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00:17This is my, my inspiration.
00:34What made me hold on, what has saved my life, is children.
00:43Because being a celebrity and then becoming an icon, like an international phenomenon,
00:49you see how vindictive man can be, how cruel, how abusive, how judgmental.
00:58But children represent honesty, just a pure innocence.
01:05And I'm in love with innocence.
01:10That's what I'm in love with.
01:22The number one hottest in the world!
01:35That level of mega stardom is not healthy.
01:39People are not gods.
01:49Tonight, Jackson is wanted by police of multiple felony counts of child molestation.
01:57The Jackson machine just keeps right on rolling.
02:27Sony Corporation believes it has a profitable partner.
02:31And Michael Jackson, together, they could make a billion dollars.
02:35As NBC's Mike Jensen reports tonight, teach your kids to sing.
02:48It's the kind of contract that takes your breath away.
02:52A projected one billion dollars for six Michael Jackson albums, plus feature films, videos, and video games.
03:01Michael, in the 1980s, you had the largest selling album in history with Thriller.
03:07Now, with Dangerous, you've given us the fastest selling album of your career.
03:12We're prouder than ever to have you part of the Sony Music family.
03:15The thrilling fact is that the best is definitely yet to come.
03:23When I joined Sony, Michael Jackson was the biggest star in the world.
03:28He was the guy.
03:30I don't know any other way to describe it.
03:32I mean, we all lived through it.
03:34The Michael Jackson World Tour is on the road again.
03:40It was incredibly exciting.
03:43And selling out stadiums, making record money.
03:46It was the franchise.
03:47I mean, let's be honest.
03:51We are all in the business of succeeding.
03:54And when you're working in a company like Sony Music, you want a Michael Jackson to succeed.
04:08My name is Rosabelle Smith, and for 31 years, I was employed by the Los Angeles Police Department.
04:16In 1993, while working juvenile division of the LAPD, I was working the Sexually Exploited Child Unit.
04:23I was advised by my supervisor, who was the officer in charge of the unit, that a case had come
04:28in involving a young boy who was 13 years of age, and that the perpetrator was Michael Jackson.
04:37I was a little in disbelief that it was Michael Jackson doing this, because I grew up watching Michael Jackson,
04:46you know, the Jackson 5 cartoons when I was a kid, and I really enjoyed his music.
04:56But we had a job to do, and that job was to go out and just handle it just like
05:01any other case at that time.
05:05Our role was to find out if Mr. Jackson had committed the crime of sexual molestation against children.
05:16And on the same token, we had to find out if the children, they were telling the truth.
05:27We had to interview the victim.
05:35The victim had actually met Michael Jackson at a restaurant who was very, very little.
05:42Then, years later, that relationship grew, and they began to visit each other.
05:50The victim was alleging that Michael would oftentimes rub his body against his body.
05:59He alleged that Michael Jackson fondled to him and masturbated him.
06:05He alleged that Michael liked to have his nipples rubbed, squeezed, kissing.
06:14Then that graduated to oral copulation.
06:17They bathed together and to the point where, eventually, Michael Jackson consumed his semen.
06:32We had heard on the grapevine that there were these allegations circulating.
06:40And it was a shock to everybody.
06:43Yeah, we knew he was hanging with kids, but I saw him hang with the kids, and I saw that
06:48it was completely innocent.
06:51I saw he was playing games with them.
06:53I saw the kids wanting to hang with him.
07:00I really hoped the allegations weren't true.
07:05The feeling was trying to contain it.
07:09Obviously, we were thinking of, you know, the immediate impact on the tour.
07:13Because you've got to keep the business going, the tour going, the album sales, everything, and the impact of that.
07:19So it was pretty tense.
07:21We went into crisis mode, both with our team and the PR team.
07:27But ultimately, the story was so huge, it was going to get out, no matter what we did.
07:33There was no stopping it.
07:39In Southern California, the press, police, lawyers, and private investigators are in orbit tonight
07:45over an investigation of child abuse allegations involving superstar Michael Jackson.
07:49There's still no comment from Michael Jackson this morning, and Los Angeles police aren't saying much,
07:55but they have confirmed reports of a criminal investigation of the pop superstar.
08:00All hell broke loose.
08:02Television station KNBC in Los Angeles first broke the story last night,
08:06saying that a mother had alleged Jackson abused her child.
