As Michael Jackson's trial progresses the tales spun by some witnesses become ever more fanciful, and "fantastic".
Yesterday Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) returned to the witness stand, she was a little more controlled than her first appearance on Wednesday; that histrionic performance won her no friends on the jury.
I do really wonder what the prosecution were thinking of, when they decided to use her as a witness for their case.
Maybe they had forgotten to medicate her on Wednesday?
Janet Jackson (JJ to save confusion) claimed that she and her family had been imprisoned by Jackson's henchman, and told that "killers" were after her.
JJ said that over several weeks she and others were moved around, and made to feel like prisoners. In rather a telling admission, she said that she had not gone to the police because "who would possibly believe" what she was saying.
Wise words indeed Mrs J!
In the rebuttal video made by the Arvizos, she praised Jackson. However, according to her, this had been scripted; such lines as "he's a wonderful father. Basically, in summary, that he's a wonderful father ... to my children" were not her own.
She was asked if she believed what she was saying in the video, and replied:
"I was confused, I was sad, so basically I was acting."
She did burst into tears once, when the prosecution showed her four passports belonging to her and her children. Seemingly these had been forcibly obtained for an alleged trip to Brazil.
JJ said that everything that she did between 21 February to 10 March 2003 was done under dictat. Jackson's aides would monitor her calls, stand outside her window or her hotel door and would not let her leave their custody.
Quote:
"All along this period, I'm trying to reach people to help me because it's evolving into more and more escalation,".
During this "imprisonment" JJ said that they also found time to go shopping for clothes, went to the Laugh Factory club, to a hotel and returned to Neverland.
Call me sceptical, but it's a funny kind of imprisonment where you are allowed out to go shopping etc.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
A Lick and a Promise
Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) took the stand in the Michael Jackson trial yesterday.
She made a fair stab at seeming to be emotional, begging the jury "Please don't judge me,".
She told them that she once saw Jackson lick Gavin's forehead, like a cat. However, despite this rather obvious sign that something was amiss, she still allowed him to sleep in Jackson's bedroom.
Quote:
"I had not slept for so long..Like this, over and over,"
She added:
"I thought it was me. I thought I was seeing things. Everybody was asleep,".
One must conclude that she is either stupid or lying.
She then got her dander up, and railed against Jackson's aides, Ronald Konitzer and Dieter Wiesner; "those Germans who were following me everywhere."
Mrs Jackson said that she said she was unaware that he had been filmed at Neverland for a documentary about Jackson. She claimed that she had never personally spoken to Jackson until he called her in February 2003, to say her children's lives were in danger.
Quote:
"He spoke in a normal, male voice..He told me to trust him and believe him."
Jackson said that Jackson asked her to fly with her children to Miami, to participate in a press conference that would rebut the Bashir documentary "Living with Michael Jackson.".
Mrs Jackson then likened herself to a sponge:
"I was just like a sponge. Believing him. Trusting him..He said he would protect us from these killers. He said he was more than a father figure to my children."
They went to Miami, but there was no press conference or explanations, she said.
Quote:
"When I started to ask questions, that's when a lot of the craziness happened,".
Big Mike, Jackson's head of security, told her that she could join Jackson and her children on his private plane if she kept quiet.
It seems that the jury regarded the testimony as a pile of BS. Undoubtedly they were put off by Mrs Jackson "emotional" style of presentation; I thought lawyers these days schooled their witnesses before they took the stand?
She said she begged a Spanish-speaking house manager to borrow the Rolls Royce to take her and her children home to Los Angeles; then, for reasons that are not at all clear, she returned to Neverland.
Tom Mesereau, for the defence, very wisely allowed the rambling and delusional testimony to go unchallenged. Evidently Mrs Jackson was determined to commit "plausibility suicide", and Mesereau for one was not going to stand in her way.
She did at least manage to keep her mouth shut about one aspect of her life, namely welfare fraud.
Mrs Jackson decided, wisely, that she would expose herself to prosecution on this matter if she spoke about it; therefore she took the Fifth.
I suspect that the prosecution must be wishing that she took the Fifth for the entire testimony.
