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?