08:09August 17th, the Los Angeles Police Department initiated a criminal investigation of entertainer Michael Jackson.
08:17Every news channel, every hour, the top story was Michael Jackson.
08:23Confidential documents obtained by NBC News quoted the boy's reference to acts of oral sex and masturbation.
08:30The allegations now surfacing are ugly enough to shatter any icon's image.
08:34Kids everywhere are talking about the scandalous accusations, hoping they're not true.
08:40Has Michael Jackson ever molested a child, ever done anything improper with a child?
08:46No, never.
08:47No, never.
08:48No, never.
08:49That's crazy.
08:49Never.
08:50My son is not guilty.
08:51He need a trial.
08:52These people aren't waiting.
08:54They're trying to, um...
08:55They're trying to...
08:56They're trying him...
08:58That's right, and I'm tired of it.
09:07Open the window!
09:09Open the window!
09:23Everything was suddenly bad.
09:29everything was um emotional talking to michael was different because he was different suddenly
09:38he was no longer the happy michael that i used to talk to he sounded depressed i felt like it
09:45was over like there was no way he could come back from these terrible things being said
10:17eventually
10:19Eventually, he came back to America.
10:25We had the information from the victim about Michael's body
10:31and specifically the markings on his body.
10:35So the only way that a child would see that is if Michael was nude,
10:42then our unit prepared a search warrant to search or to view Michael's body.
10:48And this included the genitals.
10:50We explained to him, we have a search warrant signed by the judge
10:54to take pictures of your private parts.
10:59He said, you assholes.
11:02The outcome was that evidence that was provided by Jordan Chander,
11:12it was confirmed.
11:16Can I help you?
11:18Yeah, we'd like to talk to Michael Jackson.
11:21Has he come back?
11:22No comment, sir.
11:24No comment, huh?
11:25I don't necessarily think he's guilty,
11:27but I don't necessarily think he's innocent either because I don't know.
11:32Well, I don't know if he's guilty or not,
11:33but I think that he needs to come back and face the charges.
11:36He's looking pretty guilty right now.
11:42There is real fear tonight that the catastrophic publicity
11:46will result in the destruction of a billion-dollar empire
11:49and the ruin of a man.
11:56Sony stock has fallen because investors are very much concerned
12:00that the huge investment that they have in Michael Jackson
12:03is, in fact, not going to pay off.
12:07When the allegations surfaced,
12:11I read them, watched them on TV like everyone else did,
12:18and I felt that they were extremely unfair.
12:22Michael Jackson was unequivocally the biggest artist in the company.
12:30And if he's not succeeding,
12:34guess what?
12:35Jobs get lost.
12:38Is Michael Jackson going to make any statement?
12:41He's got a whole cadre of international cameras there every night.
13:08Michael Jackson came out of seclusion today without leaving home.
13:13The pop star angrily rejected accusations he molested a young boy
13:17and lashed out at police and the media.
13:20There have been many disgusting statements made recently
13:24concerning allegations of improper conduct on my part.
13:28These statements about me are totally false.
13:31At every opportunity, the media has dissected and manipulated
13:35these allegations to reach their own conclusions.
13:38I ask all of you to wait and hear the truth
13:41before you label or condemn me.
13:43Don't treat me like a criminal,
13:45because I am innocent.
13:48Jackson's defiant declaration of innocence
13:50comes as the latest counterpoint
13:52in a case that's saturated with rumor, innuendo,
13:56and almost daily revelations about the singer.
13:59Separating fact from fiction can be difficult.
14:16For years, I have been working for Michael,
14:18who unfortunately has been the victim of this
14:21and other types of extortion attempts.
14:23The demand for $20 million was made and presented.
14:27It was flatly and consistently refused.
14:30Many people try to extort Michael
14:33because of who he is and, you know,
14:35the amount of money he has,
14:36and these people wanted $20 million.
14:38As far as the victim is concerned,
14:40I did not get anything as far as any, like, money, motivation.
14:46However, the parents were a different story.
14:49The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Trade Paper
14:52said today that the boy's father had negotiated with Jackson
14:55for a $20 million movie deal.
14:57The father is a prominent Beverly Hills dentist
15:00and part-time screenwriter.
15:02CBS News has obtained a taped phone conversation.
15:05The voice is reportedly the father of the 13-year-old boy.
15:09If I go through with this, I win big time.
15:11I will get everything I want.