It's never like this in "The Practice".
She made a fair stab at seeming to be emotional, begging the jury "Please don't judge me,".
She told them that she once saw Jackson lick Gavin's forehead, like a cat. However, despite this rather obvious sign that something was amiss, she still allowed him to sleep in Jackson's bedroom.
Quote:
"I had not slept for so long..Like this, over and over,"
She added:
"I thought it was me. I thought I was seeing things. Everybody was asleep,".
One must conclude that she is either stupid or lying.
She then got her dander up, and railed against Jackson's aides, Ronald Konitzer and Dieter Wiesner; "those Germans who were following me everywhere."
Mrs Jackson said that she said she was unaware that he had been filmed at Neverland for a documentary about Jackson. She claimed that she had never personally spoken to Jackson until he called her in February 2003, to say her children's lives were in danger.
Quote:
"He spoke in a normal, male voice..He told me to trust him and believe him."
Jackson said that Jackson asked her to fly with her children to Miami, to participate in a press conference that would rebut the Bashir documentary "Living with Michael Jackson.".
Mrs Jackson then likened herself to a sponge:
"I was just like a sponge. Believing him. Trusting him..He said he would protect us from these killers. He said he was more than a father figure to my children."
They went to Miami, but there was no press conference or explanations, she said.
Quote:
"When I started to ask questions, that's when a lot of the craziness happened,".
Big Mike, Jackson's head of security, told her that she could join Jackson and her children on his private plane if she kept quiet.
It seems that the jury regarded the testimony as a pile of BS. Undoubtedly they were put off by Mrs Jackson "emotional" style of presentation; I thought lawyers these days schooled their witnesses before they took the stand?
She said she begged a Spanish-speaking house manager to borrow the Rolls Royce to take her and her children home to Los Angeles; then, for reasons that are not at all clear, she returned to Neverland.
Tom Mesereau, for the defence, very wisely allowed the rambling and delusional testimony to go unchallenged. Evidently Mrs Jackson was determined to commit "plausibility suicide", and Mesereau for one was not going to stand in her way.
She did at least manage to keep her mouth shut about one aspect of her life, namely welfare fraud.
Mrs Jackson decided, wisely, that she would expose herself to prosecution on this matter if she spoke about it; therefore she took the Fifth.
I suspect that the prosecution must be wishing that she took the Fifth for the entire testimony.
It's never like this in "The Practice".
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Janet Jackson May Not Testify
It seems that Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) may not testify, after all, at Michael Jackson's trial.
It is reported that Janet sees potential legal problems if she testifies.
No kidding!
The prosecution have filed a motion that the defence be disbarred from asking Janet any questions about welfare fraud.
This trial could certainly not have dredged up a more unpleasant and odious bunch of people if it had tried. The stench of greed and lies is positively nauseating.
Tom Sneddon has told jurors that Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) "obtained welfare funds when she wasn't entitled to them. She's going to tell you that, and she's going to admit that."
In other words, she is a thief and liar.
Janet, fearing no doubt that the welfare services might jump on her from a great height, is thinking of pleading the Fifth Amendment. Needless to say, this would fatally hole her testimony below the water line.
Whilst she is not relevant to the case about molestation, she is relevant to the conspiracy charges against five unindicted Jackson associates.
Whoever eventually wins this sorry and sordid little example of the failings of humanity, it will not be the human race.
It is reported that Janet sees potential legal problems if she testifies.
No kidding!
The prosecution have filed a motion that the defence be disbarred from asking Janet any questions about welfare fraud.
This trial could certainly not have dredged up a more unpleasant and odious bunch of people if it had tried. The stench of greed and lies is positively nauseating.
Tom Sneddon has told jurors that Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) "obtained welfare funds when she wasn't entitled to them. She's going to tell you that, and she's going to admit that."
In other words, she is a thief and liar.
Janet, fearing no doubt that the welfare services might jump on her from a great height, is thinking of pleading the Fifth Amendment. Needless to say, this would fatally hole her testimony below the water line.
