Justice served: Conrad Murray found Guilty.

I am proud of the jurors of the Conrad Murray trial for making a brave decision that I can only hope sets a precedent and sends a strong message to 'celebrity doctors' and other medical professionals who put profit over ethics, logic, and human life.

May Jackson's family finally get the peace they deserve.

The Jury's Still Out on Dr. Murray

Today marks the last day of testimony for the prosecution against Dr. Conrad Murray, cardiologist and former physician of Michael Jackson.

It has also been nearly two years since my initial post 'Why no hurry to nab Dr. Murray?'. The defense is set to begin arguments tomorrow.

I am struggling to understand how the defense plans on winning this case. The prosecution has done a terrific job showing the reckless abandon that was Dr. Murray's "care" of Jackson. That the defense planned on arguing that Jackson injected himself (or drank additional Propofol) is laughable in and of itself and numerous witnesses, including today's testimony from anesthesiologist Dr. Steven Schafer, have been quick to explain the improbability of this scenario. A defense team building a strategy blaming the victim for their death has their work cut out for them. How many scenarios can you think of where a patient dies under a doctor's care and it's the patient's fault? The defense has finally decided to toss out the theory that Jackson may have ingested Propofol, though that it was even suggested at all is preposterous, and that a segment of the population actually believed Jackson self-injected or drank Propofol is even worse. If the patient had any other name, I don't believe anyone would entertain that suggestion.

I believe name recognition has a great deal to do with the public's opinions on such matters. I have never seen a celebrity (or any dead man) be subjected to the claims and scenarios I have witnessed over the past two years in relation to this case.

Let's review the facts. Dr. Conrad Murray administered Propofol repeatedly to patient Michael Jackson. Propofol is a dangerous anesthetic, one that slows heart rate and depresses breathing, as such it is not supposed to be administered outside of a hospital setting, nonetheless for "insomnia". Even as a Cardiologist, Murray did not anesthetize his other patients - he had an anesthesiologist do this and he did not have the training or knowledge to properly administer doses. He did not have the equipment on hand to correctly monitor the patient or prepare for an emergency situation. He broke the cardinal rule for administering anesthesia - leaving the room to talk on the telephone (he claimed he went to the bathroom for two minutes, which contradicted his phone records and witness testimony). The patient was left unsupervised (which, given that the patient is unconscious and on a dangerous drug, heart rate and breathing must be constantly monitored). When Dr. Murray discovered Jackson wasn't breathing, he did not call 911 immediately, which is standard protocol, and the 911 call was not placed until 20 minutes after the discovery, which the paramedic on scene claimed would have saved Jackson's life. Despite his years as cardiologist, Dr. Murray did not know how to properly administer CPR and did so one handed (as opposed to using both hands) and on a bed (as opposed to the floor, a hard surface). The patient was already dead yet Dr. Murray continued to give CPR and staged a show, having Michael's eldest son Prince brought up to the bedroom so he could see Dr. Murray trying to 'save' Jackson and when paramedics came, Dr. Murray insisted they continue CPR, despite their belief that he had passed. Dr. Murray lied to paramedics about the IV bags, claiming they were filled with harmless saline solution, lied to EMTs, firefighters, doctors, and police, failed to mention Propofol as a drug he had administered when inquired, ordered hundreds of vials of the dangerous substance, lied to law enforcement saying he had comforted Michael's children at the hospital (a claim they refute), hid evidence, and fled the scene. Do these events sound like the actions of an innocent man? Dr. Murray can choose to blame the patient or other doctors, but he is clearly at fault - this was his patient, who died under his care, due to his negligent decisions. Dr. Conrad Murray took a Hippocratic Oath - and on all levels, failed to care for his patient, resulting in Jackson's death from "acute Propofol intoxication".

Despite all the testimonials and evidence from those who were actually there and who saw the events unfold, a significant percentage of the population continues to assert that Jackson killed himself and is responsible for his own death. Again, the name "Michael Jackson" appears to be the source of bias in opinions as these people negate fact. Some have apathy for the situation, suggesting no one should care, or insinuate that the trial is a loss of tax payer's money (they certainly weren't saying this when Jackson was on the stand). This is a human life we are discussing and the implications are significant for all patients who have faith in their doctors to provide adequate healthcare. If this happened to your loved one or certainly if it had happened to you (though you wouldn't witness the outcome), you would have wanted the truth to emerge, the facts brought to light, and would want to see justice served. Not to mention, Jackson gave a great deal of himself as an artist to the public and as a humanitarian to the world, to suggest the matter is 'irrelevant' or not worth taking the time to examine is a sad statement. How many public figures have to die at the hands of these 'celebrity doctors' who compromise health standards for blood money? Elvis Presley, Anna Nicole Smith, and Heath Ledger, to name a few, might still be with us if the were not enabled by their doctors, the very people paid (handsomely) to care for them.

Along with this trial come accusations that Jackson was an unhealthy drug addict. What is known about Jackson's past is that he began to take painkillers in 1984 due to pain from burns he suffered on the set of a Pepsi commercial. As he had numerous surgeries, he was not a stranger to undergoing anesthetics for procedures. In the early 90s, spurred by the initial allegations, he had a painkiller addiction for which he went to rehab and overcame in 1995 (he references his addiction to Demerol in the song "Morphine"). While no other mention was made, Jackson was known for his insomnia and chronic back pain. While it isn't known what his exact habits were in his last years, Jackson was said to take painkillers regularly given physical (and presumably some emotional) pain and his family did claim to have had interventions with him, so he must have relapsed at some point. He was taking painkillers prior to his death as Dr. Murray recorded audio of Jackson's slurred speech (a sad recording was played in the courtroom). Why the doctor secretly recorded him, nonetheless kept the recording, is highly questionable and disturbing, a clear breach of patient/doctor confidentiality clause and ethics).

Was Jackson addicted to anesthetics and/or painkillers in the midst of his last months? This Is It" director Kenny Ortega did notice some health problems at one point upon which he confronted Dr. Murray who denied there were any problems, while Michael's manager Frank DiLeo mentioned that Michael had "an episode". Dancers and crew working on "This Is It" didn't notice anything wrong and if you watch the concert film footage, Jackson appears hyper-focused, able to intensely concentrate and multi-task, and seems like an artist not only at the top of his game, but clear-headed and able to carry out his vision of a great show. As such, perhaps he had a bad reaction to medication, if he was using drugs at this very busy time that required so much physical and mental focus and stamina, it was most likely sporadic and not a constant. This was certainly not a man who was drugged beyond rationality every day he was preparing for his final concerts, he had too much to do.

If Jackson was an addict, does this still make his death his fault? It is a doctor's responsibility to know their patient's history. If Dr. Conrad Murray's sole patient at the time was Michael Jackson and they had a working relationship, he knew better than anyone what Michael's habits may have been and bore the ultimate responsibility of ensuring his patient's healthcare needs were met. Jackson didn't inject himself - Dr. Murray injected him and had hundreds of vials ready. For what?! Let's entertain the hypothetical fantasy that Jackson did inject himself (which, anesthesiologists and the coroner have already explained didn't happen). Jackson was left alone in a room, something you don't do when a patient is under anesthesia nonetheless if a patient has a drug problem, therefore it would have been Dr. Murray's responsibility regardless of scenario as his physician. The doctor broke countless rules and procedures, leading to this tragic passing.

To assert that Jackson was physically unhealthy is problematic. Despite Jackson's frail figure, he was always known for his poor appetite and struggled with anorexia throughout his life (if you observe footage of him during the Thriller era, he is just as painfully thin). Perhaps with the appearance of age, this was even more superficially noticeable. However, all reports peg Jackson as healthy, despite his low weight. The autopsy report confirmed how healthy he was (aside from his cause of death) and the coroner noted in court that he was healthier than a 5o-year old would normally be. Personal Trainer Lou Ferrigno trained Jackson several times a week for his tour, insisting that Michael was very strong, and AEG, the company involved in Jackson's last would-be concerts ensured that he passed a battery of tests and rigorous physicals to ensure he was in good physical condition to perform. Addict or not, Jackson's physical health was in good form.

