Feel nothing but sympathy for them: Barbra Streisand clarifies remarks on Jackson accusers

Veteran singer-actor Barbra Streisand on Sunday released a statement clarifying the remarks she made about the two men, who have levelled allegations of underage sexual abuse against Michael Jackson, saying she was sorry for not choosing her words "carefully".

In an interview with the Times, the 76-year-old star had said that while she believed Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accused Jackson of sexual abuse in the HBO documentary "Leaving Neverland", she also has sympathy for the pop icon.

"They were thrilled to be there. They both married and they both have children, so it didn't kill them," she had added.

In her apology, which she posted on Instagram, Streisand said her aim was not to "dismiss" the trauma Robson and Safechuk experienced.

"I am profoundly sorry for any pain or misunderstanding I caused by not choosing my words more carefully about Michael Jackson and his victims, because the words as printed do not reflect my true feelings. I didn't mean to dismiss the trauma these boys experienced in any way.

"I feel deep remorse and hope James and Wade know that I truly respect and admire them for speaking their truth," the statement read.

Streisand's response came over a month after the premiere of the explosive documentary by Dan Reed, which focuses on longtime accusations of child sex abuse against Jackson.

Reed was one of many, who criticised the Hollywood veteran for her comments.

"It didn't kill them @BarbraStreisand did you really say that?" the director wrote along side the link to the interview.

In the documentary, Robson and Safechuck said Jackson spent years grooming both them and their families, gaining their trust so he could betray it.

Jackson's estate has denied the accusations. Jackson also denied child molestation accusations for years, and was acquitted in a child molestation case in 2005.