Whilst she is not relevant to the case about molestation, she is relevant to the conspiracy charges against five unindicted Jackson associates.
Whoever eventually wins this sorry and sordid little example of the failings of humanity, it will not be the human race.
The Price of Rebuttal
Gavin Arvizo's stepfather, coincidentally named Jackson, took the stand in Michael Jackson's trial yesterday.
He told the jury that Gavin, during the time he was with Jackson, became rude and distant; taking several months to return to normal after 2003.
Jackson (not Michael) said that Gavin had been "brainwashed,"; this remark was, not surprisingly, contested by the defence and was stricken from the records.
He said that the Arvizo family were offered a new house and free college educations, in exchange for appearing in a video refuting the Bashir TV documentary.
The defence pointed out that Jackson had declined the offer, in the hope that he could milk even more out of Michael Jackson.
Jackson, the stepfather, is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve; he stated that he believed that the offer was insufficient, because he believed that Jackson would earn $4M-$5M from selling his rebuttal.
Ah the sweet smell of money and greed, pass the sick bag!
Then for good measure he admitted asking reporters from a British tabloid for money for an interview, seemingly he believed that "it was the standard in the industry."
Following on from this demand, he then seemingly had a change of heart; and claimed that he rejected an offer of $15K.
Quote:
"The more I thought about it, the less I liked it...It just wasn't going to be an appropriate thing to do with this family."
Jackson (the stepfather) said that after the Bashir documentary and associate of MJ, Frank Tyson, called Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) repeatedly; sometimes up to every 15 minutes, they wanted the Arvizos to appear in a rebuttal video.
Jackson said that Janet was "distressed" by the calls.
At that time Jackson (the stepfather) was not married to Janet, but living with her on an ad hoc basis. Seemingly Tyson told him that the Arvizos could get a new house and free college educations for Gavin, his brother and sister.
Jackson (the stepfather) was not happy with the offer, he believed that MJ was "taking advantage" of the family.
Quote:
"I asked what he was offering financially or monetarily,".
Tyson interpreted this as a blackmail attempt, and allegedly pointed out that "we're offering them protection,".
Eventually Janet agreed to participate in the rebuttal video. In this, she and Gavin, along with his brother and sister, praise M Jackson and deny anything improper happened. However, the children now all testify that the video was scripted and they were coached on what to say.
Tyson has been named, along with four other Jackson associates, as an unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment against M Jackson in April 2004. The indictment alleges that Jackson and the five conspired to intimidate and coerce the Arvizos into participating in damage control after the documentary, including holding them against their will in the weeks after it aired.
The indictment also alleges that Jackson paid Tyson $1 million after the family left the ranch.
Question: If Gavin and his siblings did not receive the free education, and the Arvizos did not get the free house, why did they do the video?
He told the jury that Gavin, during the time he was with Jackson, became rude and distant; taking several months to return to normal after 2003.
Jackson (not Michael) said that Gavin had been "brainwashed,"; this remark was, not surprisingly, contested by the defence and was stricken from the records.
He said that the Arvizo family were offered a new house and free college educations, in exchange for appearing in a video refuting the Bashir TV documentary.
The defence pointed out that Jackson had declined the offer, in the hope that he could milk even more out of Michael Jackson.
Jackson, the stepfather, is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve; he stated that he believed that the offer was insufficient, because he believed that Jackson would earn $4M-$5M from selling his rebuttal.
Ah the sweet smell of money and greed, pass the sick bag!
Then for good measure he admitted asking reporters from a British tabloid for money for an interview, seemingly he believed that "it was the standard in the industry."
Following on from this demand, he then seemingly had a change of heart; and claimed that he rejected an offer of $15K.
Quote:
"The more I thought about it, the less I liked it...It just wasn't going to be an appropriate thing to do with this family."
Jackson (the stepfather) said that after the Bashir documentary and associate of MJ, Frank Tyson, called Janet Jackson (nee Arvizo) repeatedly; sometimes up to every 15 minutes, they wanted the Arvizos to appear in a rebuttal video.
Jackson said that Janet was "distressed" by the calls.