15:13The father did, in fact, ask for money
15:17to keep the situation quiet.
15:19So it did hurt the case a little bit.
15:24I think it's pathetic that somebody would go after
15:26someone like Michael Jackson with such vigor,
15:29and it's obvious what they want.
15:31And it seems obvious to me that he is innocent.
15:33You know, that there's a lot of people in this business
15:35that try and take advantage of people,
15:37and, you know, I'm sure that it will all work out,
15:41and I'm sure that he's innocent, you know,
15:42but only God knows the truth, you know.
15:48More and more, people started to question the allegations.
15:54So the management team started capitalizing on that momentum.
15:59The main strategy was to endear Michael
16:06to the Black community
16:08and to get the Black community back on Michael's side,
16:11because once the Black community's behind you,
16:14you got it, because, you know, we're a big group.
16:17And race relations at that time,
16:21it was a hotbed.
16:27Parts of Los Angeles erupted in unrest
16:31after a jury acquitted four white Los Angeles police officers
16:35over the videotape beating of Rodney King,
16:38a Black motorist.
16:50What happened with Rodney King,
16:52it doesn't make no sense to me.
16:54They're treating Black people like we're dogs, you know,
16:56like we can't get nowhere.
16:58We have no rights that the white man respects.
17:01Race is tearing America apart.
17:05Now more than ever,
17:07minority Americans believe there are two kinds of justice,
17:10the white kind and the kind they get.
17:17Someone was friends with this African-American attorney
17:21named Johnny Cochran.
17:23And so he suggested that Johnny would be the best person
17:26for Michael's case,
17:29not only because he's Black,
17:31but also because he was brilliant.
17:34Mr. Cochran, let me start with you.
17:36Why do you think it was important for Michael Jackson
17:37to speak out now?
17:39Well, I think, Katie,
17:40that after months of being barraged
17:42with negative attacks,
17:45it was time.
17:45Everyone who was on Michael's team
17:48knew that having a Black face
17:51as the front man for the defense
17:53would bring the Black community
17:57to Michael's defense as well.
18:01The king of pop, rock and soul,
18:04Mr. Michael Jackson.
18:08Michael's first public appearance
18:10after his statement about the allegations
18:12was at the NAACP Image Awards,
18:16and that's the National Association
18:18for the Advancement of Colored People.
18:24I was in the audience.
18:26When Michael walked out on that stage,
18:29the house went crazy.
18:34Everyone was in support of Michael.
18:36No one wanted to believe these allegations.
18:41For decades,
18:42the NAACP had stood
18:44at the forefront of the struggle
18:46for equal justice under the law
18:48for all people in our land.
18:50And his speech was based on
18:53being a proud Black man
18:55and how, you know,
18:56we have to stick together
18:57against racial inequality
19:00and injustice.
19:03Everyone is presumed to be innocent
19:05and totally innocent
19:06until they are charged with a crime
19:08and then convicted
19:09by a jury of their peers.
19:22It was such a powerful speech.
19:31With all of the stuff
19:33that was happening
19:33to the Black community,
19:38it felt like Michael's innocence
19:40was important
19:41and it was what we needed.
19:51Everybody wanted him to be back on top.
20:05The family of a teenage boy
20:07is dropping its charge
20:08that Michael Jackson molested the boy.
20:11Larry Carroll tells us
20:12the civil suit is now over.
20:19We wish to jointly announce
20:22a mutual resolution
20:23of this lawsuit.
20:25This boy wanted to get on
20:27with his life.
20:29When that case was settled,
20:33and I believe that the payout
20:35for that settlement
20:36was $20 million
20:39or maybe a little more
20:40over $20 million,
20:40the family accepted
20:43the settlement.
20:44The resolution of this case
20:46is in no way
20:48an admission of guilt
20:50by Michael Jackson.
20:51Being a megastar
20:52like he was,
20:54he had
20:56the advantage
20:57with money,
20:59with attorneys,
21:00with really coming out
21:01and doing pretty much
21:02whatever he wanted
21:02in order to defend himself.
21:06So that was pretty much
21:07the end of our case.
21:10I felt bad
21:11because Rosie and I,
21:14we were certain
21:14that we had a good case.
21:18But when the victim
21:19doesn't want to testify,
21:21there is a say
21:23that says,
21:24no victim,
21:24no crime.
21:26So,
21:28nothing that we could do.
21:36Read all about it!