I am also most disturbed by images of Jackson's corpse that continue to surface both through the trial and in other avenues (such as autopsy photos shown by VH1). I have grappled with this, trying to determine a reason we are subjected to this constant inappropriate viewing - often without warning. I can think of no other entertainers where such graphic photos were openly displayed for all to see - sure, there is the supposed photo of Elvis in his coffin, which is a far cry from a corpse lying nude on a sheet. Like Elvis, Jackson was the largest star of his time and the most famous man on the planet, though I doubt the King of Rock N' Roll would have ever been publicly displayed in such a manner (regardless of era). I also shudder to think of Jackson's children coming across such images, that corpse doesn't simply belong to a megastar - but also a father, brother, and son. Initially, I suspected this came out of Jackson's level of unprecedented fame and global recognition, but I recognize it as an extension of the blatant disregard and disrespect consistently bestowed upon him by the media and further attempts to exploit his name and image unethically for continued ratings and profit, a recurring theme. Even in death, Jackson is not allowed to peacefully rest or avoid scrutiny on the most invasive levels.

In summary, this is not a trial about the name "Michael Jackson". It is irrelevant whether or not you liked the man, whether or not he was a "junkie", or what you think he did or didn't do in the past. This trial is simply about a human being that died as a result of a doctor who was engaging in unethical behavior and treatment (or lack thereof) of his patient. Dr. Murray has had two years to carry on with his life, while Jackson has been deprived of breath altogether. (Consequently, on zero evidence and based on an accusation alone, Jackson was dragged out of bed, handcuffed, and thrown into a police station for allegations while upon his death, the man responsible has walked free without being subjected to any such indignities. I'll leave you to speculate what's wrong with that picture). Among reasons for the lengthy delay, the LAPD did not treat the scene as a crime scene, perhaps due to the patient's name and their assumptions, they assumed a crime wasn't committed, so the evidence was not correctly collected and processed and sloppy mistakes were made, as evidenced in the courtroom upon several interrogations. Who knows what facts may have been brought to light if these procedures were properly handled?

It is my understanding that Dr. Murray can face up to 4 years in jail if found guilty and that he may be allowed to undergo house arrest at some point during that sentence. The outcome of the trial remains to be seen. In any event, he will most certainly lose his licenses to practice medicine and will forever be known as the man who killed Michael Jackson. Given that Jackson has millions of adoring fans spread around the globe, it's a safe bet that Conrad Murray will never have a smooth ride through life, regardless of the jury's decision.

I am not sure what the definition of "justice" is within the context of such a situation. Three children must grow up without the only parent they knew and adored, a family continues to grieve, and the world was deprived of a singular talent that can no longer grace the stage. I can only hope that this trial sets an example for other "celebrity doctors", too often it is their patients who pay the ultimate price. Patient care is the number #1 responsibility of a physician, perhaps this case will remind all doctors how important it is to remain vigilant and prioritize ethics in treatment, to not anesthetize if you don't have the training or equipment to do so, and to learn CPR, which seems obvious but clearly can't be emphasized enough. I can only take comfort that this man will most likely be rendered unable to provide medical services or anesthesia to patients again and hope something is learned in the wake of this tragic event, so we don't continue to see history repeat itself in Hollywood.

"New" Michael Jackson track 'Breaking News' a fake

PopSpiracy has come out of the shadows to announce that the "new" Michael Jackson track "Breaking News" is indeed fake.

Sony has defended the song, saying they had "experts" confirm its authenticity. Sony is a corporation (one that, mind you, had a terrible relationship with Michael Jackson) and can thus get anyone to say the track is authentic to protect their investment.

Upon listening to the track tonight, there is no doubt. As a longtime listener of 20+ years, holder of one of the largest footage collections in the country of Michael Jackson performances from the start of his career to the end, and owning all the Jackson albums, B-sides, and unreleased tracks currently available, I can guarantee this is not (entirely) Michael.

Sony has sampled the classic signature MJ sounds, (i.e. "Aaaoow", "Heehee", etc) which are authentic and a few of the sung lyrics are Michael Jackson. The vast majority of the lyrics are done by another singer, and the voice transposed over Michael Jackson's is not his. It's as though the samples and overlay serve to "trick" the audience into believing it is his voice.

I can only conjecture, but given that he did sing a few of the lyrics, perhaps this was a song he went into the studio and begun but left mostly unfinished so in a rush to get out a quick album and make some cash, Sony hired someone to fill in the large missing gaps.

Truly bizarre, indeed. I am glad I listened to this first, I will definitely not be purchasing this album or supporting such behavior and encourage others to do the same.

Take it from Michael's mother, LaToya, and children - they know his voice far more than an unnamed "expert".

Bad blood between Sony and Michael Jackson is nothing new, Michael referred to Sony records and it's then-president Tommy Motolla as "the devil" as they engaged in vindictive behavior when he refused to sell them his stake of the Sony ATV Beatles catalog. They failed to promote his "Invincible" album (which sold over 7 million copies regardless on zero promotion) and did not allow the "You Rock My World" video to be completed to his satisfaction nor would they release other videos for the album, which was to be his last.

I don't doubt that they probably have their hands on a few legit tracks, but this one is certainly not one of them and if it's any indication of what fans can expect, that's not saying much - I'm sure this won't be the only deceptive track.

The Jackson family itself holds much of Michael's unreleased music and his children have hundreds of songs at their disposal should they ever decide to release them to the public one day. Until then - steer clear.

Another odd tidbit - the symbol representing the Artist Formerly Known As Prince appeared on the album cover (above) in a bubble in a montage of images from Michael's career. Unsurprisingly, it has been removed (most likely by the request of the lawsuit-happy Purple One) , yet Prince had no connection to Michael Jackson's career nor did they get along, making the symbol's appearance (and speedy disappearance) inexplicable.

UPDATE: A second leaked track, "Keep Your Head Up" has just been released - and is NOT Michael Jackson's voice.

UPDATE: Just-released "Hold My Hand" track w/ Akon is an authentic song, as is "Much Too Soon".

As expected, the album is partially authentic and partially fraud.

Why No Hurry to Nab Dr. Murray? And other Michael Jackson updates.

It's hard to believe, but Michael Jackson died in June and it's November. Someone please remind me why Dr. Conrad Murray isn't in jail yet.

The only talk to the effect of his arrest hasn't even been in relation to killing Michael Jackson, but rather locking him up for not paying child support. During the trials, police marched straight over to Neverland and handcuffed Michael and dragged him out of bed, throwing him in the slammer on someone's word alone immediately (he was cleared of any wrongdoing). Two autopsies have been performed, it has been confirmed that Dr. Murray's lethal dosage of Propofol killed Michael Jackson, and he's still going wherever he wants, doing as he pleases while Michael lies beneath the ground permanently. Hypocrisy much?

I realize it takes a while to build an investigation, but they did find the vials of Propofol and traced them back to him and appear to have all the proof they need. Regardless, does it take six months to make this connection? Why is everyone taking their sweet old time? Why does no one appear concerned about this whatsoever? FYI: Conrad Murray has been jailed before, for domestic violence.

As a fan and concerned citizen, I'm sad and disturbed by this, and I can't imagine how furious Michael's family and friends are. Naturally the media isn't bringing up any of these issues and just want to talk about all the people suing Jackson's estate.

I can't help but feel if this was any other celebrity, Dr. Murray would have been in jail overnight. I really shouldn't be surprised, yet I am. That Michael Jackson is the victim in this case does certainly change things. When the ambulance arrived after Michael's cardiac arrest, the LAPD didn't seal the crime scene, as they were supposed to in an event when the cause of death is unknown, especially in a situation with so many possibilities. Again, they failed to even suspect it could be a crime scene and didn't take the appropriate action to secure the evidence. After all, it's Michael Jackson.

Dr. Murray had the paramedics continue to give him CPR for an hour even though he was already dead before getting in the ambulance, and he staged a scene giving Michael CPR and calling his son Prince to watch, even though again, Michael was already dead. Can you imagine the psychological trauma that poor kid has to live with on top of what is inherently already going to be there? Then, Dr. Murray fled the scene and left his car there, and had the Propofol FedExed to his girlfriend. Naturally, the YouTube video came thereafter where he tried (and failed) to make himself a sympathetic character. Propofol shouldn't even be administered outside of a hospital setting under any circumstances, nonetheless to someone in relatively good health.

There is no reason this thing is still even going on, if anyone's even keeping up with it anymore. I truly hope justice prevails, no one deserves to die at the hands of another. I was sincerely hoping this case would blow the lid off of the multitude of criminal doctors who endlessly flood celebrities with any prescription they want for their own gain. Too many stars have died needlessly and a case of this magnitude truly had the opportunity to make a difference so this fate would not befall another. It would be nice to say one good thing came out of the tragedy, but it appears another golden opportunity was lost to do something truly noble.

