'Goonies' actor Corey Feldman came to Michael Jackson’s defense after 'Leaving Neverland' accused the singer of being a pedophile

• Corey Feldman is defending Michael Jackson from pedophilia accusations made in "Leaving Neverland."
• The HBO documentary features two of the five people that have publicly accused Jackson of sexual misconduct with them when they were children.
• Feldman, who also had a relationship with Jackson when he was a child, says it was never sexual.

"Goonies" actor Corey Feldman defended Michael Jackson from pedophilia accusations in a series of tweets Monday, saying the documentary "Leaving Neverland" doesn't match up with his own relationship with the late singer.

At the height of his fame, Jackson became close with dozens of children in the entertainment industry. Feldman — who acted in "The Goonies" and "The Lost Boys" — was among them in the 1980s.

"Leaving Neverland," the two-part HBO documentary airing now, features Wade Robson and James Safechuck, two of the five people who have accused Jackson of sexual misconduct with them when they were children.

Feldman, though, is one of the singer's longtime defenders.

"[Jackson] never once swore in my presence, never touched me inappropriately, & never ever suggested we should be lovers in any way," Feldman said on Twitter. "As much as those 2 men deserve 2 hav their voices heard, so do the thousands of kids who hung around him, that dont agree."

It's part of a string of tweets where Feldman says that, while Jackson befriended children, it never turned into sexual misconduct.

Feldman has been speaking out against pedophiles in the entertainment industry for years, and discussed his abuse in his 2013 memoir "Coreyography." It was also covered in the reality TV show he filmed with fellow '80s teen star Corey Haim, "The Two Coreys." Haim, who died in 2010, also claimed to be a victim of pedophilia.

In 2017, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations, Feldman tried to raise money for a documentary about pedophilia in the entertainment industry, but didn't reach his funding goal.

Feldman has defended Jackson for years. In 2013, he called him "the big brother I never had."

Read more: A beloved child star wants to expose Hollywood's pedophiles — here's how you can help

Jackson often slept in the same bed as children and invited them over to his "Neverland" ranch without parental supervision. In 1994, Jackson paid $25 million to settle a sexual battery lawsuit from Jordan Chandler, who was 12 years old when he made the accusations. In 2004, Jackson was charged with four counts of child molestation, one count of conspiracy, one count of attempted child molestation, and eight counts of providing alcohol to minors. After a 14-week trial, he was acquitted on all charges.

Jackson defended himself from pedophilia accusations until his death. His estate continues to defend him, suing HBO over the release of "Leaving Neverland" for $100 million.

In addition to Feldman, other former child actors who had relationships with Jackson also defended him. Macaulay Culkin has been a stalwart defender for years. And Brett Barnes, who now acts on HBO's "Westworld," has also been critical about "Leaving Neverland" on Twitter.

• Read more:
• A beloved child star wants to expose Hollywood's pedophiles — here's how you can help
• 'Goonies' actor Corey Feldman says he was stabbed and hospitalized in an 'attempted murder'
• 'Leaving Neverland' director explains why he didn't interview Macaulay Culkin for his brutal Michael Jackson documentary

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