Michael Jackson fans sue alleged sexual abuse victims from 'Leaving Neverland' documentary

Michael Jackson are suing two men who claimed they were sexually abused by the pop star in HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.

The Michel Jackson Community, the MJ Street and On the Line groups accuse Wade Robson and James Safechuck of defaming Jackson and “sullying his image”.

The fans' lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot, likened Robson's and Safechuck's allegations to a "genuine lynching" of Jackson, who died in 2009, aged 50.

The fan groups are filling their claim in Orleans, northern France because French defamation laws extend libel protection to the dead, while the British, United States and Australia's legal systems do not cover libel beyond death.

Read more: Makers of 'The Simpsons' pull Michael Jackson episode

The fan groups are seeking symbolic damages of one euro (90p) each.

Robson and Safechuck did not appear in court, nor did they have legal representation.

Mr Ludot, who represented the Michael Jackson Community when the group successfully won nominal damages from the star's private doctor, Conrad Murray, for his part in Jackson's death, said he was confident of winning again.

He said: "In France you cannot sully the image of the dead. There's moral and emotional suffering. And when there's suffering, there's compensation. It's very simple."

In the documentary Leaving Neverland, the two men described in graphic detail how their families were befriended by Jackson and they were allegedly abused from the ages of seven and 10 in the early 1990s.

The show has led to a backlash against Jackson’s legacy.

Some radio stations have stopped playing his music, while an episode of The Simpsons animated show featuring the singer's voice will no longer be broadcast. Louis Vuitton also removed Jackson-themed items from its 2019 summer menswear collection.

Jackson - who always denied accusations he abused underage boys - was first accused of sexual abuse in 1992 by the family of 13-year-old Jordy Chandler. The case was settled outside of court, and no criminal charges were filed.

Read more: Oprah Winfrey stands by her 'Leaving Neverland' interview

In 2005, he was found Not Guilty by a jury in regards to allegations of sexual abuse of then-13-year-old Gavin Arvizo.

Robson was a witness for Jackson in that 2005 child abuse trial, but now claims that he lied under oath.

The singer's brothers Tito, Marlon and Jackie, and his nephew Taj, have dismissed the allegations made by Robson and Safechuck.

His estate has also criticised Leaving Neverland, describing it as a "tabloid character assassination" that the star had "endured in life and now in death".

The French court is due to deliver a verdict in October.