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What Jacko needed was someone to say ‘No’

01 July 2009

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My defining memory of Michael Jackson — vulnerable, brilliant, otherworldly — is of watching him dance to the soundtrack of a movie.

We worked for a few minutes on his musical block, and then I did something I have never done before. I’m not proud of this — in fact, I feel it might have been unethical — but I began to probe deeper into Michael’s mind. I knew of the disturbing rumours that he had bought off a court case with a $20 million settlement. My intuition told me he was innocent, and so sensitive to attacks that he would do anything, even throw away millions, rather than face a confrontation. But I had to be certain.

‘Michael Jackson,’ I said, ‘tell me with total honesty — did you ever touch a child in an inappropriate manner?’

He answered without hesitation. ‘No. I would never do that.’

‘Then why did you pay Jordy Chandler’s family off?’

‘It was the easiest thing to do.’ The statement was simple and unembroidered, made without pause to invent a lie. ‘I couldn’t take it any more. I’d had enough.’

I pushed the question again: ‘Have you ever touched a child or a young person in a way that you shouldn’t?’ And he replied: ‘Never. I would never do that. My friendships with children are all very beautiful.’

He appeared to be still under deep hypnosis and I believed he was quite incapable of lying. Years later, when he was hounded by prosecutors in California who forced him to stand trial on similar allegations, I never doubted that he was innocent — though I did fear that the jury would convict him, not on the evidence but based on prejudice.

As I was sucked into the insanity of media and adulation that followed him round the world, I began to marvel that Michael remained as sane as he was. One evening we drove out of his Knightsbridge hotel in a people-mover with midnight-tinted windows, and there were 2,000 people crowded across the pavement. Around 60 of the younger ones broke from the press and sprinted alongside us. I was concerned that someone could slip and fall under a wheel, but they were all so exuberantly happy. They were shouting out, ‘Michael, we love you!’

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Chip Sviokla

July 2nd, 2009 6:42pm Report this comment

The Spectator will never be the same in my eyes. I'm dumbfounded that you printed this garbage.

Alan

July 3rd, 2009 11:54am Report this comment

Insightful! No, wait, the other thing. Clingy, creepy, hollow and entirely without merit. That's it.

cripesonfriday

July 3rd, 2009 12:00pm Report this comment

I am amazed that you could print something as trite, something as poor as this on your website, Uri Geller has said all this in TV interviews since an hour after Jackson's death.
Uri Geller is a charlatan, a publicity seeking sham artist who is so false that MICHAEL JACKSON saw through him.
All the anecdotes are 8 years or more old and have no relevance to the shell of a person Jackson became.
It is an absolute disgrace that Geller is getting yet another bite of the fame cherry because of the death of someone who once considered him a friend.
This isn't news, this is an ad for Uri Gellar's no doubt forthcoming book about him and his "friend"
Shame on you for publishing this.I say this, not as a Michael Jackson fan, but as a fan of good journalism.

Adam

July 3rd, 2009 12:10pm Report this comment

What utter tripe. Uri Geller clearly holds friendship in the same vein as Paul Burrell. Someone should certainly have said 'No' - the editor.

Alan

July 3rd, 2009 12:25pm Report this comment

Self-serving! That's the adjective I was looking for!

Ron White

July 3rd, 2009 5:21pm Report this comment

Hmm, well if Geller's treatment was so effective, how come he never used it to prevent Jackson's self destruction? As tacky as the crystal pyramids and globes chez Geller.

Daryll

July 5th, 2009 5:41am Report this comment

He only pretended to bend spoons, but this freak (clearly it's not only opposites who attract) really does bend the truth.

When Jacko left his seat in the cinema, Geller thought he'd left the theatre - "but after a few minutes I looked around and saw him silhouetted [dancing] in the projectionist's beam."

For this fable to be true, wouldn't you have first noticed it on the screen, fraud?

What Geller (and readers) needed was for the Spectator to say 'No' to such rubbish.

Man in the mirror

July 5th, 2009 2:06pm Report this comment

Geller personally arranged the ultimate betrayal of his 'friend', the Bashir documentary.

This was a finely-crafted and thorough, crude, manipulative hatchet job that led directly to the final, fatal persecution and destruction of the supremely gifted and sensitive human being, Michael Jackson.

Lest we forget.

Teledu (Future Poet Laureate surely)

July 5th, 2009 5:05pm Report this comment

Say what you like about Michael Jackson
But he's no Anglo-Saxon!

Tabi

July 6th, 2009 2:26pm Report this comment

Aye you are so right Uri Geller...but
No Never not ever .. maybe in another aeon

Kay P Hankinson

July 6th, 2009 3:35pm Report this comment

I sincerely suggest that critics should investigate Mr Geller with a more open mind .. generally one finds what one is looking for - if it is to prove that he is a fraud you will find that and if it is to prove that he is quite incredible you will prove that too.

Kay P Hankinson

July 6th, 2009 4:28pm Report this comment

Apropos my last statement about Mr Geller ( and although I am not of any particular religious leaning ) I would say that " As ye seek, so shall ye find' which means you see what you want to see and find what you want to find in all areas of your life.

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