Neverland Ranch Suffers Drastic Price Cut Ahead Of HBO Documentary

Published on March 4, 2019

Neverland Ranch, the home of the late pop star Michael Jackson has gone on sale with a drastic price cut. The cut comes ahead of the release of HBO’s documentary Finding Neverland, which is set to premiere tonight. The documentary tells the story of Wade Robson and James Safechuk. The men are alleged victims of Jackson’s that haven’t spoken out until now. When the documentary premiered at Sundance Film Festival back in January, it unveiled a dark side to Jackson that would forever change his image in the public eye. Now, with Neverland Ranch on sale again, the price of the property has fallen nearly 70% ahead of the documentary release.

About Neverland Ranch

Michael Jackson originally bought Neverland Ranch in 1988 when it was just a mansion on the edge of the Los Padres National Forest. He quickly renovated it, turning it into a private amusement park with features reminiscent of Disneyland. The site was a dreamland for children. But it quickly became a nightmare when reports surfaced that Jackson was a predator to young boys. When Jackson was killed by a lethal combination of prescription drugs in 2009, speculation was abuzz surrounding what would happen to the massive estate.

The nearly 2,700 acre property sits in Santa Barbara county in a small town called Los Olivos. Within the property lies the 12,000 square foot home where Jackson lived up until his death. The documentary that aired on HBO tonight is largely centered around the home. Jackson would regularly host young boys and their families. The artist has been accused of sexually abusing multiple young boys throughout his time in Neverland Ranch over the course of 15 years.

Neverland Ranch first went on sale in 2015 for $100 million, but would never sell for quite that much. The property is currently being managed by Jackson’s estate. It’s been on and off the real estate market since 2015. The real estate agents working on the property understand that such a large amount of money isn’t a casual purchase, according to the Wall Street Journal. They think this could be one of the bigger reasons why the property is cheaper. Neverland Ranch has gone from being listed for $100 million in 2015 to just $31 million today. The nearly 70% decrease in price is drastic and could signal that the estate is desperate to get rid of it.

The Documentary

When die hard Michael Jackson fans first heard about the documentary, Leaving Neverland when it premiered at Sundance Film Festival back in January, many took to social media to defend the late pop singers honor. The first half of the two-part documentary aired tonight on HBO. The documentary is a particularly disturbing account of two boys’ abuse from Jackson throughout their childhoods. Many viewers are calling the film “disturbing” among other things. It recounts particularly vivid memories of the abuses that took place on Neverland Ranch. In the wake of the documentary, the Jackson estate announced that it’s suing HBO for damages exceeding $100 million. The estate claims that  Leaving Neverland premiered tonight on HBO with the second half premiering tomorrow.

Julia Sachs is a former Managing Editor at Grit Daily. She covers technology, social media and disinformation. She is based in Utah and before the pandemic she liked to travel.

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