It turns out, Radar Online may be paying BIG time for the part they have played in the current orchestrated smear campaign against Michael Jackson! The smutty tabloid has just been hit with a $100 million dollar lawsuit by Michael’s nephews Taj, Tarryl and TJ Jackson. As most of my readers probably know, the nephews became unwitting victims of slander in all of this mess when Radar Online-so caught up in their stats victory dance after breaking the phony child porn story that they apparently lost their frickin’ minds-decided for good measure to throw in a story about the three nephews having been molested by their uncle. Not only was that story blatantly false, it also implied that the three were guilty of a felony since the story goes that the nephews were willing participants who accepted bribes and then attempted to “cover” for their uncle’s “guilt.”
In running this story, Radar Online apparently forgot one very important fact. Although there still exist no laws to protect the dead from libel, there are still plenty of legal repercussions that living persons can take. While including the nephews in their smear campaign was probably the stupidest blunder Radar Online could have made, Michael’s fans all over the world can heave a victorious sigh of relief that yes, they really were that stupid-and thank goodness for it! Although this massive lawsuit names Taj, Tarryl, and TJ Jackson as the plaintiffs, rest assured, it is a victory blow being delivered for Michael, as well. He is not here to defend himself, but his blood still can. And if they win, they will have succeeded in striking a tremendous blow against not only Radar Online, but the entire tabloid industry!
First, let’s have a look at the actual documents that have been exchanged between attorney Bert Fields, representing Taj, Tarryl and T.J. Jackson and Radar Online (courtesy of DailyMichael.com):
Tough words indeed from Bert Fields! However, this might be a good time to step back and ask: Just what are the chances for a victorious outcome in this case? This is not the first time that the nephews have taken a tabloid to task, and in the past they were less than successful. In 2015, Taj Jackson registered a complaint with IPSO against the British tabloid The Mirror. In that case, the complaint had been raised over a false report that Michael had paid off 134 million pounds in “hush money” to over 20 families (a lie that has continued to be regurgitated in the media ever since the same paper published the phony FBI files story back in 2013). One reason the complaint apparently fell through is that the Michael Jackson estate also filed a complaint with IPSO, who then usurped the authority of Taj Jackson. This might have proven successful if, in fact, the estate had followed through with the complaint, but the matter was apparently dropped at that point and left Taj with no legal recourse to pursue the action further.
A great discussion on that failed complaint (as well as the current lawsuit against Radar Online) can be heard on the 8/06/16 episode of The MJCast.
But the complaint may have not been totally in vain. Taj did succeed, at least, in getting The Mirror to rectify some of the more damaging language of their original article. It wasn’t much, but it was something, at least.
However, Radar Online‘s reaction when confronted with the nephews’ complaint was an outright refusal to retract anything. This was the official statement released from American Media, Inc. which owns Radar Online:
The Radar article clearly states that detectives reported that Michael Jackson may have used photos of his nephews ‘to excite young boys’. This theory was, in fact, presented by the prosecution during Michael Jackson‘s 2005 criminal trial. Radar looks forward to correcting plaintiffs’ misstatements in a court of law.”
This statement is wrong on several levels. This was not a theory ever introduced by the prosecution during Michael’s trial. As I discussed in the piece that I wrote for Huffington Post last month, the photos in question were photos taken during a professional photo shoot for a CD cover. They were listed in the police report as were many such items seized during the raid of Neverland, but even there, it was acknowledged that the photos appeared to be from a professional shoot. As such, they were never entered as “evidence” and the prosecution never tried to argue any such theory.
If this is the best defense that Radar Online has going into court, they are going to be ripped to shreds. What’s more, in refusing to retract their story even when presented with such a compelling argument as was presented to them by Fields, the accusation of “absolute malice” may become easier for the plaintiffs to prove, as per the case that Carol Burnett brought against The National Enquirer several years ago, and which I will discuss later.
However, this particular case still has many troubling hurdles to overcome in order for any hope of a victorious outcome for the nephews. Many of those hurdles, as per the discussion on the MJCast episode, are rooted in the immense differences between the American and British press, for example. It is true that defamation laws are much more stringent in the U.K., while media in the U.S. is largely protected under freedom of speech. (It is, by default, that same freedom of speech which enables bloggers like myself to be able to freely express how we feel about the media and certain individuals; thus, it is definitely a two-edged sword). Celebrities are well familiar with all of the legal hurdles and ramifications that go into bringing a successful lawsuit against a tabloid-which is precisely why so few ever even attempt it, and why the tabloid industry has been largely able to get away with as much as it does. Publications can always hide behind their “unnamed sources” and point the finger to them as the source of the information. Of course, this simply shifts the burden of proof from the publication to the “source.” Journalists in the U.S. are further able to hide behind The Shield Law, which protects reporters from, say, being dragged into legal hassles because of their sources or what they choose to print (at least two of Michael Jackson’s biggest media adversaries-Martin Bashir and Diane Dimond-have used The Shield Law to their fullest advantage).