At that time Jackson (the stepfather) was not married to Janet, but living with her on an ad hoc basis. Seemingly Tyson told him that the Arvizos could get a new house and free college educations for Gavin, his brother and sister.
Jackson (the stepfather) was not happy with the offer, he believed that MJ was "taking advantage" of the family.
Quote:
"I asked what he was offering financially or monetarily,".
Tyson interpreted this as a blackmail attempt, and allegedly pointed out that "we're offering them protection,".
Eventually Janet agreed to participate in the rebuttal video. In this, she and Gavin, along with his brother and sister, praise M Jackson and deny anything improper happened. However, the children now all testify that the video was scripted and they were coached on what to say.
Tyson has been named, along with four other Jackson associates, as an unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment against M Jackson in April 2004. The indictment alleges that Jackson and the five conspired to intimidate and coerce the Arvizos into participating in damage control after the documentary, including holding them against their will in the weeks after it aired.
The indictment also alleges that Jackson paid Tyson $1 million after the family left the ranch.
Question: If Gavin and his siblings did not receive the free education, and the Arvizos did not get the free house, why did they do the video?
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Head Licking
In the bizarre world that is Michael Jackson's trail, we now find ourselves reading about head licking.
Not exactly something that one would normally be reading about, even in the most salacious or unpleasant of trials.
Bob Jones, Jackson's former publicist gave testimony yesterday, admitting that he saw Jackson lick Jordie Chandler's head when he and his family were on the plane returning from Monaco.
Not exactly the Waltons, is it?
Jones, worked for Jackson from 1987 until last year when he was fired..
Needless to say, like many of the other ex employees he is writing a book ("The Man Behind The Mask") about his time with Jackson. The draft of which is with the prosecution, and contains details of the head licking incident.
Oddly enough, when first questioned about this on Monday, Jones had a touch of amnesia and claimed he could not recall the incident.
Call me old fashioned but you would remember something like that, wouldn't you?
However, the memory lapse was overcome once he was confronted with e-mails that he sent to Stacy Brown (co author of the book) that "the licking is going to be important,".
Quote:
"I would not have made it up,".
How oddly reluctant for a budding author.
Brown was also called to give testimony. He said that he had several conversations with Jones, in which he talked about seeing Jackson lick Jordie's head during the Monaco trip.
Thomas Mesereau, for the defence, wryly pointed out that Brown and Jones' recollections about the incident seemed to change with his finances; that he had a better memory of seeing the licking when he needed money, and a fuzzier memory when he didn't.
When asked about the accuracy of the book, Jones said "It's factual to a degree,"; elaborating that Brown had included things of which he did not approve.
Quotes from the book where introduced; Jones described Jackson and Jordie "holding each other tightly" while sleeping on the return trip from Monaco in an "almost romantic embrace," with "cooing" and licks on the head.
In Jones' e-mail to Brown, he states that "the licking is going to be important because he did it in this case" and that it would "bite him big,".
Jones also said that during the 1993 World Music Awards show, at Jackson's insistence, Jordie and his sister sat on his lap.
Not exactly something that one would normally be reading about, even in the most salacious or unpleasant of trials.
Bob Jones, Jackson's former publicist gave testimony yesterday, admitting that he saw Jackson lick Jordie Chandler's head when he and his family were on the plane returning from Monaco.
Not exactly the Waltons, is it?
Jones, worked for Jackson from 1987 until last year when he was fired..
Needless to say, like many of the other ex employees he is writing a book ("The Man Behind The Mask") about his time with Jackson. The draft of which is with the prosecution, and contains details of the head licking incident.
Oddly enough, when first questioned about this on Monday, Jones had a touch of amnesia and claimed he could not recall the incident.
Call me old fashioned but you would remember something like that, wouldn't you?
However, the memory lapse was overcome once he was confronted with e-mails that he sent to Stacy Brown (co author of the book) that "the licking is going to be important,".
Quote:
"I would not have made it up,".
How oddly reluctant for a budding author.
Brown was also called to give testimony. He said that he had several conversations with Jones, in which he talked about seeing Jackson lick Jordie's head during the Monaco trip.
