I have loved Barbra Streisand for my whole life. No more,” read another
comment.


The Pride
@Bpartofthepride
I have loved Barbara Streisand for my whole life.

No more.

Yashar Ali ??
?
@yashar
I am sick to my stomach. https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-
barbra-streisand-michael-jackson-accusers-thrilled-sexual-needs-20190323-
7z3b2dqgbzh7jfs4yyhqhdfjyi-story.html …

View image on Twitter
81
7:53 PM - Mar 22, 2019
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24 people are talking about this
The film was also met with intense criticism from the Jackson family
estate, which denied any and all wrongdoings. They called the documentary
"an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in” on the music
legend.

The estate has sued HBO for $100 million and says "Michael Jackson is
innocent, period."

“HBO and the director were well aware of their financial motives and that
ample opposing facts are available from numerous sources, but made the
unconscionable decision to bury any evidence casting doubt on their chosen
narrative. Had they made an objective film it would have allowed viewers
to make up their own minds about these allegations, instead of having a
television network dictate to them that they must accept these false
claims about Michael Jackson,” said Howard Weitzman, the estate's
attorney.

Fox News' Jessica Napoli contributed to this report.

[J.B. Nicholson]

Fujikawa Yamamoto <am...@now-flushed.org> wrote:
> The backlash against singer and songwriter Barbra Streisand has
> deepened after she shared her thoughts on HBO's recent documentary,
> "Leaving Neverland," which follows the story of two men who allege
> Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children.

Deepened since she gave the Times of London dated March 22, 2019 and
that same source published an apology 3 days later?

Richard Stallman, former president of the Free Software Foundation and
founder of the free software movement (which argues for the rights for
computer users run, inspect, share, and modify all published computer
software) recently resigned[1][2] his position at the FSF in light of
saying some things about a similar topic which some found
objectionable. He too had apologized.

[1] https://www.fsf.org/news/richard-m-stallman-resigns
[2] https://stallman.org/archives/2019-jul-oct.html#16_September_2019_(Resignation)

According to songkick.com[3] Streisand held paid concerts as recently
as August 6, 2019, some in the US and UK (where I presume the Times
of London is read).

[3] https://www.songkick.com/artists/274358-barbra-streisand

What penalties did Streisand pay for her words? What "cancel culture"
consequences came her way?