I hate to even stoop to the level of addressing this, but TMZ's recent "article" suggests that Michael's accuser from 1993 was able to accurately describe in detail Michael's genitals. (This, by the way, is untrue. Michael was subjected to a thorough strip search and it was revealed the description was inaccurate, which also accounts for this 'evidence' not being introduced in court for the later case.) TMZ goes on to say that Michael's plastic surgeon Arnold Klein says the reason the boy could describe this (which again, he couldn't) was because Michael liked peeing in front of people. I really don't know how much money Dr. Klein is getting that he's galavanting around town on every news show with one BS story after another, but it's so sad to think someone Michael Jackson trusted so much was so pathetic. (If Dr. Klein did indeed say any of this). With the constant Dr. Klein interviews, it's safe to say they serve to distract the authorities and public from the fact that he was also responsible for prescribing Propofol and other drugs to Michael outside of his practice, something he has since admitted yet vehemently denied at the time of Michael's death. And, not surprising that TMZ is wasting everyone's time dragging up lame gossip that completely desecrates the memory of a fallen entertainer. For in-depth information on the trials (as I seriously hope I don't have to address any more ridiculousness regarding them, there is a post available on this page which provides any thought/analysis I have on the topic).

One more blog fact-check - Perez Hilton has been continuously reporting that "This Is It" is bombing at the box office and made $2 million dollars. It has made over $100 million worldwide in a week, hence the extended release. Perez also pointed out that Fandango is giving out tickets for $1, which, by the way, they do for new releases all the time.

One Last Goodbye...

PopSpiracy sends condolences to Michael Jackson's friends, family, and fans around the world.

The love we have received from the fan community is heartwarming and to be sent letters from around the world from people who loved Michael and
were affected by his brief but brilliant life were a great comfort and a reminder of how small the world truly is as well as the power and healing of togetherness. Thank you so much for sharing your stories, I was deeply touched by them all.

I want to send a final farewell to Michael today, the day of his burial. I am so grateful for his influence and inspiration, he touched my life as well as millions of others and that legacy lives on and continues to inspire us all.

May Michael rest in peace forever.

On a side note, I'd like to encourage people not to go to Forest Lawn today. The police have already warned that the neighborhood is blocked off so no one will be able to see anything, and having once lived in Los Angeles for several years I can say that the traffic is already horrendous during those evening hours. This is occuring on a weeknight during which countless people are taking to the roads returning from work to be with their families. As strong as the fans desires are to be there, please be respectful of the safety hazards and problems a large tu

rnout will cause. Apparently there will be media there to record some events so people watching TV will end up seeing more than if they went to the actual location. Not to mention, there is a heavy police presence to ensure fans do not sneak in. Also, a few news organizations I shall not name have decided to release the whereabouts of the family tonight, which is horrifying. Such media is contributing to the creation of a society that has an incessant and self-entitled 'need to know' everything at the expense of human dignity and respect. I urge fans to contemplate the implications of such behavior and to be aware of this mourning family's (and friends) needs to mourn together in privacy. A lot of people think celebrities deserve to be hounded and have every private detail of their life be public knowledge. The truth is that celebrities like Michael Jackson, his family, or any other entertainment figure deserve(d) the right to keep something for themselves and to have their own lives away from prying eyes, especially during times of tragedy.

I am sad it has taken so long to actually bury Michael, though none of us know the full reasoning. However, the funeral arrangements and location were just as I would have hoped for and I believe were done as Michael himself would have wanted.

Lastly, the Jackson fam

ily has come under a great deal of ridicule for having Michael's estate pay for the funeral expenses (per Katherine Jackson's request). I hope that people bear in mind that Katherine Jackson never had a career and was a stay at home mother and Michael Jackson paid his parents bills so the Jackson family itself has little money (aside from Janet). Marlon was recently working at a supermarket stocking shelves and the other Jackson members have dwindled in bankruptcy many times. The family still doesn't have complete access to its inheritance as such things take time, hence a motion was made in court. The funeral expenses are outrageous and Katherine Jackson suddenly has three young children to support, hence her request for finances to help raise them as well.

I can only hope that people try their hand at being compassionate instead of judgmental when it comes to this family's every action as well as tragedy or celebrity life in general.

Forever Young.

RIP, MJ.

1958-2009

Beware of fake interviews...

Since the death of Michael Jackson, there have been several fake interviews published supposedly from those closest to him. Debbie Rowe and his children's nanny Grace Rwaramba have confirmed that their 'interviews' were fake. I urge readers to be vigilant of such attempts and to exercise common sense prior to making judgments or assumptions. None of these 'interviews' have been officially confirmed and are all coming from British tabloids with reputations for creating falsehoods just as US tabloids do.

The likelihood of these being real are slim, The Jacksons hate the tabloids and always have, of all the news sources they could interview with (and they all want them right now), why would they chose tabloids, nonetheless ones with zero credibility or foreign press when they could just jump right on headline news and do it?

Everyone is printing anything they can for money and ratings to momentarily cash in. No one is denying that there are indeed several people, celebrities, and media all cashing in on Michael Jackson after his death which is sad, but the credibility of many of these individuals is seriously lacking and many have suspect motivations if they are chosing to speak and come out now after this tragedy. There was a former Jackson employee who worked at Neverland Ranch that made claims about seeing Michael taking heavy drugs. If there was any credibility to this story at all, this woman should have reported this to the authorities then, and not talked about it for her 15 seconds now. Personal responsibility and accountability are a reality to media and consumers alike. I remember when people just accepted tabloids as a joke, now they are being printed as a fact. Sad and the implications are disturbing. This is why PopSpiracy was created, to continue inform the public about discrepancies of fact and fiction. This blog is not a Michael Jackson blog, it addresses numerous media inaccuracies on various topics and new articles are to come on countless topics as has occured in the past. The current media fixation and a large number of lies have been printed the past few weeks so we are keeping track of them and reporting back and clearing the air where possible.

Interviews that are confirmed with the Jackson family include Joe Jackson who did indeed do an interview with ABC released this week. He has continued to do smaller interviews since Michael's death, including the repeated attempts at promoting his new record company. Jermaine Jackson also did interviews with Larry King prior to the memorial service.

ABC News photos

ABC News released photos of Michael's legs that supposedly show 'fresh needle marks' as well as well as an injury caused by a 'caustic fluid'. These pictures are not new (check out photos in my Vitiligo post from two years ago and you will see the photo of Michael lifting up his leg and revealing it). These photos are old and this injury did not result from from a caustic acid and wasn't necrosis, it was attributed to a spider bite which caused Michael to miss a court appearance that day. The photos were taken to prove to the judge that the excuse was valid. As for needle marks, none of that is confirmed yet and could just be bug bites or any number of things. We will not replicate those photos beyond the information and photos already presented out of respect. Our job is to debunk pop culture rumors, not add to them.

Paris Jackson = Our favorite.

Wow.

When I think of moments during the Michael Jackson memorial that truly stood out, Paris Jackson took the cake.




I was personally really proud of this little girl for showing to the world that her daddy really was a great father. I always hated reading blogs where people bashed Michael as a dad. Ok, so he dangled Blanket out a window for all of .02 seconds while he had his arm tightly around him. Name me one parent who hasn't tossed their kid up in the air and caught them or done any number of things that could have easily ended in disaster. The fact that his children frequently wore masks in public with him (as unconventional as it was) suggested to me what a great father he must have been as most of the public and media couldn't identify those children by sight. I'm sure they didn't wear masks at home or out in public with their nanny or anyone else besides Michael. Gloria Allred and a number of other people called for someone to take those children away from Michael Jackson. Paris proved to everyone in one swift speech that all the nay-sayers had misjudged his abilities, a frequent theme in Jackson's life. He obviously raised three loving beautiful children and while I knew it all along, I'm glad to see a few others picked up on it as well.

Little Paris and her speech reminded many of us of our own experiences that certainly connected us to a man and not an image. I lost my father this year and I could absolutely relate to the pain Paris felt. I'm frankly tired of the judgments and questions about who fathered them and alternate parenting styles. I don't think it's anyone's business, they are fabulous kids grieving right now who deserve privacy and respect who were clearly raised with a tremendous amount of love and tenderness. Where they go from here remains to be seen, I was just watching an interview with Michael's former dermatologist Dr. Klein (who is NOT the biological father) who was voicing his concerns about the children staying with the Jacksons because they might turn them into 'The Jackson 3'. That's completely preposterous, none of the Jacksons ever turned their 30+ nieces and nephews into stars, nor did Michael. They all placed an emphasis on their family having childhoods and all went to great lengths to give them as normal lives as possible. A few have ventured into the business as adults, which the family supported given they were grown enough to make those decisions. Dr. Klein and Debbie Rowe not only have a working relationship but it's pretty clear he is her most outspoken defender (and one of the few) as to wanting her parental rights restored. There was footage of Debbie Rowe watching the ceremony in public and crying at the sight of Paris's speech. I couldn't help but think the moment was completely staged, why would she chose to watch it in full view of the public and paparazzi? You'd think that moment would be reserved for her to mourn in private.

