Neverland centres on two accusers Wade Robson, 36, and James Safechuck, 40, who allege that Jackson – who died aged 50 in 2009 – began sexually abusing them at ages seven and 10, respectively.

At the time, both boys were diehard Jackson fans with entertainment aspirations of their own: Robson, who went on to choreograph for Britney Spears and *NSYNC as an adult, first met Jackson after winning a dance contest during the singer’s 1987 Bad tour in Australia.

Safechuck, a child actor, appeared with Jackson that same year in a Pepsi soft drinks commercial and says he began to hang out regularly with the star in Los Angeles.

Robson and Safechuck each filed lawsuits against Jackson’s estate in 2013 and 2014, respectively, although judges denied both for technical reasons, and did not evaluate the merits of the allegations. Both men were on hand at Friday’s screening in Park City, where they tearfully appeared with director Dan Reed.

Leaving Neverland has been denounced by Jackson’s estate and fans since the project was announced earlier this month.

Jackson’s estate said that the documentary “is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson”.

USA TODAY has reached out to Jackson’s estate for comment on the Sundance premiere.

Here are five allegations presented in Neverland, which premieres on HBO this spring.

1. ‘Leaving Netherland’ alleges a lot of sexual activity at Jackson’s ranch

Safechuck claims Jackson introduced him to masturbation while staying together at a hotel in Paris. “He told me I was his first sexual experience,” Safechuck says, adding that one morning Jackson told him he performed oral sex on him while he was sleeping.

Robson says he experienced similar sexual encounters with Jackson when he would visit Neverland Ranch, adding that the pop star kept a large, cardboard cut-out of Peter Pan in his bedroom, which he would often look at, Robson alleges, as Jackson masturbated behind him.

Robson says that Jackson later introduced him to pornography and gave him alcohol.

2. Jackson allegedly ran drills with Safechuck to avoid getting caught

At the start of their relationship, Safechuck alleges that Jackson would regularly test him on how quickly he could put on his clothes as quietly as possible.

When Safechuck or Robson’s parents stayed at the same hotel, both men allege Jackson often ensured they were staying down the hall or on different floors from the suites Jackson shared with the boys. He also had multiple locks and thick, wooden doors installed throughout Neverland Ranch, where Safechuck claims they had sex inside his castle, pool, attic and railway station.

“It happened every day,” Safechuck says. “It sounds sick, but when you’re first dating somebody, you do a lot of it.”

Jackson would repeatedly remind the boys that they could never share anything about what they did.

Robson says Jackson told him: “If anyone ever found out that we were doing these sexual things, we would go to jail for the rest of our lives.” Robson says: “I was terrified.”

3. Jackson allegedly staged a mock wedding, complete with rings and vows

Years into their relationship, which lasted until he was 14, “we were like this married couple”, Safechuck says.

There was one day when Jackson suggested they hold a mock ceremony at his condominium, where they allegedly exchanged “vows” and he gave the boy with a diamond-encrusted gold ring.

“I was really into jewellery, so he would reward me with jewellery for sexual acts,” Safechuck says in the film. He claims that Jackson would take him to jewellery stores where they would pick out rings, acting as if the gift was for a woman.

4. Robson claims he was ordered to throw out his underwear after they first had sex

After moving to Los Angeles to focus on dancing and to be closer to Jackson, Robson was devastated to learn that the singer had “moved on” to other boys including Macaulay Culkin and Brett Barnes (both of whom have denied that Jackson sexually abused them).

“There was jealousy from me,” Robson says. “It was confusing.”

After a few years of occasional encounters, the singer allegedly summoned a then-14-year-old Robson to his hotel room, where he had sex with the teen.

The next day, Robson says Jackson called him demanding that he get rid of his underwear from the night before, in fear that Robson’s mother would discover it.

It was the last sexual experience they had together, Robson says.

5. Jackson allegedly said his relationship with Lisa Marie Presley ‘didn’t mean anything’

As young children, both Safechuck and Robson claim that Jackson would try to turn them against their parents and make them hate women.

He gave Robson nicknames such as “Little One” and “Doo Doo,” and would leave him daily faxes and voicemails saying how much he loved having a friend like him.

Leading up to his short-lived marriage to Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, Jackson would try to comfort Safechuck by telling him that he “had to have public relationships with women” but “it wouldn’t mean anything”, Safechuck says.

The documentary claims the manipulation continued as they got older, as Jackson allegedly pressured both men to testify in 2005 that he never sexually abused them after he was charged with molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo.

Although Safechuck declined, Robson agreed, citing an obligation to support his lifelong friend. Robson continued to support Jackson three years later in an interview with Access Hollywood.

Jackson, who had denied 14 charges during the trial, was found not guilty on all of the charges.