21:38Hollywood sex scandals!
21:41Heidi's little black book,
21:42The Hollywood Hooker
21:44and Heidi Gay.
21:46Lonnie Anderson says,
21:48Bert's a dud in bed.
21:50Uh-oh.
21:52In this billion-dollar business,
21:54there's only one story
21:55that's guaranteed.
21:57A big name in trouble.
21:59That's the best news of all.
22:00But of course,
22:01the one that's grabbing
22:03the headlines right now
22:04are the allegations
22:05about Michael Jackson,
22:08the biggest superstar
22:09in the world.
22:10Michael Jackson
22:11is our window
22:12into the new news business.
22:13And the magazine shows,
22:15talk shows,
22:16news chats
22:17that feed off tabloid truth.
22:19Michael Jackson,
22:21violator or victim.
22:23What do you think
22:24about Michael?
22:25Well,
22:26I,
22:26nah,
22:27I think it's true.
22:28He settled for all that money?
22:29I don't know.
22:29He settled for all that
22:30amount of money.
22:31I think he's something's up
22:32when he settles
22:32for over $10 million
22:33to shut someone up.
22:35I don't know,
22:36it's a shame
22:37because I think
22:37Michael's been dragged
22:37to the null out a lot.
22:38You know,
22:39he's a,
22:39I don't know if he's a victim
22:40or if he did it or not,
22:42but like,
22:43he's lost that,
22:44that wholesome image
22:44forever,
22:45you know?
22:49The allegations
22:50really changed
22:51how the public,
22:52I think,
22:53thought of him.
22:55And Michael
22:56had to kind of
22:57rehabilitate that image.
23:04People had been obsessed
23:06with Michael's sexuality
23:07his whole life.
23:10And his managers
23:11thought it would be cool
23:13if the press
23:14found out
23:15that Michael
23:16had a girlfriend.
23:27Michael and Lisa
23:29started dating
23:30soon after the allegations
23:32had been settled.
23:41He knew that
23:43marrying Elvis Presley's
23:44daughter
23:45would be
23:46headlines everywhere.
23:48Everyone would be
23:48talking about that
23:49and they'd no longer
23:51talk about
23:51this horrible
23:52time in his life.
23:54With this ring,
23:55I do it.
23:56With this ring,
23:56I do it.
23:57You've heard the talk
23:58for weeks.
23:59It's surprising
23:59and it's apparently true.
24:01The daughter of Elvis
24:02Presley confirms today
24:03she is now married
24:05to Michael Jackson.
24:06Let's go to Vince
24:06Dimitri in New York.
24:08Vince.
24:08John,
24:09John,
24:09hopefully you can see
24:10behind me
24:11the throngs
24:11of stargazers
24:13right behind me.
24:13We are just outside
24:14of the world-famous
24:16Trump Tower
24:16where Donald Trump
24:18tells us,
24:18yes indeed,
24:19that Lisa Marie Presley
24:20and her new
24:21beau Michael Jackson
24:22are holed up here
24:23on the top floor.
24:24Well,
24:24I'm very,
24:25very happy for them.
24:26I think it's great.
24:27They're very happy
24:29and I think
24:31everybody's happy.
24:32They're great people.
24:36I first met Michael
24:38in 1988.
24:41Michael was on tour
24:43in Germany
24:43at that time
24:44and so they called me
24:46and said that Michael
24:46is a big fan of mine
24:48and he would love
24:48to meet me
24:50and we hit it up
24:53and it got to know
24:54the whole family.
24:57I also knew
24:58Lisa Marie Presley
25:00because I spent
25:01lots of time
25:02in Los Angeles
25:04so I knew
25:04them separately
25:06and then later
25:07Lisa came to me
25:08on the end
25:09and said,
25:09look,
25:10Michael is hitting
25:11on me
25:12and he actually
25:13wants to marry me.
25:14What do you think?
25:14Should I do that?
25:15So I said,
25:16go for it.
25:18For him,
25:18it was also
25:19he liked Lisa
25:20because she was
25:21the daughter
25:21of the king
25:23so he was also
25:24king,
25:25king of pop.
25:26Yeah.
25:34this was a big deal.
25:36We had never seen him
25:37get romantic
25:38with a woman
25:39like this,
25:40ever.
25:42I'm very happy
25:43to be here
25:44and just think,
25:46nobody thought
25:47this would last.