I definitely feel an agenda brewing and I'm hoping it won't turn into an ugly battle in public. As posted previously on PopSpiracy, Debbie has made some pretty incriminating public statements regarding her views on motherhood that I believe would certainly be harmful to her chances at sole custody. I'm hoping that Debbie and the Jackson family can come to an agreement where they can all take part in the children's lives, and I believe the kids would certainly benefit from having access to as much of their family as possible, though the Jacksons have played a far larger role in raising her and were certainly there for her to hold Paris during her momentous speech, while Debbie was at some bar in Palm Springs posing for cameras.

Confirmed: Official Michael Jackson Memorial Service at Staples Center

Representatives for the Jackson Family as well as AEG (the company behind the "This Is It" tour have confirmed that Michael Jackson's memorial service will take place at 10am Tuesday morning at the Staples Center (where Michael was rehearsing for his final tour).


Despite rumors of the Jacksons charging for admission, 11,ooo tickets will be distributed free to the public. Additional information will be arriving via press conference tomorrow.

On a personal note, I'd like to urge everyone to be vigilant of what they read and hear the next week. As you know, there's no shortage of stale attempts at attention and ratings. Our rule of thumb is, "Just because it's on CNN doesn't mean it's true." More to come next week. Until then, peace, love, and everything in between.

Rest in peace, King of Pop, and healing to the Jackson family, their many friends, and adoring public. We've all lost a hero, and I'm grateful for such amazing inspiration and influence and strongly feel the work of Michael Jackson will live on in our minds and hearts forever.

I'd like to bid Michael my own farewell by posting a few of his lyrics, which sadly ring true this week:

"Born to amuse, to inspire, to delight...

Here one day, Gone one night.

Gone too soon..."

RIP Michael Jackson

(1958-2009)

Additional Debbie Rowe commentary on motherhood.

Further excerpts from 2003 Debbie Rowe interview (see previous post with transcripts). Debbie claims that just because she is the biological mother doesn't mean she earned the title and that her kids don't call her 'Mom' because she doesn't want them to. (Starts at 1:13).

Notable quote:

"Parenting is an art. You earn the title 'parent'. Because you give birth, because you impregnate someone, doesn't automatically give you that title of mother or father. You earn that title. My kids don't call me 'Mom' because I don't want them to. They're Michael's children. It's not that they're not my children, but I had them because I wanted him to be a father...I could do something for him and this is what I wanted to do."

These interviews will come back to haunt Debbie Rowe and would be devastating in court if she pursues this matter legally.

(FYI: For anyone understandably concerned about the children being around Joseph Jackson, he does not live with Katherine - she lives in Encino and he lives in Las Vegas).

Michael Jackson funeral arrangements still up in the air.

It seems the Jackson family has not yet shared funeral plans with the public. There were rumors circulating around the internet that the family planned a public viewing at Neverland Ranch. This was not confirmed by the family at the time, yet the media continued to advertise this, resulting in sold out hotels all over Santa Barbara, CA. During interviews with family lawyers to the media this week, the lawyers had said no plans were set in stone. I'd like to urge people to question the information they receive and to be vigilant against media inaccuracies (the reason I created this blog - to present fact from fiction). If anyone made plans for this occasion, they should have waited until the family themselves issued a statement.

Today, the media are reporting that a Jackson family "spokesperson" has issued the following statement, supposedly from the Jackson family:

"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating that there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland. Plans are underway regarding a public memorial for Michael Jackson, and we will announce those plans shortly."

As this individual was unnamed, and as many fake interviews and statements are circulating, I cannot confirm the accuracy of this report either way, and caution anyone who wanted to make plans to attend to wait for an official statement that can be confirmed (just because it's on CNN doesn't mean it's true. 'America's most trusted news source' has certainly taken many creative liberties in the past to fill in air time, sadly.

At PopSpiracy, we will continue to report the TRUTH as it happens.

On a personal note, I have mixed feelings about a Neverland ceremony or the notion that it might one day turn into a museum like Graceland. First of all, Elvis Presley lived at Graceland during the height of his career and life and lived there until the end. The decor, particularly in the upstairs room, hasn't been altered much at all and was much as he'd left it. Neverland Ranch is a shell of its former self at present. The items have been moved, sold, or are in storage facilities and in the hands of private collector's. To be able to recreate Neverland in it's hey-day (purchased in the late 80s, when Michael's career began a slight decline) would be extremely difficult. I do not believe rumors that he was supposed to be buried there, again, I'm sure the family will release details in due time. Michael apparently didn't leave specific wishes (at least none have yet turned up that were made public) so his family ultimately has the final say. Michael Jackson didn't live in Neverland when he died nor the last few years leading up to his tragic passing. I had the joy to visit Neverland when it was fully operational and Michael was alive and vibrant. It was a gorgeous place, and held a certain magic that simply can't be recreated. Graceland is the real thing, Neverland would be a recreation to try to assemble. Part of the magic of Neverland was Michael's influence and inspiration which could be felt in every corner of the ranch from it's decor and layout (you could see the perfectionism and long range of his genius to be able to create something so astounding). Sadly, Michael is gone, and so too is the spirit of Neverland Ranch, which is simply bare at present. The idea behind J.M. Barrie's Neverland was that it was a magical place where kids never had to grow up. Michael never got that chance, and I shudder to think of Neverland as a place of death. From a logical standpoint, it would be large enough to accomodate hundreds of thousands of people as it is a few thousand acres large. However, it's a long drive to the middle of nowhere, and would thus make a poor location for a museum. I'm sure people would make the trip, and the residents of Santa Barbara County who clearly moved out there for scenic beauty and a rest from the crowds would be might unhappy. I think any idea to create a museum or memorial for Michael Jackson is appropriate, but I don't know that this place would be a good choice. It didn't represent the finest years of his career or the happiest memories in the end, and it seems Michael himself had moved on from it quite some time ago.

Wherever Michael ends up, I hope it's a place where he can finally get the peace he deserves. Some part of me wishes for a burial at an undisclosed location (but I'm sure that would also be a source of rumors for years to come) or possibly an ash spreading at a secret place or ashes kept by the family, to retain the privacy he should have always had. The man is gone and owes the world nothing else, he gave all he had to give. I respect the family's wishes either way. I personally would hate to see his gravesite become a tourist attraction.

The nanny of Michael Jackson's children issues a statement, her 'interview' was fake.

Today's official statement from MJ's children's nanny, Grace Rwaramba:

“Michael Jackson was an exceptional Human Being. He was gifted, deeply compassionate and brought joy to the lives of so many. He loved his family dearly, and above all, his beautiful children.

In addition to being my employer over the past 17 years and entrusting the care of his beloved children to me, he was my dear friend. While our friendship had challenges, as do all friendships, he was loyal to the end. I cherish and honor his memory.

I am shocked, hurt and deeply saddened by recent statements the press has attributed to me, in particular, the outrageous and patently false claim that I “routinely pumped his stomach after he had ingested a dangerous combination of drugs". I don’t even know how to pump a stomach!! In addition, I have never spoken to the Times Online, the original source of the story that has now been picked up worldwide. The statements attributed to me confirm the worst in human tendencies to sensationalize tragedy and smear reputations for profit.

I convey my heartfelt and deepest condolences to Prince, Paris, Blanket and the entire Jackson family. The pain and sorrow I feel over the loss of Michael pales in comparison to what has been taken from them forever.”

-Grace Rwaramba


This was issued in response to a fake interview circulating in which Grace supposedly admitted she repeatedly pumped Michael Jackson's stomach, not allowing the children to see him on drugs, trying to stage an intervention between Michael and his family, and Michael's mother Katharine demanding the location of Michael's cash.

It's a shame these rumors and fake interviews continue to make rounds, we at PopSpiracy will keep reporting and standing by the FACTS, not rumors.

NOTW interview fake, excerpts from REAL Debbie Rowe interviews.

Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, confirmed that the News of the World interview circulating currently is a fake. Debbie has not yet done an interview that has been released by the public since his death. However, I dug up clips from two Debbie interviews she conducted around the time of the birth of Michael's children. Here are clips of Debbie in her own words, where she claims birthed her children to be raised by Michael Jackson, that having children was her idea, and that she didn't want to be their caretaker. She also states that their divorce was her decision.