Thomas Mesereau, for the defence, wryly pointed out that Brown and Jones' recollections about the incident seemed to change with his finances; that he had a better memory of seeing the licking when he needed money, and a fuzzier memory when he didn't.
When asked about the accuracy of the book, Jones said "It's factual to a degree,"; elaborating that Brown had included things of which he did not approve.
Quotes from the book where introduced; Jones described Jackson and Jordie "holding each other tightly" while sleeping on the return trip from Monaco in an "almost romantic embrace," with "cooing" and licks on the head.
In Jones' e-mail to Brown, he states that "the licking is going to be important because he did it in this case" and that it would "bite him big,".
Jones also said that during the 1993 World Music Awards show, at Jackson's insistence, Jordie and his sister sat on his lap.
Jackson Begged To Sleep With Jordie
Jordie Chandler's mother gave testimony at Michael Jackson's trial yesterday. Jordie claimed that he was molested by Jackson in 1993; the case never went to court, as Jackson paid him off.
Jordie's mother said that she allowed Jordie to start spending nights alone with Jackson after he, Jackson, sobbed and pleaded with her to let them sleep together.
Now if this were the case, what parent in their right mind would allow a pitiful clearly disturbed thirty year man like that to sleep with their child?
Something stinks here; either she is lying, or else she must have taken leave of her senses.
Then for good measure she said that, at Jackson's urging, she signed papers giving custody of the boy to his father; seemingly the father had threatened Jackson with legal action.
Quote:
"[Jackson] kept begging me to sign it so there wouldn't be any lawsuits or anything..I didn't understand completely what I was signing."
Why?
Jordie, who is now 25, will not testify because he does not want to get involved in the media spectacle; so his uncle Raymond (who has written a book about it) has told the media.
Jordie's mother recalled the first meeting with Jackson in 1992, when Jackson came to a Los Angeles car rental agency after having car trouble. Her then husband, the boy's stepfather, worked there.
She said that she gave Jackson their phone number, and told him:
"if you'd like to see [him] ... or speak to him."
Within a month Jackson began calling the boy, the conversations "got longer and longer,".
They then began spending weekends at Neverland, and taking trips to Las Vegas, Disneyland and Florida.
On the third visit to Neverland, she said that she refused Jordie's request to spend the night with Jackson in his bedroom.
However, after Jackson started "sobbing, crying, shaking and trembling" she changed her mind; quote:
"You don't trust me. We're a family..There's nothing wrong. There's nothing going on. Why don't you trust me?"
After 30 minutes or so of this pathetic spectacle she consented to allow Jordie to sleep in Jackson's bed.
I repeat, if this is the case, what on earth was she thinking?
No rational, sensible, responsible parent would allow this to happen.
Seemingly the sleepovers happened over 30 consecutive nights. Jackson would visit their home in Santa Monica, to spend the night with Jordie. He would then leave in the morning, and return in the afternoon to eat dinner with the family.
In May 1993, Jackson took the family with him to the World Music Awards in Monaco, and gave her his credit card to go shopping.
Money rears its ugly head!
Jackson also gave her gifts including; a gold Cartier bracelet, earrings, a necklace and a ring, as well as a $7K gift certificate to a Beverly Hills store.
Question: would she have allowed this to go on if Jackson was a penniless neighbour, with no money or celeb status?
It seems that by the Autumn of 1993, the mother claims that she finally woke up to reality. Jordie had become withdrawn, sullen and "was not wanting to be with us anymore." He began dressing like Jackson, and was "not as sweet as he normally was."
Quote:
"[He] was spending too much time with Michael Jackson, and I was upset..I wanted my son back. ... It was getting out of hand."
Question: Did she give all the presents back?
Question: Why did they accept a multimillion dollar settlement to?
Question: Why are they now reneging on this settlement?
This is a story is a sorry indictment of the human condition.
Jordie's mother said that she allowed Jordie to start spending nights alone with Jackson after he, Jackson, sobbed and pleaded with her to let them sleep together.