25:57it did work
25:58in the way
25:59that Michael
25:59wanted it to work
26:00in that
26:01everyone was
26:02talking about it.
26:04but at the same
26:05time,
26:06the public
26:07wasn't really
26:08buying it.
26:09It's all cover up.
26:10It's all cover up
26:10from the little
26:11child thing.
26:12That's what I think
26:12it is.
26:13You don't think
26:14it's true love?
26:15No.
26:16I think it's a sham.
26:18A heterosexual marriage
26:19would certainly
26:20take some of the heat
26:20off being accused
26:22of being a
26:23homosexual pedophile.
26:28But Michael
26:28and Lisa
26:29were only together
26:30for around
26:3018 months.
26:35It's
26:35Splitsville
26:36for Graceland
26:37and Neverland.
26:38Many of you
26:39may find this
26:39hard to believe,
26:40but Lisa Marie
26:41Presley
26:41and Michael
26:42Jackson
26:42are getting
26:43a divorce.
26:44So, Tony,
26:45it looks like
26:45the gloved one
26:46is no longer
26:47the loved one.
26:49Oh,
26:49such a sad story.
26:51Sorry to hear that.
26:52Sorry to see that.
26:53What a shock.
26:53What a surprise.
26:57It was kind
26:58of hard to watch.
27:00He was trying
27:01to maintain
27:02his position
27:03as like
27:03the biggest
27:05superstar
27:05in the world
27:06and it wasn't
27:07quite working.
27:10This is a man
27:11who changed
27:12the music industry.
27:15He is a musical genius
27:18and people
27:19don't think of him
27:20in that sense anymore.
27:21They think of him
27:22as a freak.
27:24Is there any way
27:25that he can lift
27:25himself out of this
27:26trough that he has
27:27largely dug for himself?
27:58He's a man
27:58who had a
27:58and he's a man
27:58When he was working on the history album, Michael called me and said,
28:03look, I want to use some of your paintings for the artwork.
28:08That was the painting that he really liked,
28:13and then spontaneously he wrote this poem directly on the picture.
28:19With such confusion, don't it make you want to scream?
28:24You try to cope with every lie.
28:27You try to scrutinize somebody.
28:29Please have mercy, because I just can't take it.
28:39If you listen to the lyrics and the songs and the overall vibe of the tracks on History,
28:45they're very aggressive.
28:47They're very defensive.
28:49Beat me, hate me, you can never break me, will me, kill me, you can never kill me.
28:55Even the screen video is very dark for Michael.
29:02Then for the history album promo, Michael chose a dictator-esque image.
29:09He's got these military troops marching behind him, and a godlike aura.
29:16That's what he wanted to push out there, still on top, still, you know, the biggest pop superstar in the
29:23history of music.
29:25Tower Bridge was raised this afternoon to allow a 30-foot statue of rock star Michael Jackson to pass along
29:31the Thames on a barge.
29:35I think it's brilliant.
29:37It's just the best thing that's happened on the River Thames.
29:39He's a mega star, yeah?
29:40They call him the king of pop, so if he can afford to do this, why not?
29:45For the history tour, Michael decided to focus on his fan base abroad.
29:51And his popularity continued over in Europe, in the UK, Asia, versus the US, where it was kind of slipping
29:59a little bit because of the allegations and all the media circuits around that.
30:13It's like a dream come true.
30:16I touched him.
30:18I'm not going to end.
30:24I remember this one time I was with Michael in Budapest.
30:30And the hotel was surrounded, under siege by thousands of young people.
30:40And what he did, he threw the curtain a little bit, and then he had this club one.
30:46And people screeched.
30:47It was like an explosion down there.
30:54He was laughing.
30:55He said, oh, my God, look, do you hear?
30:57Do you hear?
31:04I think there's a deep desire to look up for people that are bigger than life, yeah?
31:09As role models or as somebody you can worship.
31:12I mean, I think that's what mankind needs.
31:15But I think the danger is when everybody worships you,
31:22is that you start to believe it in a way that you start to worship yourself.
31:26And I think that's very dangerous.
31:27I love you, Michael.
31:28Can I have a hug, please?
31:30Please may I hug you?
31:31Please.
31:35But he was enjoying that.
31:37He liked to have that effect on people.
31:40I love you.
31:41Michael.
31:42I love you, Michael.
31:43Sorry, sorry.
31:44Just wait.
