Part 34 (1/2)

The issue of postponing Jackson's trial, as it happened, would be a moot one. The judge denied Bert Fields' pet.i.tion, setting a trial date for 21 March.

Then, in a few weeks, a Santa Barbara Grand Jury did did begin hearing witnesses, so Bert Fields hadn't been completely wrong. Furious with Howard Weitzman for making him look foolish, Bert resigned from the case, later calling the change of events 'an outrage. It was a nightmare and I wanted to get the h.e.l.l out of it as soon as possible.' begin hearing witnesses, so Bert Fields hadn't been completely wrong. Furious with Howard Weitzman for making him look foolish, Bert resigned from the case, later calling the change of events 'an outrage. It was a nightmare and I wanted to get the h.e.l.l out of it as soon as possible.'

At the same time, Anthony Pellicano, who had tired of the flak he had received for his aggressive tactics, resigned.

When Michael heard about all of the upheaval on his team, he telephoned Elizabeth Taylor to tell her that he was 'surrounded by people who don't know what the h.e.l.l they're doing.' He had lost all hope, he said, according to what Elizabeth later recalled to one of Jackson's attorneys. 'He's threatening to kill himself,' she said, dramatically. 'And if he does, his blood will be on all of our hands.'

'Well, we're doing all we can do,' said one of Michael's advisers. 'What else can we do?'

'We can pray,' answered Elizabeth Taylor. 'At this point, I think that's about it.'

It was soon suggested that Michael Jackson wasn't being treated like the other patients at Charter when, after just a few days, he was granted permission to move his rehabilitation to the bucolic home of Elton John's manager, John Reid. Shortly thereafter, he was seen at Manor Farm, the estate of seventy-year-old British banking mogul Jack Dellal, a friend of Beechy Colclough. Hopefully, he was still getting his fifty thousand dollars a week's worth of mental health a.s.sistance. To a lot of people, including Elizabeth Taylor who has had hardcore rehabilitation in her lifetime it appeared that Michael was having some kind of 'quick fix'. Surely, it would take more than a few days, even a few months, for Michael to deal with so many years of dysfunction. All his friends could do was hope that he was on his way to being able to at least partially understand himself and his choices.

However, the fact that Michael was still doing business during this time was disconcerting. In fact, a big deal was struck while he was supposed to be in rehabilitation. He consulted with John Branca on the biggest music publis.h.i.+ng agreement in history: one hundred and fifty million dollars with EMI to administer his ATV catalogue. John faxed the agreement to him at John Reid's. Upon signing it, seventy million dollars was deposited into Michael's bank account. 'The deal was already negotiated,' John later explained. 'A couple of phone calls to Michael for some fine-tuning. It wasn't much of a distraction, believe me, or I wouldn't have even called him. He was okay with it. It was good for him to know that things were going forward, that his life was far from over.'

Indeed, despite the turmoil in his life, Michael was still making money, and a great deal of it. Dangerous Dangerous had thus far sold twenty million copies worldwide. In the UK, the record had debuted at the number one position. Propelled by a hit single, 'Black and White', and an accompanying controversial video (where Michael takes out his anger on an automobile, seems to pleasure himself with his own gyrating dancing, and then transforms into a panther), it was the fastest-selling number one alb.u.m of all time in the UK, and remained on the charts for ninety-six weeks, a performance only exceeded in America. 'His past royalties were huge, especially for had thus far sold twenty million copies worldwide. In the UK, the record had debuted at the number one position. Propelled by a hit single, 'Black and White', and an accompanying controversial video (where Michael takes out his anger on an automobile, seems to pleasure himself with his own gyrating dancing, and then transforms into a panther), it was the fastest-selling number one alb.u.m of all time in the UK, and remained on the charts for ninety-six weeks, a performance only exceeded in America. 'His past royalties were huge, especially for Thriller Thriller, and his residuals from The Beatles' catalogue, his stocks and other investments,' noted one advisor. 'The kid had plenty of money, millions.' One point was clear, however: he was determined not to give any of his money to Evan Chandler, despite whatever strategy his legal team had been considering with Johnnie Cochran, and despite his own determination that the matter be settled. An a.s.sociate who was with him at Dellal's home recalled having asked him about a possible settlement the morning after the ATV deal was final. 'I said, ”Mike, you can give up twenty million dollars of the new ATV money,”' he remembered. '”It's found money, anyway. For twenty million dollars, the whole Chandler thing can go away.”