From "The Jackson 3" NBC news segment:

Debbie Rowe comments:

On media:
"I didn’t think it was going to be this brutal. It’s very hurtful, even if it’s a lie and I don’t care what the Enquirer says, they’re not truthful. They don’t go for the facts. They go for the sensationalism, they go for the story. They don’t care who they hurt."

On MJ:

"There’s nothing that Michael could do that would humiliate me, nothing. My friendship with him is the most important thing to me and if this marriage gets in the way of that friendship, we’ll put the marriage aside but I want to go on as friends. That’s more important to me than anything else, especially with having kids."

On what kind of dad Michael is:

"The best."

On daughter, Paris, and having children:

"We’re going to name her Paris because that’s where she was conceived. I hope we have a lot of kids together. He’s such a great dad.

From Michael Jackson: The Interview You Never Saw on FOX

Debbie quotes:

On rumors:

"What’s happened in the past is things have been taken out of context, twisted around. If I can help straighten it out, as much as I don’t speak about my family, I will. Right now."

On motherhood:

"My kids don’t call me mom because I don’t want them to. They’re not…They’re Michael’s children. It’s not that they’re not my children but I had them because I wanted him to be a father. I believe that there are people who should be parents, and he’s one of them. And he is such a fabulous man and such a good friend and he’s always been there for me. Always. From the day I met him. I could do something for him, and this is what I wanted to do. I think it was 18 years, 17-18 years that I knew him when I had Prince."

On MJ being fun:

"Yeah, we had a good time. He’s always a lot of fun."

On the decision to have children after his divorce with Lisa Marie:

"No, they had broken up and I was trying to console him because he was really upset and he wanted to be a dad. So I said, be a dad. And I said, let me do this. I want to do this. You’ve been so good to me, you’ve been such a good friend. Please let me do this. You want to be a dad. Please let me do this. And I nabbed him into it, if you will."

On Michael warning her about the perils of fame and her living in the public eye:

"He said, you don’t know what they can do. And I said, come on. We’re having a baby, come on. How can that be weird? We’re having a kid. If anything, that’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, it’s great. Boy was I wrong. I found out a picture of me pregnant was worth half a million dollars.

On childbirth:

And we were very excited. Michael was definitely more excited than I was. He was so excited when I had a contraction and he was there. We had videos, we had music, and it was long. It was 23 hours. And I had very colorful language and everytime I went to say something, Michael would cut me off with ‘shoot’or 'fudge’ (i.e. Debbie's cursing). He didn’t think it was necessary when there were other words to do so. But he was there the whole time to hold my hand, stroke my head, I think I puked once and I was so embarrassed and he was like 'Stop, you’re fine. This is beautiful, this is wonderful.' I said, 'I’m going to die.' 'No your not going to die, this is great. Oh my god, this is so beautiful.' Having come from a medical background, there’s no way blood is beautiful. But he was welling up. And then his son was born. And the look on his face (Debbie begins to cry as she speaks): Talk Amongst yourselves. I’d never seen him that happy. And that’s what made it wonderful for me. Was to see the look on his face.

On the non-traditional circumstance of having your children raised by someone else:

"People don’t understand that and they want a traditional – they think someone has to be traditional and they have this notion of Beaver Cleaver. That wasn’t reality in the 50s and that’s not reality in the 21^st century. We have a non-traditional family and if that makes people uncomfortable, it’s a shame that they’re not more open. We are a family unit. I will always be there for him."

On leaving her kids:

"Left them? I left my children? I did not leave my children. My children are with their father, where they are supposed to be."

On the reason for their divorce:

"We split up because I it got to a point where I couldn’t go to a grocery store. One, I’d get followed. Two, I’d have to look at crap on the newsstands at the registers as you go out that wasn’t true. I wasn’t used to it, I like doing things for myself. I was more than generous. I didn’t have to go to the grocery store but I want to. I want to go back to what I can go back to, that’s what I was used to. It’s what I was comfortable with."

I can't confirm that Michael was or wasn't the biological parent of Debbie's children though he claims he was. I am simply presenting a transcript of Debbie's only known interviews to counter the fake recently released.

Michael Jackson Rumors Debunked

Michael Jackson was long the target of many rumors during his brief lifetime. If you are looking to hear about the court trials or Michael's skin disease Vitiligo, please refer to earlier posts for detailed information and photographs.

Other rumors will be addressed here.

Q:Did Michael sleep in a hyperbaric chamber to make himself younger?

False. Michael was a frequent guest to many hospital wards over the years where he would stop to visit and cheer up patients or visit terminally ill children. On one visit, he saw a hyperbaric chamber and asked the doctor questions about it. He wanted to know what it felt like to be inside of it, so he climbed in. Someone snapped a shot and it went around the world and the rumor was born.

Q: Did Michael buy the elephant man's bones?
False. When asked this question during an interview, Michael got a hell of a kick out of it. Despite his eccentricities, Michael was intrigued by the rumor but wondered why people thought he would buy them or where he would put them if he had.

Q: Did Michael propose to Elizabeth Taylor?
Possibly. Elizabeth Taylor denied this in a somewhat sarcastic manner when asked, but given Michael's attachment to her, it's not altogether unbelievable.

Q: Was Michael a Jehovah's witness?
True. Not towards the end of his life, but as a child and up until his mid 20s. His mother is a devout Jehovah's witness and Michael himself went door-to-door (in a disguise) at times as a young man. During the Thriller era, Jehovah's Witnesses took issue with his Thriller video and did not want it released as they thought the images were satanic. This is the reason there is a written message at the beginning of the video in which Michael expresses that the video has nothing to do with his personal beliefs in the occult. Michael left the church and by all accounts was a great scholar of religion. He didn't chose a definitive one the rest of his life, but enjoyed learning about all different religions and would attend a Baptist Church one day and a Synagogue the next. There was a picture taken of Michael's bedroom in the 90s. There was a painting of Jesus above his bed.

Q: Was Michael's marriage to Lisa Marie real?
True. Lisa Marie never wavered on this, both in her statement relating to his death as well as through their marriage and the difficult and angry times afterwards. I used to own a wedding card that these two sent to their family and friends after the wedding. It was a secret wedding so the Jacksons weren't present, though secret marriages tend to be common in their family. The world found out through the judge who married them that blurted it out to the world a month after they tied the knot.

Q: Was Michael's father abusive?
True. Michael never went into great detail about the abuse, though he did acknowledge to Oprah Winfrey that his father beat him and he mentioned that his father used to tell him he was ugly. He also confided that he would become physically ill at the sight of his father even as an adult and used to throw up upon hearing that his dad was coming to visit him.

Q: Did Michael own a chimpanzee?
True. Bubbles the chimp was one of countless exotic animals Michael owned (others included giraffes, elephants, panthers, a crocodile, peacocks, rams, etc, though Michael oddly enough had a fear of dogs. This wasn't always true as he had guard dogs as a child). Bubbles was raised with Michael until he grew too big and became dangerous. He is still alive and being cared for outside the family. Michael was a huge animal-lover and among those who funded the release of Keiko, the whale from Free Willy. He was vegetarian most of his life, at 16 vowing not to eat meat. He cheated from time to time over the years.

Q: Did Michael have a flesh-eating disease?
False. This peculiar rumor appeared and vanished in the last months of Michael's life. Michael did have Vitiligo and Lupus.

Q: Did Michael have plastic surgery?
True. This one is sort of a no-brainer. Michael had multiple surgeries, the first on his nose which was practical and a medical procedure as he broke his nose upon falling on stage when he was 20. He had numerous nose jobs and a cleft put into his chin. Michael's siblings greatly teased him about his big nose as a child, probably adding to his insecurities physically. He also didn't want to see his father Joseph in the mirror.

Q: Did Michael invent the moonwalk?
Partly. According to Michael, the inspiration from the Moonwalk came from kids he saw in the ghetto, who did a certain version of it. He took their steps and added changes and developed the Moonwalk.

Q: Was Michael gay?
Michael never directly addressed this question, and it was never directly asked on an interview. Both of his ex-wives claim they had sexual relations with him. When Oprah asked him if he was a virgin, he laughed and blushed, claiming that he was a gentleman and didn't believe such things should be spoken about openly. Michael was known to have crushes on girls as a boy and growing up. Despite his androgenous look, no evidence ever came to light that he was gay. In fact, some friends and even fans claimed that Michael was quite fond of flirting and hitting on women, which can also be evidenced in clips of "Living With Michael Jackson" the documentary.