31:44I'm the leader.
31:45Germany loves you, Michael.
31:46I love Germany.
31:47I love you.
31:48I love you.
32:03You really run into the Die Hard fan.
32:06It's unbelievable.
32:08It's like a religious experience.
32:12you're like their god
32:16some people will say
32:18I don't worship
32:20but I don't think it's anything bad
32:26it's just so beautiful
32:30they are my life
32:50okay
32:51okay
32:52stay in that corner
32:55stay in that corner
32:56stay in that corner
33:01step back
33:04please
33:07please
33:08yes
33:08yes
33:08please
33:10please
33:11thank you very much
33:12please
33:13come on
33:14yes
33:15yeah come on
33:16okay please
33:19Coco
33:20is he okay
33:22when I met Michael
33:24I saw that he was addicted to fame
33:31I was a well-known rabbi
33:33and Michael and I had become friends
33:38Michael really needed to be loved
33:40and he chose to be loved in really in an unhealthy way
33:45which was through superstardom and the devotion of fans
33:58I said to him
33:59I said to him
33:59you've made the mistake of substituting love for this cheap forgery called attention
34:07and attention is never a good substitute for love it's never real
34:12this attention became an addiction because he interpreted his love and it became a monster
34:27I felt that one of my principal objectives was to tether him back to humility
34:37and so our conversations became kind of therapy
34:46he wanted every word recorded for posterity
34:50we recorded it on these two flimsy dicta machines you know they're on these tiny little tapes
35:00honestly when somebody walks up to you and says I love you so much
35:04it makes my heart feel so good
35:07like you can never get tired of it
35:16but is it also that the fans show you love based on your performance rather than you?
35:27well I feel that love but it's from a distance
35:33it's not intimate I guess
35:41he needed something to live for
35:44and as he explained it to me
35:46he always wanted to be around kids
35:49he loved the innocence of a child
35:51he loved the creativity of a child
35:54because for him the adult world was people wanting money from him
35:57and people wanting to know him for all the wrong reasons
36:09at that time in his life
36:12I think that Michael wanted to be a father
36:21because kids as long as you give them unconditional love
36:24they really give it back
36:25they are mirror reflections of the love that we give them
36:28and he was going to give them the greatest love and they didn't
36:31and that's what happened
36:32and that's what happened
36:36so they started to be a mother
36:44ehhhhhhhhh
36:46ehhhhhhhhh
36:48ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
36:59ehhhhhhhhhhhhh
37:00ehhhhhhhhh
37:06I think having children gave him a renewed sense of purpose, a renewed sense of energy
37:13and direction.
37:14That's cute.
37:22It is, it is.
37:34I want to be successful at being a great father.
37:40I want them to say we felt completely loved and he was like incredible.
37:48That's my biggest dream, one day for Princeton Parish, just to say to somebody, he was the
37:53best dad.
37:55One, two, three, surprise!
38:02Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you.
38:10I've been working with Michael for four years by the time he had his children.
38:18When Princeton Parish came along, I saw a different, a different person.
38:29Can we do one where we are just pointing the camera at us?
38:32His life was now about the children.
38:36That was his priority.
38:40And he was getting more and more absolutely clear about his future.
38:47He was saying, Dida, I did everything I could do in my life for the music.
38:54And I think I did it well and everybody made a lot of money.
38:58But new people coming.
39:01Other music is coming.
39:02And he had the feeling he will never be successful like he was.
39:08And he was fine with it.
39:11Michael said he didn't want to be a trained monkey forever.
39:15It's over.
39:16We'll give it to Armin.
39:17Come on, let's do it.
39:21But when you start not to do what this, he called the system, wants, then you're in trouble.
39:31Let's make it sweet.
39:52You never, you never thought it would work before.
39:56When you live all your love and you give them your all, you can all.
40:01Sony was pushing him to continue his career.
40:05They were trying to get him to finish this album, Invincible.
40:10Wasn't my business, but you know, screw the album.
40:13We have to make your life healthy again.
40:17So there was a war for the soul of Michael Jackson.
40:25Sony Music was one of the biggest labels in the world.
40:29Hands Down.
40:31And with Michael, well, there's a lot of money changing hands.
40:37So, yes, it's cutthroat.
40:41But Sony Music was no more cutthroat than any other label.
40:48Michael's relationship was a contentious one with his record label.