'”No way,” he told me. ”I want it settled, yeah, but with apologies all around, some kind of press release, whatever. I don't care. All I know is I'm not giving anyone a single dollar. I'm not p.i.s.sing away my money on this lie. Forget it.”

'His eyes were blazing. He insisted that he didn't do anything wrong, and he wasn't going to pay money to settle it. ”I never touched that kid,” he told me, ”and that's the end of it. Believe what you want. See if I care.”

'I said, ”Mike, I believe you, of course.” He looked at me angrily and said, ”Yeah, right. Sure you do.”'

Michael Stands Naked.

On 10 December 1993, Michael Jackson returned to the United States after having been discharged from Charter clinic. Of course, he didn't simply hop on a commercial airline to cross the ocean. Rather, he flew back to the States in a private 727 owned by the Sultan of Brunei, said to be the wealthiest man in the world and an admirer of Michael's.

When Michael disembarked in Santa Barbara, he looked healthier than he had in recent months while wearing a red hat and matching silk s.h.i.+rt, black slacks and... surgical mask. He also had two youngsters with him, Eddie and Frank Cascio, from New Jersey, who had been travelling with him on his tour. Eddie was about ten; Frank fourteen.

Michael had befriended the Cascios about ten years earlier; their father, Dominic was the manager of New York's Helmsley Palace Hotel. Michael asked to meet the boys after seeing a picture of them on the wall of Dominic's office; they were just babies at the time.

Dominic accompanied his children on their 1993 travels with Michael; Michael was not alone with them. However, such chaperoning was not the impression given the media since Dominic was nowhere in sight when Michael made well-publicized appearances with the boys. They had even gone to Elizabeth Taylor's Swiss chalet in Gstaad (in September) and been photographed all over the small village, looking for toy stores, all three wearing large sungla.s.ses, Michael in a big hat with surgical mask.

Eddie and Frank are in their twenties today, and are still good friends of Michael's. In court papers connected to one of the many suits filed against Michael in recent years, one by a business manager, Myung Ho Lee, states that Michael once loaned Dominic Cascio $600,000 to start a restaurant in New Jersey. However, the restaurant was never opened. Today, Frank Cascio goes by the name Frank Tyson, and is one of Michael's most trusted a.s.sistants.

Some in his camp had serious reservations about Michael continuing to be seen in the company of children at such a critical time in his life. Was he still so out of touch he didn't realize how inappropriate, not to mention dangerous, such behaviour was? Or, as one adviser put it, 'I guess the therapy thing didn't take, did it?'

Michael could not be swayed from continuing his friends.h.i.+ps with children publicly. In fact, after being in therapy at Charter, Michael was more emboldened to live his life on his own terms, rather than consider any restrictions.

'Look, I almost died,' he told one a.s.sociate. 'Do you know how close I was? Now that I am past it, no way am I not going to do what I want to do, when I want to do it and how. It's plain and simple,' Michael concluded, 'and anyone who doesn't like it can just go to h.e.l.l.'

Michael Jackson has been hailed as a genius of a businessman. No matter how eccentric he seemed, it was said, he was actually a shrewd marketing genius and the joke was on us. Maybe on some level that was true. However, one can't help but wonder if such a 'genius' would not know when to just... stop. Many of Michael's actions, especially in the last ten years, have caused observers to question if the perception of ingenuity in the 1980s was actually just good timing, and his willingness to take full advantage of it. Is it possible that Michael just made a couple of amazing alb.u.ms, and then inherited the world because of his showmans.h.i.+p and ability to surround himself with others others who were true marketing geniuses, like John Branca? who were true marketing geniuses, like John Branca?

Others have argued that Michael's insistence that he be seen in the company of young boys demonstrates a consciousness of innocence on his part. If he had been guilty of the crime for which he had been accused, would he continue to flaunt his relations.h.i.+ps with youngsters?

The bottom line is that Michael has done whatever he has wanted to do for most of his life, living in a world of privilege and ent.i.tlement simply because he is who he is. He has never understood the notion of 'appropriate behaviour' because, in truth, he's never had any reason to live appropriately. It's a strange commentary on celebrity and fame that the public's perception of Michael as being bizarre has had its advantages. After all, how can he be judged by normal, common-sense standards when he's 'Wacko-Jacko'?