Q: Are Michael's kids really his?
You got me. Michael's father Joseph had red hair and green eyes as a young man. LaToya also has green eyes. Michael's daughter Paris and oldest son, Prince, definitely are at least partially Debbie Rowe's which can very easily be visually identified. Michael never revealed the source of who Prince Michael II (Blanket)'s mother was, though he does bear a slight resemblance to Michael by coincidence or truth. Michael never revealed any donor information. I imagine only a handful of people know the answer to this question.

Q: Why did Michael's kids wear masks?
Michael knew what it was to live life in the spotlight with a camera shoved in your face since he was a child. He never wanted his children to share that fate but always wanted to be a dad, even as a teenager. The masks served to shield his children from prying cameras. The media did not have an accurate idea of his children's faces so they were able to go out in public without masks and live more normal lives without being followed when not with their father. They didn't wear masks at home.

Q: Who was the female voice on 'In The Closet'?
Most people think it was Naomi Campbell as she was the girl in the video. It was actually Princess Stephanie of Monaco, who supposedly briefly dated Michael. Food for thought, you can also here Notorious B.I.G. rap with Michael on his song 'This Time Around' on the HIStory album and the girl having a steamy phone conversation with Janet Jackson on her Velvet Rope album is actually Lisa Marie Presley.



Q: Did Michael ever want to act?
Michael starred in many films, not only his own videos. He was in 'The Wiz', 'Captain Eo', 'Ghosts', 'Men In Black II', and 'Miss Castaway'. He was in talks to play Edgar Allan Poe in a film that never materialized and had a desire for parts that eventually went to Johnny Depp, including Edward Scissorhands and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Marlon Brando gave him a few acting lessons.

Q: Did Michael do any other types of art?
Michael did the storyboard illustrations for the movie 'Mars Attacks'. He also did some sketches for Walt Disney World. Michael also did voiceover work under a pseudonym for certain episodes of the Simpsons. He was an artist of all trades.

Feel free to add or send in more questions or rumors, we will dig up the answer.

Michael Jackson's skin disease

Debunking myths and rumors has to be one of my favorite pasttimes and with Michael Jackson, there's never a shortage. People are so bombarded by media BS surrounding nearly every aspect of who Michael is and many celebrities in general. You'd be surprised the length they'll go to in order to distort some aspect of him, including doctoring pictures and photoshopping so it looks like this nose is falling off (by the way, that was a bandaid that the media photoshopped off the ends of so it looked like a flap of skin hanging off) or photoshopping lots of blush, eyeshadow, and lipstick where it isn't. Now, I'm not denying that Michael does wear makeup. But the media will often touch of the photos and brighten up the makeup so it looks outrageous. If you find originals and compare them to the ones in magazines, there is often some serious retouching.

One of the favorite things the media likes to talk about is Michael's so-called "skin bleaching". It was in 1993 on the Oprah Winfrey prime time interview that an emotional Michael revealed that he suffers from the skin disorder Vitiligo, which causes sufferers to lose their skin's pigmentation and ultimately become allergic to the sun. Of course no one believed him when he came forth with this confession and to this day a vast majority of the public believes Michael made himself white.

I am familiar with the skin disease as one of my mom's close friends (adopted Aunt) has it. Thus I know what it looks like from personal experience and I've stood a foot away from Michael Jackson and saw it all over his hands. Same thing. Vitiligo is hereditary (Michael's big sister Latoya has it as well, in fact she was whiter than Michael was in the early 90s). What Michael does do is he LOADS up on foundation and powder to try to even out his skin so it isn't as noticeable (it leaves colorless white blotches all over the skin). He adds makeup once in awhile to try to give his face a bit more color and this also explains "bizarre" behavior such as carrying an umbrella outdoors in the heat, glasses, hats, long hair, anything that covers and protects his skin from direct sunlight.

Below is the photographic evidence, including early shots of Michael in the late 70s as a teenager, one where the Vitiligo is visible on the side of his face, another from a book I have that was published in 1984 that shows Michael's face and neck covered in blotches once the heat from the stage lights caused his makeup to melt. If Michael was bleaching his skin, it would all be the same color. Take a look at any Vitiligo victim and their skin looks the same. Michael most likely does use skin-lightening creams to even it out further since his case is pretty severe and uses makeup to even out the rest. There is no cure for Vitiligo and it gets progressively worse. Also included are a few shots of Michael from the Brazilian version of his "They Don't Care About Us" Spike Lee directed music video, most of the shots feature his bare chest completely powdered so it looks normal but a few shots made it into the video prior to his make-up job. And lastly, the picture of Michael's leg comes from a court appearance Michael missed claiming he was bitten by a spider and had to go to the hospital. The judge didn't believe him and made him submit photographic evidence of the alleged spider bite, which was in fact real, and it further showcases some of the best pictures of his skin disease. There's no doubt that Michael isn't lying about having the disease, so you can tell all those non-believers to eat it! There are some people who have suggested that Michael also suffers from Lupus, and in the Thriller-era picture where Michael's face looks red some have said that's typical of a Lupus rash. Michael has also been a generous supporter of Lupus foundations, it is a possibility though unconfirmed.

Now, to add a note, there are many African Americans who suffer from Vitiligo. As a result, dark makeup is available to keep sufferers darker. Note that LaToya Jackson recently turned black again, this is how. So, one could argue that technically Michael could have done the same, though with the severity of the disease all over him, it might take more work than it was worth to him - still interesting and relevant to point out though, and a discussion I can understand having.

The following are un-doctored original photographs. Obviously the press would never release these (kind of like they never release of Michael playing and hugging little girls - of which there are thousands out there, instead they just show him with little boys, in an attempt to try to make him seem "obsessed" with boys, despite the fact that his charity work as always included boys and girls at about an equal ratio). Without further due - here are the pix - a Popspiracy exclusive!

















UPDATE: Michael Jackson's multiple autopsies revealed he did indeed have Vitiligo and that his skin had an absence of melanocytes. This was also in the detailed report publicly released and was consistently mentioned throughout.

UPDATE 2: Michael Jackson's eldest son, Prince, also has Vitiligo, which can be seen on his shoulder, neck and fingers.

Reasons Michael Jackson didn't do it.

With an endless parade of media outlets clammoring at money and ratings by professing Michael Jackson's absolute guilt at charges of child molestation, I will put together a strong argument as to why he ISN'T guilty.

Public Argument #1: Where there's smoke, there's fire. If one kid said he got molested, then another kid did, obviously it's true.

Isn't the reverse argument also true? If one family got money, isn't another one going to try? Okay, so the out-of-court 1993 settlement was a bad idea. Celebrities settle out of court all the time, if they have the money to banish a problem into disappearance and move on with their lives, they figure it's worth it. I argue that there are times when it isn't, and this case is the clearest example possible. Michael Jackson is an escapist by nature, an artist who has made a career out of avoiding public opinion as much as humanly possible. At least he didn't settle this time. What kind of parents accept money as a payback for child molestation?! If that were my kid, you'd better believe they'd have something else coming to them. No amount of money should be able to satisfy a parent in such a situation. And, note that the accuser in 1993 came from a wealthy family, unlike the latest accusers. The boy's father was a prominent Beverly Hills dentist who was already up to his knees in cash. Note that the latest accusers called the civil attorney of the '93 accuser PRIOR to even calling or going straight to the police.

Public Argument #2: Michael Jackson is a grown man who spends time with kids, so he must be a pedophile.

There are many reasons an adult might want to spend time with young people that don't have to center around perversion. Take a look at people who have a mid-life crisis and have issues with aging. They try to surround themselves with younger people, buy hip toys like fancy cars, and try to alter their behavior to appear far younger than their years. In Michael Jackson's case, his hang-ups are clearly centered around his lost childhood, hence his Peter Pan complex. As a boy who couldn't even go to a movie theatre without being mobbed, it's not surprising that Michael Jackson built and created Neverland, his own way of going on rides, watching movies, and going to the zoo undisturbed. Sure it's odd, but if we had a billion dollars we'd be able to afford eccentricities too and build a getaway of our chosing as well. As an overworked child from a broken home, Jackson didn't have many opportunities to play or exercise his rights to youthful freedom. He grew up feeling incomplete and has tried to recreate the part of his life he never knew by surrounding himself with all things youthful. Michael Jackson clearly suffered from childhood traumas and has a regressed emotional state, not to mention being a kid in an adult industry in which he was taken advantage of and hurt by numerous adults in his life, it isn't surprising that he prefers the company of children and animals, who don't seem to want anything but your attention.

