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On March 3, 2019, HBO released the first part of Leaving Neverland,<\/em> a documentary chronicling legendary pop star Michael Jackson\u2019s alleged history of child sex abuse. The two-part doc, directed by Dan Reed<\/strong> and focusing on alleged victims Wade Robson<\/strong> and James Safechuck,<\/strong> was a big success for the network, drawing millions of viewers and winning the Emmy for best documentary or nonfiction special. But six years later, you\u2019d never know it: Leaving Neverland<\/em> has been removed from HBO\u2019s Max platform.<\/p>\n On March 18, 2025, Reed released a follow-up documentary, Leaving Neverland 2,<\/em> that tracks Robson and Safechuck\u2019s lengthy legal battle against the Jackson estate. But rather than airing on a prestige network like HBO or a streamer like Netflix, Leaving Neverland 2<\/em> has been released for free on YouTube. (In Reed\u2019s native UK, it debuted on Channel 4, which previously aired the original doc.) This wasn\u2019t entirely by choice. \u201cI would have loved to release this with HBO,\u201d Reed told Variety<\/em><\/a> in a piece published on March 18. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t possible.\u201d But why wasn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n The short answer? Lawyers. Ahead of Leaving Neverland<\/em>\u2019s 2019 release, Jackson\u2019s estate sued HBO for $100 million<\/a>, claiming the network had violated the nondisparagement clause in an agreement it had made in 1992 so that it could air Michael Jackson in Concert in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour.<\/em> The suit<\/a> also alleged that Robson and Safechuck were financially motivated to participate in Leaving Neverland,<\/em> with a lawyer claiming that Reed\u2019s documentary was biased toward the alleged victims. (Reed has said<\/a> that Robson and Safechuck were not paid for their participation in the project.) \u201cHBO 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,\u201d Jackson estate attorney Howard Weitzman said in a statement to Variety<\/em> at the time. \u201cHad 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The suit was reportedly settled in 2024. And according to Puck\u2019s Matthew Belloni<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> the settlement agreement included the removal of Leaving Neverland<\/em> from Max, HBO\u2019s streaming platform. In his newsletter, Belloni described the platform\u2019s removal of Leaving Neverland<\/em> as \u201ca big win for the estate,\u201d adding that an HBO rep told him that the suit had been \u201camicably resolved.\u201d (Vanity Fair<\/em> has reached out to HBO for comment.)<\/p>\n With Leaving Neverland<\/em> scrubbed from Max, it became unlikely that Reed\u2019s 53-minute follow-up would land on the platform. \u201cClearly, it\u2019s related to the lawsuit or the arbitration dispute,\u201d Reed told Variety<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> \u201cBut HBO don\u2019t call me up and say, \u2018Hey, this is what\u2019s happening with that case.\u2019 It all happens under wraps, so I don\u2019t know.\u201d Although this method of distribution wasn\u2019t his first choice, Reed seems optimistic about his sequel airing on YouTube. \u201cIt feels as though maybe the world of streaming is more cautious [about] tricky subjects, political subjects, subjects that put people\u2019s teeth on edge and make them upset,\u201d Reed told Deadline<\/a>. \u201cIn order not to strike the wrong note with such a vast subscribership, you can\u2019t really afford to do anything that isn\u2019t absolutely safe.\u201d As of this writing, Leaving Neverland 2<\/em> has more than 32,000 views on the platform.<\/p>\n Despite the drama with HBO, Reed is undeterred from his mission to tell Robson\u2019s and Safechuck\u2019s stories\u2014no matter what platform his work ultimately lands on. \u201cThe intention is to follow the stories until the end,\u201d he told Deadline. Reed told Variety<\/em> that he intends for Leaving Neverland<\/em> to be a trilogy, with the final chapter covering Safechuck and Robson\u2019s combined trial against two of Jackson\u2019s companies, reportedly scheduled<\/a> for November 2026.<\/p>\n