In all of the long and sordid history of celebrities and so-called tabloid or gossip publications, there have only been a handful of successful litigations brought against the media. In order for a celebrity to succeed with a defamation lawsuit, the burden of proof really has to fall on them. They have to be able to successfully prove both that the story was false (sometimes easier said than done) and malicious intent on the part of the publication (in other words, that the paper was not merely repeating information given to them in good faith by a reliable and unpaid source). I know that one big reason why it was often so difficult in the past for a celebrity to bring a lawsuit against a media outlet was because, legally, they were bound and obligated to sue every outlet that had printed the story; they could not, for example, simply bring a lawsuit against a single publication. The legal logistics behind this made sense (“How can you claim your reputation has been ruined by The National Enquirer, and not by The Globe?”). However, it made the idea of bringing lawsuits against the tabloid industry a virtual nightmare of entanglements for celebrities, most of whom would eventually reason it was simply not worth the time and expense it would take to go after every single news outlet that ran with the story. That law, however, has been rendered pretty much obsolete by the internet and today’s trend of copy and paste journalism, whereby a story that is run by Radar Online today can instantly be copied by every online media outlet within minutes to hours. But there are still other hurdles.
In addition to the expense, time, and energy that bringing a lawsuit entails, they also must weigh the risk of bringing even more attention to the original story (which a lawsuit inevitably will) and, when all of these factors are weighed in, whether it is indeed worth it. However, many of the rules that used to apply to celebrity lawsuits against the media were put in place long before the internet, which has opened up a whole new realm of instantaneous, global copy and paste journalism on a scale that was utterly unimaginable in the days of mostly print and TV journalism. So to be honest, I am not sure to what extent the internet has changed the rules of the game. For sure, it would be next to impossible now to go after every single outlet that runs the same negative story. But in this particular case, it was very clear where the story originated, and the Jackson nephews do have a solid basis of complaint. As to the risk of bringing more unfavorable attention to the story, it certainly can’t get any worse than it already has-and, indeed, in this case, there is certainly more to lose by not taking action.
Since June, when Radar Online first began their current series of defamatory articles against Michael Jackson, I kept mentioning the analogies to the case of Christopher Jefferies, the U.K. retired school professor who was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of the murder of Joanna Yates. Jefferies was initially suspected because he had rented a flat to Joanna Yates and was the only person besides Yates to have a key to her flat. But many suspected that Jefferies’ unconventional appearance and eccentric reputation was what really led the police to treat him as a suspect.
Christopher Jeffries As He Appeared At The Time Of Joanna Yates’s Murder: “My Face Must Have Fit The Crime”-Christopher Jeffries
Christopher Jeffries As He Appeared At The Time Of Joanna Yates’s Murder: “My Face Must Have Fit The Crime”-Christopher Jeffries
Jefferies was later cleared when the real murderer of Joanna Yates was arrested and confessed (turns out, he was a resident of the same complex and was also a tenant of Jefferies’). But although Jefferies was never charged with the murder of Joanna Yates, the British tabloids nevertheless went into an orgiastic feeding frenzy with stories about the “perverted” ex school professor turned “murderer.”
A Small Taste Of Just How Bad It Got For Christopher Jeffries
A Small Taste Of Just How Bad It Got For Christopher Jeffries
It is now widely accepted that Christopher Jefferies’ eccentric reputation, appearance, and mannerisms all contributed to the mass assumption of guilt and the media’s haste to convict an innocent man in the court of public opinion (sound familiar?). At first, Jefferies’ strategy was to ignore the tabloid stories. After being released from jail and later cleared completely, he just wanted to get back to his quiet life. But it was quickly made apparent to him that he was never again going to have that quiet life. All but those who knew him best still suspected him of the murder. People treated him differently. He could no longer freely show his face anywhere. Eventually, with the encouragement of friends, he realized the only way he would ever truly get his life and his honor back was to go after the British tabloids who had ruined his life. His campaign against the tabloids eventually culminated in a triumphant testimony at the Leveson Inquiry for press regulations. To say his campaign was successful would be an understatement. Jefferies succeeded in winning against all of the tabloids who had smeared him, receiving not only handsome compensation but something much more valuable-full retractions and public apologies on behalf of all of them. And best of all, he got his life back.
lost honourFor those who are unfamiliar with Christopher Jefferies’ story, I highly recommend the film The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies. I believe it is still currently streaming on Netflix. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in issues of truth, justice, and standards of accountability for the media, but for Michael Jackson fans in particular, it is a MUST SEE!