Food for Thought:

Michael Jackson must be the most selective pedophile in the world. Of all the millions of children he has been exposed to yearly, he molested two, one every fifteen years. Pedophiles DON'T do this, they are compulsive and carry out their desires constantly. Where are the others? And please don't say they were scared to come forward. They had safe opportunities to do so, in a society convinced of Jackson's guilt and on their side. Santa Barbara County district attorney Tom Sneddon tried his hardest to wrangle up as many 'victims' as he could, promising the courtroom and the world that he would get five boys to testify against Jackson in the current case: the boy from 1993, the current accuser, Macaulay Culkin, choreographer Wade Robson, and Brett Barnes. The boy from '93 had every opportunity to put his attacker behind bars and clear his name and didn't bother to show up but his mother did, who had nothing but positive things to say about Michael and claimed she never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Macaulay Culkin, still friends with Jackson and godfather to Michael's children, scoffed at the FBI's handling of the previous case, talking about how they never interrogated him or came up to him and asked if he'd been molested and instead people just assumed that he had been when nothing of the sort ever happened. Wade Robson also leaped to Jackson's defense claiming he slept next to Michael for years and nothing inappropriate ever happened, Robson's mother attacked the current accuser's mom saying she was just in it for money. Brett Barnes also defended Jackson from any wrongdoing, and the current accuser changed his story and was caught lying on the stands so many times (as did his family) that the jury didn't believe them. Five boys promised by the D.A. to deliver testimony that would lock Michael away, all defending Jackson except for the current accuser who couldn't keep a story straight for the life of him.

Michael Jackson must also have the worse luck of any pedophile in the world, the only two boys he chose to molest were the two who had criminal families that had legal histories of suing people for false claims. The 1993 accuser whose wealthy dentist father sued his patients for false claims numerous times (and was also caught on audio tape talking about how destroyed Micheal Jackson's career was going to be and how much money he was going to get from him) and the current accuser whose mother sued JC Penney for excess of $100,000 dollars because she alleged one of their security guards tried sexually assaulting her (Jay Leno also called the police on her, claiming he felt she was "looking for a mark" to extort money from, and she also contacted numerous other celebrities trying to acquire financial assistance). Jackson's mistake was being the celebrity who fell for it and took pity on the family. During the Michael Jackson case, she admitted to welfare fraud, which she has since been to court for.

Further embellishments:

The mother of the current accuser, coincidentally named Janet Jackson, probably would have had a better chance at building a case for herself if she hadn't repeatedly changed stories constantly during the trial. First, the timeline of the case doesn't add up. Pre-court fiasco, her son had appeared on a documentary with Jackson talking about what a great friend he was and that Michael had never molested him. There is both video and written statements from the boy and his mother made at the time professing their belief in his innocence against the allegations. The mother explained this away by saying Michael molested her son immediately AFTER this admission, then later claimed she was forced by Michael's on-set bodyguards into saying he was innocent and incapable of such an act. Videographers on the set that day said there wasn't anyone around on the set and she seemed calm and relaxed, speaking of her own free will. Then she went on to talk about how Michael kidnapped the family and kept them prisoner at Neverland, and that there were no clocks there and you lost track of time. Did she not notice the giant 12 foot clock in the entrance of Neverland or the clocks all around the ranch as it's themed after the Peter Pan story?! And what kidnapped individual goes out in public on massive shopping sprees spending thousands of dollars of their captor's money including getting a bikini wax and fails to notify someone that they are being held against their will?


In both of these cases, it was an aggressive parent spearheading the allegations who seemed to play the part of abuser in their child's lives. In 1993 it was the boy's father making all the accusations, in the recent case, the boy's mother. Many assume that the current jury voted Michael innocent because he was rich and famous. The jury claimed they simply didn't believe the mother or her son (or her other children) as all of them were caught changing their stories and lying multiple times. If the allegations were true, why would they have such a hard time being consistant? The young boy's criminal record as a shoplifter and history as an actor plus his mother's trips to mental institutions probably didn't help their credibility either. So then, there are those that allege that it's possible the current case was untrue, but that the first one wasn't. Not that we'll ever know seeing as it never completed it's journey in court. But what is known about the case doesn't make it appear to be a strong one either. Aside from the 1993 accuser's father's criminal history of extortion attempts and the audio tape of his own admissions of a plot against Jackson, there were several former Neverland employees who had come out in defense of the accusers, claiming they had "seen things". Since, several of those employees recanted their stories, saying that tabloid shows were offering them immense amounts of money they couldn't turn down to say they had seen things they hadn't, and one former employee who had taken the stand at the start of the 1993 trial wasn't able to complete his testimony, having stood up and admitted that he had been dishonest and was "paid" to say he had seen something he hadn't. The 1993 family didn't make an appearance in court at the current case minus the boy's mother who testified in defense of Jackson. If Michael Jackson did indeed molest just one boy total that doesn't make him a pedophile, it makes him a unicorn, because he's the only one I've ever heard of.

The 1993 accuser drew a diagram of what Michael's genitalia supposedly looked like and provided a description. In the early hours of the morning, Jackson was cuffed and dragged out of bed and taken to the station where he had to submit to a complete strip search, where he was thoroughly photographed. Supposedly he covered his face and cried the whole time. Jackson appeared via satellite emotional and trembly a few hours later, talking about the humiliating experience and saying "If this is what I have go through to prove my innocence, then so be it."

View Jackson's response to the initial allegations here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCbwenIZ4Ao

Supposedly, the markings didn't match the description, and the photos weren't accepted as evidence in the current trial. The district attorney also refused to return the photos to Jackson post-verdict, saying he was going to hold on to them because he might need them for later.

One thing that was uncovered at Neverland was Jackson's heterosexual porn stash, which seemed to puzzle the flustered District Attorney who kept trying to criminalize it and explain it's existance, which he claimed was 'to entice boys'. This doesn't explain why there was porn in places kids clearly wouldn't be in, such as locked up at Jackson's office. One journalist remarked that if there was one thing about Jackson and his sexuality that had been revealed during this trial it was that "he's 46 years old, likes porn, drinks wine, and has a bad back. Who knew?" Apparently Jacko isn't all that whacko compared to his contemporary counterparts in that respect. Imagine if the government decided to raid your house and criminalize your porn stash. We'd all be in trouble!

Public Argument #3:

So why does Michael Jackson keep sleeping in the same bed with kids if he's not molesting them?

I'm not going to defend Michael's right to sleep next to a kid. Whether or not you think that behavior is inappropriate, that's up to individual opinion. Provided nothing sexual is taking place, I personally don't see it as criminal other than being a no-no as far as social norms are concerned, I can understand both sides. I think Jackson sees ceasing such behavior as an admission of guilt in the first place. Why should he stop having sleepovers if he wasn't doing anything sexual to begin with? It would seem that stopping that behavior would suggest that something was wrong with it in the first place, which Jackson doesn't personally seem to believe. When pressed about it on a 1996 interview with Diane Sawyer who had asked if the sleepovers were going to stop, Michael seemed his usual naive confused self and seemed dismayed, suggesting he hadn't done anything wrong to begin with and that there was nothing wrong with sleeping next to a kid. Jackson's bedroom isn't a typical room either like the one you or I probably sleep in. It's two stories tall , and Jackson claims he sleeps on the floor and let's kids have the bed, so "I sleep with kids" probably conjures up an image for us far different from the reality. He later elaborated that he and the kids stay up late watching movies and he brings them milk and cookies. Okay, so Michael's eccentric and wants to be the friend of all children or Daddy of the Month. Maybe Michael wants to be a positive male influence in their lives that he didn't have as a child. I'm not justifying all of Jackson's actions. I don't agree with everything he does. The point of this post is to try to find options and alternatives to why Jackson MIGHT do certain things that don't have to lead to a criminal activity. Do you remember when you were a kid? Have you spent time with kids? If they like you, they do NOT leave you alone. They want to follow you everywhere, do everything you do. Let's presume it's nighttime at Neverland and the kids parents aren't on the premises (Note: If parents are really concerned that Michael Jackson is a predator, they shouldn't leave their kids alone at his ranch. What kind of parents are these?!). Kids are afraid of the dark, they are afraid of being in unfamiliar places. If parents aren't at the ranch and kids are being left there, good luck getting a child to spend the night by themselves in a guest room at a stranger's house. Especially if the person appears uber-cool and has a mystical ranch filled with candies and toys and rides and llamas. Of course they're going to want to emulate this guy and be around him every second, and kids know how to play an adult's sympathies and guilt, and that adult will fall for it if he's gullible and sensitive. A kid will start kicking and screaming and throwing a tantrum the minute you try to rip them away from whoever their current idol is. I'm not saying this is the best idea in general. Parents should always accompany their children places, especially if they don't know who they are leaving their kids with. Given Michael's legal history, he should have known better than to set himself up in another situation like this. Obviously he enjoys the company of youth and the feeling it brings being able to relive parts of his life and have sleepovers he wasn't allowed to have as a kid, but I think he should give it a rest. At a certain point, you have to realize the past is what it is and there's no way to get it back. Michael's far too unrealistic to accept that.

