As expected, HBO is denying wrong doing by producing and airing “Leaving Neverland” despite the Estate of Michael Jackson’s lawsuit.
HBO is calling on its First Amendment rights to exhibit an expressive work on an issue of public concern—the documentary Leaving Neverland,” Hollywood Kingslayers Daniel Petrocelli of O’Melveny & Myers and Theodore Boutrous of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher said in their opposition memo to the Estate.
It is clear that HBO will do everything to make the lawsuit go away by any means and here the first one!
“Petitioners’ purported basis for their claims is a single non-disparagement sentence buried in a confidentiality rider to a more than 26-year-old expired and entirely unrelated contract,” the attorneys’ note of a portion of a 1992 deal between Michael Jackson and HBO over a concert special that is being used as the legal wedge in this matter. “Petitioners’ effort to ‘publicly’ arbitrate these issues appears to be part of a transparent effort to bolster their publicity campaign against the documentary, but that undertaking is as poorly conceived as the claims themselves.
This Court should deny Petitioners’ Motion, find the 1992 Agreement does not contain a valid agreement to arbitrate the instant dispute, and confirm that any claim that Petitioners might seek to bring in any forum against HBO over Leaving Neverland based on the 1992 Agreement would not be actionable,”
“Petitioners do not, and cannot, allege that any information HBO obtained during the course of performing the 1992 Agreement, let alone any confidential information or trade secrets, was provided to the filmmakers,” the 23-page filing from the defendants maintains. “Thus, by the express language of the contract itself, Leaving Neverland is categorically outside the scope of the Confidentiality Provisions.”
Check out HBO Court Response:
[scribd id=408510372 key=key-6lMGkOuehEijMIu5jjaM mode=scroll]
One of the lawyers representing the Michael Jackson Estate ripped into the Warner Media-owned outlet’s argument.
“HBO’s opposition clearly shows that they are afraid to have this matter adjudicated,” Bryan Freedman said. “The Jackson Estate wants an arbitration open to the public for all to see. If HBO thinks the contract does not apply or is expired then why are they opposing adjudicating it?”
“The reason why is because they know they were complicit in this one-sided farce of a money grab that clearly violates the agreement,” the Freedman & Taitelman, LLP partner added.
“Now they are trying to delay the inevitable beating that they will suffer when this matter is adjudicated,” veteran Tinseltown litigator Freedman concluded. “It won’t work.”
“Stay turned because at least we are offering them a chance to tell their side of the story, unlike they did in the creation of the one-sided fiction intended to disparage Michael Jackson.”
To be followed on May 23 in front of the court!
Thanks for the update. There better be some justice for Michael.
HBO has made up many fictional arguments, ignored the most obvious statements of the Agreement, (so carefully worded no matter how long ago), and stretched the vital issue so thin, it will not hold. I am taking notes!
Good good good! Let the true the told!
Thus the clause in the contract is legally binding…HBO supported this rag piece and marketed it as if it was truth because they say you cannot defame the deceased,well Michael’s kids are very much alive and were mentioned in this BS movie!!!I pray the estate will tear HBO a new one for both Michael,his kids and family.
Thanks so much for the update!!!
I’m with ya on that one, Angel! Sue those mutherf*ckers so hard they won’t know what his them! HBO IS CRAP ANYWAY! I won’t have it in my house!!!
Thank you so much for the update.
I hope the estates wins because this “Leaving Neverland” is so one sided and not true and by HBO airing this filmed is just not good. I stopped watching anything on HBO. I will not support HBO!
I am looking forward to May 23rd. HBO need to go down. They was very proud in this salacious attack on an Innocent man Michael Jackson, they did untold damages to him, emotional trauma to his kids, family and fans, myself included. They need to be sue to kingdom come.
Absolutely true!!! They have alienated every MJ fan in the world & that’s just about everyone. Yeah, I rocked’ him in high school & I still rock with him today! BOYCOTT HBO!!! That’s the loudest statement we can make! BOYCOTT HBO. And I hope those liars burn in hell!!!
Set Michael Free!!! Nine years later & people are still digging him up! He’s not even here to answer to the fictional stories of these men & Dan Reed is an idiot! Please let’s let it be! Michael has been found innocent on several charges. When is enough enough for these despicable vultures? Oh, it’s the $$ isn’t it. Well, hope you enjoy your dastardly comments with such $$ because you can’t take it with you! Opportunists all of you! You’ll get your comeuppance! I have not one good word to say about any of you!
You are disgusting.
Rob, if you believe in this mockumentary, not only are disgusting, you’re also demented!
Leave Michael rest! OMG nine years after his death & they’re still digging him up!!! Dan Reed is reveling in the “success ” of his mockumentary! I find it to be all rubbish! MJ has been proven innocent on several charges! What more do they want? Unfair to put a dead man on trial! I support the Jackson family & I hope they get their due!
HBO deserves a public thrashing, for Leaving Neverland.
I really do hope the Jackson Estate wins their case. They should not be able to get away with presenting, a bold face lie, Leaving Neverland. Enough, is enough already, Michael Jackson can no longer defend himself. He went on trial, was found Not Guilty, that should be enough! What it all boils, down to is money, it’s all for money. The only thing I see is they are deceitful, and what goes around, comes around! HBO should go up in flames!
AMEN, JUDY! Well said! And to me it stinks to high heaven! I absolutely cannot believe that almost ten years after his death the do this??? Do they not know that Michael Jackson was the largest star on the planet??? Do they know when he even had time to do these things??? He had children of his own & there was never an allegation that he abused them! These dudes are in it for the green, pure & simple! I hope the Jackson family tears them apart in their law suit! And no more HBO in my household! They’re the scum of the earth! BOYCOTT HBO!
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