Now if this were the case, what parent in their right mind would allow a pitiful clearly disturbed thirty year man like that to sleep with their child?
Something stinks here; either she is lying, or else she must have taken leave of her senses.
Then for good measure she said that, at Jackson's urging, she signed papers giving custody of the boy to his father; seemingly the father had threatened Jackson with legal action.
Quote:
"[Jackson] kept begging me to sign it so there wouldn't be any lawsuits or anything..I didn't understand completely what I was signing."
Why?
Jordie, who is now 25, will not testify because he does not want to get involved in the media spectacle; so his uncle Raymond (who has written a book about it) has told the media.
Jordie's mother recalled the first meeting with Jackson in 1992, when Jackson came to a Los Angeles car rental agency after having car trouble. Her then husband, the boy's stepfather, worked there.
She said that she gave Jackson their phone number, and told him:
"if you'd like to see [him] ... or speak to him."
Within a month Jackson began calling the boy, the conversations "got longer and longer,".
They then began spending weekends at Neverland, and taking trips to Las Vegas, Disneyland and Florida.
On the third visit to Neverland, she said that she refused Jordie's request to spend the night with Jackson in his bedroom.
However, after Jackson started "sobbing, crying, shaking and trembling" she changed her mind; quote:
"You don't trust me. We're a family..There's nothing wrong. There's nothing going on. Why don't you trust me?"
After 30 minutes or so of this pathetic spectacle she consented to allow Jordie to sleep in Jackson's bed.
I repeat, if this is the case, what on earth was she thinking?
No rational, sensible, responsible parent would allow this to happen.
Seemingly the sleepovers happened over 30 consecutive nights. Jackson would visit their home in Santa Monica, to spend the night with Jordie. He would then leave in the morning, and return in the afternoon to eat dinner with the family.
In May 1993, Jackson took the family with him to the World Music Awards in Monaco, and gave her his credit card to go shopping.
Money rears its ugly head!
Jackson also gave her gifts including; a gold Cartier bracelet, earrings, a necklace and a ring, as well as a $7K gift certificate to a Beverly Hills store.
Question: would she have allowed this to go on if Jackson was a penniless neighbour, with no money or celeb status?
It seems that by the Autumn of 1993, the mother claims that she finally woke up to reality. Jordie had become withdrawn, sullen and "was not wanting to be with us anymore." He began dressing like Jackson, and was "not as sweet as he normally was."
Quote:
"[He] was spending too much time with Michael Jackson, and I was upset..I wanted my son back. ... It was getting out of hand."
Question: Did she give all the presents back?
Question: Why did they accept a multimillion dollar settlement to?
Question: Why are they now reneging on this settlement?
This is a story is a sorry indictment of the human condition.
Monday, April 11, 2005
The Trial Within a Trial
Raymone Bain, Michael Jackson's spokeswoman, told CBS News this morning that:
"We are now in a trial within a trial...The actual case has been put on hold."
"We are now in a trial within a trial...The actual case has been put on hold."
Jackson's Mother Absents Herself
Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mother, said yesterday that the reason that she briefly left the courtroom during the trial last week was to use the rest room; not to avoid hearing graphic testimony.
Katherine Jackson, made the statement through a spokeswoman; quote:
"Accusing me of leaving due to graphic testimony when I simply went to the rest room is not fair, not accurate,".
Her spokeswoman said that Katherine Jackson had stepped out during a break, when attorneys were meeting in the judge's chambers. However, when she tried to re-enter the jury had already been seated; she then had to wait until the next break.
Katherine Jackson, made the statement through a spokeswoman; quote:
"Accusing me of leaving due to graphic testimony when I simply went to the rest room is not fair, not accurate,".
Her spokeswoman said that Katherine Jackson had stepped out during a break, when attorneys were meeting in the judge's chambers. However, when she tried to re-enter the jury had already been seated; she then had to wait until the next break.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
The Cook, His Wife, The Fries and His Book
In another bizarre vignette, in the tawdry tale of Michael Jackson's trial, Phillip LeMarque Jackson's former cook took the stand.