One reason I recommend Jeffries’ story so highly to MJ fans is not only because it is inspirational, but it also reveals much about how the media operates in order to frame a presumption of guilt on a selected individual. Although Jefferies was fully exonerated, that exoneration came with a heavy price. Unlike Michael Jackson, he was not a celebrity prior to the accusations made against him. But when pressed to give a reason why the media and public were so quick to condemn him, he gave an apt answer that could also certainly be argued in Michael’s case: “My face must have fit the crime.” For Jefferies, even with his legal victory against the system that had condemned him, it is a scar and a cross he continues to bear. In order to redeem himself in the court of public opinion-and to make his case against the tabloids more viable-he was forced to give up a lot of his individuality (his famously eccentric hairstyle, for example) and to make conscious efforts to somehow appear more “normal.”
Christopher Jefferies Testifying At The Famous Leveson Inquiry, Which Resulted In Revamped Regulations For The British Media:
Overview of The Media’s Handling Of The Christopher Jefferies Case:
The message, then, is still clear: If you are different, you are a target for the beast. Conform, and the beast may leave you alone. The case of Christopher Jefferies may seem like an odd anomaly in a discussion of celebrity and tabloid media relations, and in some ways it is. This was an unusual case in which a private citizen overnight became a tabloid scapegoat, although such cases are not totally unheard of. Many private citizens, as a result of crimes or other extraordinary events that turned their formerly private lives upside down, have found themselves in similar positions-look what happened to Patricia Ann and John Ramsey, for example. They, too, were lynched by the tabloid media (resulting in multiple defamation lawsuits including one against American Media Inc-the same publisher that Michael’s nephews will be going up against). The defamation against the Ramseys continued unabated even after DNA evidence tested in 2003 pointed towards an unidentified male suspect, and no doubt played a role in hastening the death of Patricia Ramsey in 2006. The official cause of her death was ovarian cancer, but certainly the toll of emotional distress that the family was put through by the media may well have triggered and exacerbated her illness. Certainly when one’s life becomes a never ceasing end of defamation lawsuits, the stress has to be staggering.
Patricia Ramsey Was Finally Cleared Of All Suspicion Of Her Daughter’s Death In 2008-Unfortunately, Two Years Too Late For Patricia, Who Died In 2006 After A Decade Of Battling The Tabloids.
Patricia Ramsey Was Finally Cleared Of All Suspicion Of Her Daughter’s Death In 2008-Unfortunately, Two Years Too Late For Patricia, Who Died In 2006 After A Decade Of Battling The Tabloids.
The insurmountable obstacles that celebrities often face when considering even the possibility of a lawsuit against the tabloid press is what deters many from trying, and why so many such stories often go unchallenged-not necessarily because they are true, but because celebrities must learn to choose their battles carefully. There have been a few successful cases, although I can mostly count the ones I am aware of on one hand. However, a token few do stand out as cases that set important precedents in the never ending celebrity battle against the tabloids. One of these was the defamation lawsuit waged by comedian Carol Burnett against The National Enquirer over a story published in March of 1976 claiming that the comedian was publicly drunk at a Washington, D.C. restaurant, had boisterously insisted on sharing her dessert with other people at the restaurant, and had argued with Henry Kissinger.