40:56I was there to help facilitate a record he was putting out called Invincible, which was his official last studio
41:04record with Sony.
41:05And things were going over budget.
41:08We had rented out the entire floor at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
41:13And for anybody who doesn't know that, that is extremely expensive, crazy.
41:18And he wasn't even showing up for things.
41:23A record company is there to make money.
41:25They are an investment firm, in a way, who has invested in you to produce something.
41:32When we got the phone call that this was, you know, how dare you, this was the most expensive record
41:37we've ever made.
41:38You know, and I'm like, oh, okay.
41:40I'm like, how much?
41:4130 million.
41:42I'm like, ooh.
41:43So it was kind of, it was a problem.
41:47But everybody was really trying to get him in tow so we could make a deadline for album release.
41:58There's one time where I was asked to pick up a package at a house that apparently was being sold
42:04and is empty.
42:05And in the mailbox was this package and I opened it up and it happened to be full of Demerol,
42:12which is a prescription pain medication.
42:16But a lot of it.
42:17It was, it was an unknown thing that you don't ask.
42:21I said, what's going on?
42:24And I was like, oh, okay.
42:26Never mind.
42:29But then he would go to the studio as long as he had his magical pills.
42:35But it was all so confusing at the same time.
42:38It wasn't, I'm not there to look at someone and unwrap the package.
42:41I'm there to get records done, right?
42:46There were so many people who were reliant on him to be the golden goose that lays eggs again.
42:55But he knew that path was corrosive.
43:01It frightened me.
43:02There was too much conflict going on with him.
43:04And I sensed and I saw that I was losing my influence.
43:08And I told him, I'm not going to watch you drive your life off a cliff and clap.
43:28Invincible has sold two million copies in six months.
43:32And that ain't invincible.
43:34The flop of invincible, along with a general downturn in sales, means that Sony's share price has suffered of late.
43:44Michael told me, you know what?
43:46Michael told me, you know what?
43:47I can't do this anymore.
43:52Michael was done with the music and with touring and all of this.
44:09but sony was not happy at all with this so he knew he has to fight to come out of
44:17this situation
44:23from my vantage point he got a tremendous amount of support from sony music
44:32but you have to understand they're artists they're all narcissists they can't help themselves
44:38okay if their record's not selling it's someone's fault
44:43you know if their tour is not doing well it's someone's fault someone is always to blame
44:56michael jackson is the architect of his own destiny like every single human being whether
45:03you're special or not you are the creator of the reality you live in
45:10i remember we were required to go to new york city and then he's whisked off to al sharpton's church
45:18i personally think he was jacked up on something
45:25throughout the years black artists have been taken advantage of completely and it's sony tommy
45:35mottola tom mottola is the president of the record division he is a mean he's a racist
45:43and he's very very very devilish
45:50you know this just it just exploded right there
45:53sony's statement reads we were deeply offended by the outrageous comments mr jackson made
45:58mr jackson has committed a serious abuse of power that comes with celebrity
46:29he told me today you need to help me it's over
46:34he asked me to terminate all his contracts with his lawyers with his team with everybody
46:42and he did want that i take over everything
46:51ladies and gentlemen my name is michael jackson
46:55and rather than writing you a letter i found this format to be most efficient for what i wish to
47:00communicate
47:04he gave me the power of attorney i will personally sign agreements or legally authorize my partners to sign on
47:17my behalf
47:19but and he told me today the old team they will be after you they called once and told me
47:28you take our golden cow and you have to stop this and uh
47:37but i was on michael's side of course and and i did what
47:40he warned i remember these words from michael to me
47:46i put my life and my future in your hand
48:10when it comes to distributing cookies we get to see
48:13children's real personality here come here prince over here before i grind you into hamburg
48:24you know you want the cookie and you behave
48:31here okay here here's the cookie
48:34paris you want some of this
48:37by that time i wasn't involved in his life
48:41paris you're gonna say thank you
48:46i received a phone call from
48:52a producer uh that worked with martin bashear martin bashear wants to interview michael jackson
49:03i got off the phone and i went to michael and said first of all your life it's not ready
49:07to be
49:07open to the public stay a billion miles away from this guy
49:15but michael was an insecure person who is going to look for the validation of the public
49:23he wanted to talk about his whole life his career that people really understand him
49:33so martin bashear followed michael for eight months
49:42how do you write a song how do you write a song when i wrote billy jean i was riding
49:49in my uh
49:49car down ventura boulevard all i said to myself beforehand i want to write a song with a great