He claimed that he was delivering an order of french fries to Jackson one night and saw Jackson holding Macaulay Culkin up to a video game console, with one hand on the boy's waist and the other in the boy's shorts.
Quote:
"I was shocked. I almost dropped the french fries,"
Well you would, wouldn't you?
Culkin has repeatedly said he was never molested.
LeMarque said that he sued Jackson for unpaid overtime and received a settlement. Mr LeMarque said he quit his job because his wife was asked to sign a false affidavit, saying she saw a former maid go through people's purses.
Needless to say this guy also went to a media broker, who said he could make around $500K for the story, I would have thought he could have got more than that.
LeMarque said that he decided against doing that, as it was against his principles, yet part of the story did appear in the tabloids; seemingly the broker was not an honourable man, and leaked it.
Seemingly the defence team were keen to ask LeMarquue about his pornography business, set up after he left Jackson's employ; however, Judge Rodney Melville forbade them from pursuing that line of enquiry.
Richard Herman, lawyer for LeMarquue, did his bit for money making after the testimony. He shamelessly plugged LeMarque's manuscript for a book:
"They (Mr and Mrs LeMarque) have the draft of a book, not an expose or a kiss and tell, but a history of their last 10 or 15 years as chefs. Lives of the rich and famous,"
He added, for good measure:
"Stella and Phillip Lemarque are good stand-up people, they are real French chefs from France,".
Aah! The sweet smell of money!
He claimed that he was delivering an order of french fries to Jackson one night and saw Jackson holding Macaulay Culkin up to a video game console, with one hand on the boy's waist and the other in the boy's shorts.
Quote:
"I was shocked. I almost dropped the french fries,"
Well you would, wouldn't you?
Culkin has repeatedly said he was never molested.
LeMarque said that he sued Jackson for unpaid overtime and received a settlement. Mr LeMarque said he quit his job because his wife was asked to sign a false affidavit, saying she saw a former maid go through people's purses.
Needless to say this guy also went to a media broker, who said he could make around $500K for the story, I would have thought he could have got more than that.
LeMarque said that he decided against doing that, as it was against his principles, yet part of the story did appear in the tabloids; seemingly the broker was not an honourable man, and leaked it.
Seemingly the defence team were keen to ask LeMarquue about his pornography business, set up after he left Jackson's employ; however, Judge Rodney Melville forbade them from pursuing that line of enquiry.
Richard Herman, lawyer for LeMarquue, did his bit for money making after the testimony. He shamelessly plugged LeMarque's manuscript for a book:
"They (Mr and Mrs LeMarque) have the draft of a book, not an expose or a kiss and tell, but a history of their last 10 or 15 years as chefs. Lives of the rich and famous,"
He added, for good measure:
"Stella and Phillip Lemarque are good stand-up people, they are real French chefs from France,".
Aah! The sweet smell of money!
Going For Broke
Adrian McManus, Michael Jackson's former maid, is clearly no fool when it comes to "turning a fast buck".
It emerged yesterday that she, and her colleagues, employed a media broker to sell stories to the tabloids; including lurid details about Jackson's sex life with his ex wife, Lisa Marie Presley.
McManus had insisted that she was not out to get Jackson's money, even though she and her colleagues had tried to sue Jackson for millions.
Quote:
"I wanted justice,"
As Mesereau adeptly put it:
"But your idea of justice was millions of bucks?"
Is she just after money?
What do you think?
It emerged yesterday that she, and her colleagues, employed a media broker to sell stories to the tabloids; including lurid details about Jackson's sex life with his ex wife, Lisa Marie Presley.
McManus had insisted that she was not out to get Jackson's money, even though she and her colleagues had tried to sue Jackson for millions.
Quote:
"I wanted justice,"
As Mesereau adeptly put it:
"But your idea of justice was millions of bucks?"
Is she just after money?
What do you think?
Friday, April 08, 2005
Jackson Kissed Caulkin
Adrian McManus, another co-plaintiff of Chacon, testified in the Jackson trial yesterday.
She described Macaulay Caulkin as being very wild and destructive then.