However, in December of 1993 Michael was about to experience, if just for one day, what it might be like in the real world, where people often have to do things they may not necessarily want to do.

Upon Michael's return to the United States, he was immediately served with a warrant for the long-threatened strip search by the police. According to the order, officers expected to examine, photograph and videotape Michael's entire body, 'including his p.e.n.i.s, a.n.u.s, hips, b.u.t.tocks and any other part of his body. Michael Jackson should be notified,' according to the order, 'that he has no right to refuse the examination and photographs. Any refusal to cooperate with this order will be admissible in a court and an indication of his guilt.' Also, it was explained to his attorneys that if he didn't cooperate, the police would probably just arrest him on 'probable cause' and take him away in handcuffs, in front of photographers. This scenario was more than anyone in his camp could even fathom.

Apparently, Jordie had claimed that Michael had distinguis.h.i.+ng marks on his genitals. He even drew a diagram of Michael's p.e.n.i.s on a napkin for police, and wrote on it: 'Michael is circ.u.mcised. He has short pubic hair. His t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es are marked with pink and brown marks. Like a cow, not white but pink colour. He has brown patches on a.s.s, on his left glut.'

The police were now determined to learn if Jordie's description was accurate. If so, then he obviously had seen Michael Jackson unclothed.

The photo session, set for 20 December, promised to be as torturous an experience as Michael ever had in his life. Present from Santa Barbara would be its District Attorney, Thomas Sneddon, as well as a detective, photographer and a doctor. From Los Angeles, were Michael's attorneys, Johnnie Cochran and Howard Weitzman, and Dr David Forecast, one of Michael's physicians from the United Kingdom, as well as another detective and another photographer (employed by Michael), all of whom had arrived by helicopter.

After everyone arrived at Neverland, it took Johnnie Cochran and Howard Weitzman an hour to get Michael to leave his bedroom and go into the parlour, where the photos were to be taken. Finally, Michael came into the room, wearing a brown robe. It was agreed that his attorneys and Sneddon would leave the room and not be present for the photos. Bodyguard Bill Bray was allowed to remain, as would the two detectives and two photographers and two doctors.

As everyone was getting settled, Michael took a look at one of the detectives and, for no reason anyone could think of (except that he may have mistaken him for someone he knew), began shouting at him. 'You! Get out! I don't want you here for this. Get out!' Michael then tried to storm from the room. However, one of the doctors grabbed him. 'Hold on, Michael,' he said, 'hold on.' Johnnie and Howard, upon hearing the ruckus, came back into the room. 'Get these sons of b.i.t.c.hes out of here,' Michael screamed at them, now referring to everyone in the room. He was agitated beyond all measure and actually seemed high, though everyone present hoped that was not the case.

The District Attorney's photographer, Gary Spiegel, began taking photographs of Michael while he was still seated on the couch. Michael blocked his face with his hands, as if thwarting a paparazzo.

Finally, an anguished Michael was told to stand on a platform in the middle of the room as if about to have his pants hemmed by a tailor. He was still wearing a bathrobe. 'Please don't make me do this,' he said, his doe-like eyes watery. 'This is terrible. Don't make me.'

'Sir, we have no choice,' said one of the detectives.

Then, while standing on that platform and staring at a picture of Elizabeth Taylor on the wall, Michael took off the bathrobe. Under it, he wore a bathing suit.

'You'll have to take it off, sir,' said the detective.

Still staring at the photograph of Elizabeth, Michael slipped the bathing suit off... under which he had on boxers.

'Sir, please.'

Crying softly now, Michael slipped off the boxers and stood, naked, stripped not only of his clothing but of the one illusion he'd always had: that of his invincibility. All eyes went right to his p.e.n.i.s, which did not appear to be circ.u.mcised.

'Is the subject uncirc.u.mcised?' asked the doctor. Everyone stepped in for a closer look.

'Yes, he is...'

'No, he's not...'

'Yes.'

'No'

'Oh my G.o.d,' Michael whimpered. He looked dizzy, as if about to faint.

'You don't know?' asked one of the detectives of Michael's physician.

Michael's medic became indignant. 'Sir, I have never seen his p.e.n.i.s before now.'

'Well, the subject is clearly not not circ.u.mcised,' decided the other doctor, finally. He made a note of his finding. circ.u.mcised,' decided the other doctor, finally. He made a note of his finding.