49:55bass hook you know i'm doing you know the way did that come from from above the dance as well
50:06yeah same thing how do you do it can you show me how you do it oh boy come on
50:12just get out
50:12i'm sure oh come on just show me just show me just show me show me what you do teach
50:17me okay uh
50:20oh boy you're putting me on the spot now come on now people are discovering something about me i'm
50:26really shy i'm embarrassed okay you're shy just get up and show me um okay
50:35michael opened the door for everything
50:47michael had just had another child
50:54we was in the room together and michael heard the screaming from from the fans was a beautiful feeling
51:09and michael was so excited i was behind him he took blanket but they had him really fast under his
51:17arm
51:36in the next morning i came out of my room and i saw all over the newspaper
51:43that was not a nice not a nice picture but of course martin bashir he was there
51:51i love you here he is
51:54here's the bottle it's okay just get this off oh please don't try
52:09blanket blanket blanket blanket blanket i love you yes yes yes
52:16have you been hearing about what people have been saying that's totally ignorant i would never do that
52:21to my children or any any child try to kill them come on stupid and why would i put a
52:26scarf over the
52:27baby's face if i was trying to throw them off the balcony we were waiting to thousands of fans down
52:32below and they were chanting they want to see my child so i was kind enough to let them see
52:37i was doing something out of innocence
52:46when living with michael jackson as this evening these streets are going to be deserted fans and
52:51critics alike are saying they're going to be staying in to watch the program
52:55with his reputation in america very much at stake for michael jackson it must be a nervous weight
53:03i didn't want that we watched the documentary until i know what happened
53:09but michael of course he want to see it we watched it on tv together
53:20eight months ago i put a proposal to michael jackson show me the real man but show me everything make
53:28nothing off limits he thought about it and then he said yes come to neverland
53:36we began a journey together across continents through his past and rapidly into the disturbing
53:43reality of his life today in the documentary was this young boy gevin aviso
53:54and he was taking care of him when people hear that children from other families have come and they've
54:03stayed in your house they've stayed in your bedroom
54:06um well very few but you know some have and they say is that really appropriate for a man
54:15a grown man to be doing that how do you respond to that i feel sorry for them because that's
54:20judging
54:20someone who wants to really help people why can't you share your bed but the most loving thing to do
54:27is to
54:27share your bed with someone when i saw this i got a very bad feeling when you're talking about
54:36children if i said well i've invited some of my daughter's friends around or my son's friends
54:43around and they're going to sleep in the bed with me tonight that's fine what do you think their
54:46parents would say if they're wacky they would say you can't i suppose the problem for many people
54:52is what happened in 1993 or what didn't happen what didn't happen
55:01one bombshell after another about his bizarre behavior in a new british documentary jackson admits
55:08he still has sleepovers with young boys i felt
55:18shock absolute shock have you lost all touch with reality
55:23anxiety that you don't even know how people are going to react to that he said he slept in his
55:32in a bed with with children that are not his own i mean this isn't made up this isn't fabricated
55:36what kind of loony would a do it and b go on national tv and admit it michael cross lines
55:44that
55:44clearly are uncrossable sharing a bed with a child that's not yours even if it's not sexual it's still
55:52insanity we got the reaction from all over of course it was terrible you can't sleep with
55:59strangers kids and as much as i love michael jackson i'm having a hard time defending him right now
56:04i believe the child welfare services should interview every child that has been at neverland
56:09with mr jackson in his bedroom or anywhere else in the home without the presence of their parents
56:14find out what's going on he couldn't talk and he was sitting on his bed crying what's ahead for
56:22michael jackson what do you think's ahead a real bumpy road i don't think he'll recover from this one
56:29that documentary led directly or indirectly to michael jackson's death there's absolutely no question
56:36about that was the beginning of the end michael jackson wasn't the ordinary pedophile
56:55he had the means to be able to do things that no one else i had ever prosecuted could do
57:01an estate that was 2 800 acres and a huge house with multiple locks a staff that just ignored what
57:09was going on that was unique to michael jackson gavin can you tell us what your conversations what
57:16what you guys talked about he said that he showed me masturbate okay okay well i said no
57:25he started masturbating okay we had lost the opportunity 10 years earlier
57:34we had lost the opportunity 10 years later and we were determined that that not happened again
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