Quote:
"I saw Mr. Jackson and Macaulay in the library..Mr. Jackson was kissing him on the cheek, and he had his hand by his leg, by his rear end,"
Caulkin has always denied ever being molested by Jackson.
McManus said she saw Jackson engage in the same actions with others, including Jordie Chandler.
Quote:
"I saw Mr. Jackson kissing on Jordie, his cheek, his mouth..[Jackson's] hand was on his crotch. I was shocked. Flushed. I didn't say nothing. I stayed up there very quietly and waited for them to leave,".
Tom Mesereau asked:
"You said [in the deposition] that you trusted Michael Jackson and would leave your own son alone with him, isn't that right?".
McManus agreed, and Mesereau continued:
"You originally said that you never saw Jordie Chandler alone in Michael Jackson's bedroom...Are you telling this jury that throughout this deposition you committed perjury?"
To which McManus responded:
"I believe the whole time, I did not tell the truth,".
She described Macaulay Caulkin as being very wild and destructive then.
Quote:
"I saw Mr. Jackson and Macaulay in the library..Mr. Jackson was kissing him on the cheek, and he had his hand by his leg, by his rear end,"
Caulkin has always denied ever being molested by Jackson.
McManus said she saw Jackson engage in the same actions with others, including Jordie Chandler.
Quote:
"I saw Mr. Jackson kissing on Jordie, his cheek, his mouth..[Jackson's] hand was on his crotch. I was shocked. Flushed. I didn't say nothing. I stayed up there very quietly and waited for them to leave,".
Tom Mesereau asked:
"You said [in the deposition] that you trusted Michael Jackson and would leave your own son alone with him, isn't that right?".
McManus agreed, and Mesereau continued:
"You originally said that you never saw Jordie Chandler alone in Michael Jackson's bedroom...Are you telling this jury that throughout this deposition you committed perjury?"
To which McManus responded:
"I believe the whole time, I did not tell the truth,".
Chacon Testifies
Ralph Chacon, Michael Jackson's former security guard, testified yesterday.
He claimed that he saw Jackson performing oral sex on Jordie Chandler.
Quote:
"I saw them standing in the nude ... facing each other..I saw that Mr. Jackson was caressing the boy's hair, he was kissing him on his head, and his face, his lips,"
Chacon confirmed, when asked, that he actually saw Jackson perform oral sex.
Chacon took Jackson to court in 1995 for wrongful dismissal, he failed and went into bankruptcy.
Chacon said that he never confronted Jackson about what he saw, nor about a second incident that allegedly occurred with Chandler weeks later in Jackson's recreation room.
Quote:
"I saw [Jackson] enter the back door of the rec room, and he went over to Jordie. He bent over and said something to him, and then he kissed him,".
Chacon claimed that he quit his job at Neverland, after being intimidated and threatened by Jackson's armed personal bodyguards; he also alleged that his personal phone calls from Neverland were being taped.
Chacon admitted that he and his co-plaintiffs sold their story to tabloid press to pay for the suit.
I wonder if he will do the same with this one?
He claimed that he saw Jackson performing oral sex on Jordie Chandler.
Quote:
"I saw them standing in the nude ... facing each other..I saw that Mr. Jackson was caressing the boy's hair, he was kissing him on his head, and his face, his lips,"
Chacon confirmed, when asked, that he actually saw Jackson perform oral sex.
Chacon took Jackson to court in 1995 for wrongful dismissal, he failed and went into bankruptcy.
Chacon said that he never confronted Jackson about what he saw, nor about a second incident that allegedly occurred with Chandler weeks later in Jackson's recreation room.
Quote:
"I saw [Jackson] enter the back door of the rec room, and he went over to Jordie. He bent over and said something to him, and then he kissed him,".
Chacon claimed that he quit his job at Neverland, after being intimidated and threatened by Jackson's armed personal bodyguards; he also alleged that his personal phone calls from Neverland were being taped.
Chacon admitted that he and his co-plaintiffs sold their story to tabloid press to pay for the suit.
I wonder if he will do the same with this one?
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