I think a lot of people also think Michael is guilty because of superficial reasons, because he's an eccentric we can't seem to understand and because he looks peculiar, so he must be a criminal. Peter Pan complexes aren't a crime. Any genius is eccentric by nature. We're never going to understand that guy because we don't know what it is to have that kind of talent, and we don't know what it is to have lived through what he has. Our live experiences shape us, Michael Jackson is no different. Just because a guy looks like he could maim you doesn't mean he will. People still have this pre-century believe that someone's face and features tell you something about what crimes they are capable of committing. Because Jackson defies categorization on so many levels, it's not surprising that people have judgements and biases. People are afraid and accusatory towards things they don't understand.

I'm not opposed to the possibility that Jackson could be a child molestor. If I was given concrete proof or if ONE person could come forward with an incredibly solid story I'd be more apt to believe it. But you'd better believe I'm going to be damn sure someone is a pedophile or killer before I label them so. A label like that can destroy lives, and whether you like him or not Jackson has a family and children and a life that's been ripped in half by rumors lacking sufficient proof. It seems awfully unfair. People have allowed the media to dictate every thought they have on the trial, which was clearly biased to begin with. The district attorney of the case clearly had his own personal reasons for going after Jackson including his impending retirement and bringing Michael's finances and personal dirt into the case which had nothing to do with the trial at hand and was a personal smear. As was having over 80 officers raid Neverland when the house isn't that large and five people would have been sufficient, or cuffing Jackson, or calling an entire (and completely unneccessary) press conference together to publicize the raid and then taking personal stabs at Jackson, laughing at him, cracking jokes, and saying "I don't listen to that kind of music" at what was supposed to be a serious announcement of a criminal investigation. Millions of California taxpayer's money have been thrown out for these lame court displays brought on by the District Attorney who as usual, had promises he couldn't deliver and a vendetta he couldn't seem to let die.

The recent court case was not televised, though court transcripts were available each day. It was shocking to read what was happening in the courtroom and then open up a newspaper and see stories come out that day that had been COMPLETELY REWRITTEN and skewed by the media on a daily basis to profit off the situation as much as possible (though I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this happened in 1993 as well). I encourage the public to seek their own answers and truths be relying on factual information and sources prior to coming to conclusions and forming opinions. Not just about the Michael Jackson trial but about all celebrities and any news intake about world events. The media will always try to manipulate any story if it can cash in, and sadly the public rarely questions it. I suggest the BBC, NPR, and Reuters as reliable news sources, they are far more accurate than their ratings-driven sensationalistic counterparts.

Justin Timberlake - NOT "The New King of Pop"

Justin Timberlake owes the Jackson family massive apologies. From the start of his career, the Jacksons have been largely responsible for his artistic success.

During Janet's "The Velvet Rope" tour, she gave NSYNC a huge break in their careers by making them her opening act on a leg of her tour. NSYNC was not a popular group at the time, that city-to-city exposure greatly helped give them visibility. Janet claimed she had seen a Disney concert they had done and was impressed, most likely because Justin did a rendition of Michael's Jackson's 'Don't Stop Til You Get Enough' on that show equipped with MJ's moves.

Justin ended up building a career around Michael Jackson's influence. From the way he sings to the way he dances and even the way he dresses, as evidenced by his "Like I Love You" dance attire. Timberlake has cited many influences, but never has he "borrowed", or blatantly ripped off, the others. I have no problem with artists having influences, surely Michael Jackson did, the difference is that: a) you give props and credit where they're due and b) you add something unique of your own, ORIGINALITY to change it up. I'm not doubting Justin Timberlake's ability to be talented. I believe he is. But he doesn't have one iota of originality, and hence he could never be in the same ballpark as someone like Michael Jackson, not that he had a fighting chance either. He's not a genius, he's not THAT talented. Seeing Justin named "The New King of Pop" on Rolling Stone's magazine cover a few years ago was incredibly laughable and sad. Justin did cite Michael as an influence for awhile and Michael Jackson appeared with NYSNC at the MTV Video Music Awards years ago, the boys presented him with an award at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and they joined the Jackson Five onstage at Madison Square Garden in 2001. All of that changed when child abuse allegations resurfaced about Michael. Justin began doing interview after interview of dropping Michael's name off his list of influences and continued to steal all of Michael's attributes. This appears to be a typical pattern for Justin, who whimps out whenever he sees any inkling of controversy surrounding anything. He clearly can't take a stand for anybody or anything he believes in if it's not 100% popular. Again, totally unoriginal. Original people have their own thoughts and are unafraid to publically be true to themselves. In all honesty, Usher steals from Michael pretty badly as well. The difference is Usher has always admitted it and given Michael mad props, and gives him a shout out every time he wins an award. He's aware he owes Michael, big time.

But it isn't Michael that has been the most royally screwed Jackson by Timberlake, it's Janet. Janet gave NSYNC a huge break, and she continued to support NSYNC's careers and even went to see them in concert. When Justin did his first solo album 'Justified', he asked her to appear on the record and they did a duet together. In fact, you can even hear Janet's voice sampled on his latest single, 'Sexy Back'. If you chose to give any credence to rumors, supposedly Janet reciprocated Justin's life-long crush and the two were seen making out at some clubs and allegedly had a one night stand. If that were true in any way, it would add even more insult to injury into what ended up happening. Fast-forward to Nipplegate, Janet and Justin's performance at the Superbowl where Janet's breast became an international scandal. Justin denied knowing the "wardrobe malfunction" was going to take place, and profusely apologized publically and blamed it on Janet, blaming it all on her. Which is pretty funny considering the event took place right after Justin sang the lyric '...and I'll have to you naked by the end of this song" and RIPPED off her clothing.



The Grammy's would not let Janet or Justin appear at their show unless they issued public apologies, Justin apologized his heart out and continued denying responsibility in all forms while Janet refused to apologize and didn't attend the ceremony. Eventually she did apologize for the incident, cleverly wording it "I'm sorry people were offended" as opposed to apologizing for the action. True artists don't need to apologize for their artistic expression, and people suing national television networks for 'emotional distress' (in light of these same people watching multiple killings and maimings on TV and being fine with it) and CBS being fined half a million dollars plus MTV severing their relationship with Janet despite all that her family has done for the channel was already such a hypocrisy and a serious sign that something is wrong with our society. Janet's career suffered a massive backlash, her 'All For You' album which was released after the Superbowl incident was the lowest selling album she ever released, and the media and public turned on her. Over a breast! One of the most successful female recording artists in history was brought down by FLASHING A TIT. Of course, squeaky-clean mama's boy Justin was able to distance himself completely from the scandal and continue on with his career as if nothing had ever happened. Though in a different way, Justin felt his own backlash. Not from the media or the public, but from his peers and the artistic community, many who distanced themselves from him and expressed upset over his treatment of a friend and woman who had done her best to help him and his career. Justin has since tried to get a hold of Janet who refuses to talk to him, claiming he wasn't the guy she thought he was and had changed since his success.

On a recent interview, Justin was asked what specifically he would have done differently about the Superbowl if he had a chance. He gave an emotional three minute speech about how he let down a lot of his peers and Janet and that he'd felt the consequences of it and should have taken responsibility and stood by her. Oops. He also mentioned that the backlash on her career said something about society's view of women, which while partially true, certainly seemed like another way to evade the fact that the situation was as bad as it was because he dumped it all on her and fled. I doubt her career would have suffered anywhere near that level of destruction had he shouldered half the blame, if not more than half seeing as he was the one to rip off her clothes and expose her to the world. Justin's such a baby. Kind of like when he retaliated after the Britney Spears break-up by telling the world she wasn't a virgin or by making the 'Cry Me A River' video where he's stalking the Britney look-alike. Give me a break, was all that really necessary? Is it possible that this kid can act like a mature adult once in his life? I have yet to see it. You reap what you sow. I doubt Justin will be successful in this industry for a lifetime like the Jacksons. He doesn't have the originality or the backbone.