Corey Feldman wants to make film about pedophiles in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES — Corey Feldman sat down on Monday for his first TV interview since launching a campaign to finance a film that would expose a pedophile ring in Hollywood.

Speaking to Matt Lauer on the “Today” show, Feldman did not reveal the names of his alleged harassers from his days as a child star, citing legal ramifications, but he did vow to eventually “release every single name that I have any knowledge of.”

Last week, Feldman launched a campaign to raise $10 million to finance a film about pedophiles in the industry. Lauer pressed Feldman on his hefty goal, which has raised eyebrows. “Why do you need $10 million,” Lauer asked.

“It’s not a documentary. It’s a film. I want to make a feature film, which is why I need the budget,” Feldman reasoned. “It will be a very true story. We will have every name … we’re talking about a theatrical release.”

Lauer brought up Feldman’s 2013 memoir, “Coreyography,” asking “The Goonies” actor why he didn’t release names in that book.

“The publishers prevented me to name names,” Feldman said, “which is why I’m taking the matter into my own hands.”

So far, Feldman’s campaign has raised roughly $200,000. Lauer questioned Feldman about why he’s taking time to collect money for a feature film, instead of going to the police and releasing the names sooner. Feldman said he did go to the police back in the early ’90s, and gave the names during an investigation into Michael Jackson. Feldman says the police never investigated his claims.

“I’ve told the police. In fact, if anybody wants to go back to 1993 when I was interviewed by the Santa Barbara Police Department, I sat there and I gave them the names. They’re on record. They have all of this information, but they were scanning Michael Jackson. All they cared about was trying to find something on Michael Jackson,” Feldman recalled. “Michael is innocent. That’s what the interview was about with the police in 1993. … I told them, ‘He is not that guy. … I know the difference between pedophiles and somebody who is not a pedophile because I’ve been molested. Here’s the names. Go investigate.’”

Death threats

Feldman also said he’s gone to the police about death threats he’s received. He claims the police have done nothing to protect him. Feldman says in addition to needing the $10 million to fund his film, he needs the money for his attorneys and a security team for his own protection.

“There are thousands of people in Hollywood who have this same information. Why is it all on me?” Feldman said. “I’m the victim here. I’m the one who’s been abused. I’m the one who’s trying to come forward and do something about it. There are thousands of people out there who have this information.”

“There is a statute of limitations in the state of California,” he continued. “It’s that way only where the movie industry, conveniently enough, is in California … if I went to the police, I would be the one getting sued.”

Later, Feldman sat down with “Today’s” Megyn Kelly to speak about the issue again and defend his decision to create a film, rather than naming names on his own sooner.

“Believe me, I would love the pain to stop today. This is about creating a cycle of awareness, this is about opening people’s eyes and minds that this is a problem that exists,” Feldman said. “The soonest that I can have protection, I don’t have to wait until the film is done … the most important thing now is that I have security … this is no joke. I am fearing for my life.”

Kelly further pressed Feldman on why he won’t come forward with the names. “If that was the case, if the law protected me, I would do it,” he responded.

Kelly, a former attorney, showed off her legal expertise during the interview, telling her viewers, “The truth is an absolute defense to any defamation case.”

‘The Truth Campaign’

“My campaign is called ‘The Truth Campaign,’” Feldman said. “All I want is for people to open their eyes and see the light. … I see no one in Hollywood who has stood up and said, ‘I was there, I know he’s telling the truth.’ ”

When pressed by Kelly to come forward with any of the names, Feldman mentioned youth talent manager Marty Weiss, who he previously had named in his memoir. Then he teased a second name, saying, “The second one ran a child’s club in Hollywood … he’s working for the L.A. Dodgers.” When asked by Kelly again to just name him, Feldman said, “I can’t do that right now until I have legal protection.”

Feldman believes that the domino effect of sex scandals being exposed in Hollywood, most recently with allegations against Kevin Spacey, will help him tell his story.

“There’s a lot of darkness in Hollywood right now and I believe it’s been there for quite some time, and as we’ve seen with the Harvey Weinstein scandal, it continues to unfold every day,” Feldman said. “It’s going to continue unraveling. This is just the beginning, this is just the tip of the iceberg … everything you’re seeing is building up to what I believe is a dam breaking open.”