Oprah Winfrey will sit down with James Safechuck and Wade Robson, the two men who allege they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson in the upcoming HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” in an hourlong television special.

“Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland” will air Monday on both OWN and HBO, immediately after the second part of “Leaving Neverland.”

Wade Robson, from left, director Dan Reed and James Safechuck pose for a portrait to promote the film "Leaving Neverland" during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The documentary, which premiered at the festival to a standing ovation, will begin airing on HBO on Sunday. Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, file

The special will be taped in front of an audience of sexual assault survivors and will also feature Dan Reed, the director of the four-hour documentary series.

In “Leaving Neverland,” Robson and Safechuck recount years of alleged abuse that began as they were young children, pressure from Jackson and his lawyers to keep silent and the lingering, devastating effects of the alleged abuse.

The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it received a standing ovation. Though the Jackson estate and many of the late singer’s online fans have attacked the project, critical response thus far has been strong.

Winfrey’s 1993 interview with Jackson remains one of the biggest moments of her career. In the ABC special, broadcast live from the Neverland Ranch and watched by 62 million viewers, Winfrey asked the pop star about a number of difficult topics, including his changing appearance, childhood abuse and his sexuality.

After Jackson’s death in 2009, Winfrey reflected on the interview, saying, “I can tell you I really, really liked him. After this interview, I thought I could be his friend, because I felt that he was really honest.”

– From news service reports

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