Carol Burnett Testifying In Court Against The National Enquirer-A Case That Made Headlines And Set A Precedent For Celebrity Cases Against The Tabloids
Carol Burnett Testifying In Court Against The National Enquirer-A Case That Made Headlines And Set A Precedent For Celebrity Cases Against The Tabloids
In this particular case, “actual malice” (something which plaintiffs in such cases must be able to prove) was proven due to the fact that The National Enquirer had proceeded to run the story despite having been unable to verify all of the information that had come to them via a “paid source.” Some of the story’s details were true. For example, Burnett did dine at the restaurant on the night in question; she did speak to Henry Kissinger; she apparently did share portions of her souffle with other diners who had said they would like to try some after having been asked. And this, again, is where these kinds of cases can get very sticky. However, Burnett insisted she was not intoxicated and certainly did not argue with Henry Kissinger (there is a huge difference between speaking to someone and having an open brawl!). At the time, her variety show was one of the most popular shows on prime time television, so Burnett had much to lose by allowing the accusation to go unchallenged. She proceeded with the lawsuit even though The National Enquirer had published a retraction of the story. However, even though she did emerge victorious, the case dragged on for nearly seven years due to The National Enquirer’s appeals, and in the end, she only received $150,000 in punitive damages out of the original 1.3 million she had originally been awarded after it was apparently decided that, yes, The National Enquirer deserved to be punished but that Burnett hadn’t suffered enough defamation to warrant bankrupting the tabloid. The case was eventually settled in 1984.
More recently was the case of Bollea vs. Gawker, in which Terry Gene Bollea (“Hulk Hogan”) managed to successfully bankrupt Gawker with a 100 million dollar lawsuit over a sex tape.
“The Hulk” Brought Down Gawker Media After Successfully Winning An Award In Excess Of 125 Million!
“The Hulk” Brought Down Gawker Media After Successfully Winning An Award In Excess Of 125 Million!
But the history of successful defamation lawsuits against the tabloid industry lags far behind the number who fail-or who never even attempt retribution. For the celebrity who takes on a tabloid-no matter how famous-it often becomes a nearly insurmountable case of David vs. Goliath. And in all cases, it is only the living who have been able to take action. Even then, to win such a case may involve years of litigation and more expense than the case is worth (which is generally why only the most extreme cases ever get heard). In the United States, at least, they must be able to prove “absolute malice,” which essentially means that if the publication can convince a jury that they acted with reasonable faith based on information from a third party source, they are absolved of all guilt. In most cases, the celebrity is put on the defensive regarding the alleged action or basis for the story, which essentially means putting themselves “on trial” and can mean bringing even more negative attention to the story than the original article in question. For this reason, many adhere to the “just ignore it and let it sink” mantra. For many of the famous, especially those like the Jackson family who have habitually been the target of negative press for decades, ignoring what is said in the papers becomes more than just a defense tactic. It becomes a necessary code for survival and of keeping one’s sanity intact. But because the Jacksons have taken this stance for so long, many tabloids have assumed an irresponsible sense of carte blanche entitlement with printing most anything they desire either about the Jacksons and their most famous family member. This summer, we witnessed what may have proven to be the ultimate Gotterdammerung of that entitlement. Clearly, something had to give. For too long, the tabloids have been allowed to run with an unleashed reign. Even Michael himself, who for decades suffered much emotional distress at the hands of the tabloid industry and tabloid journalists (from being labeled a “40-year-old midget” as a child to the years of “Wacko Jacko” to even his last ride in the back of an ambulance being splashed all over newsstands) was only able to bring two successful lawsuits in his lifetime. One was against the U.K. publication The Daily Mirror in 1992 for a story tltled “Scarface” which claimed that Michael’s face had deteriorated due to plastic surgery.
Michael Took The Daily Mirrorl To Task And Won-But It Didn’t Really Change Anything, Only Ushering In Two Decades’ Worth Of Tabloid Speculation About His Face.
Michael Took The Daily Mirrorl To Task And Won-But It Didn’t Really Change Anything, Only Ushering In Two Decades’ Worth Of Tabloid Speculation About His Face.
This UPI article from June of 1992 highlights one reason why he (as well as many other celebrities) are often so reluctant to take these kinds of actions. Just look at all of the ridiculous hoops that The Daily Mirror was demanding that Michael subject himself to in order to prove their story false! Is it any wonder why he would not be so keen to undergo this kind of degrading humiliation every time a paper ran a story about his appearance? However, this was clearly a case in which the story went above and beyond to portray him as a disfigured freak.
LONDON — Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper, undaunted by a libel lawsuit prompted by its ‘Scarface’ photograph of singer Michael Jackson, Thursday followed up with a full-page photograph of Jackson in its bid to highlight the singer’s alleged history of plastic surgery.
Running under the headline ‘Does this lighting suit you then, Mr. Jackson?’, the Mirror’s picture campaign was joined by rival tabloid The Sun, which ran a profile shot of Jackson taken as he arrived at a London hospital Wednesday, labeled ‘Here is the nose.’Jackson, whose physical appearance has changed dramatically since he began singing with the pop group The Jackson Five in the early seventies, filed a libel suit Monday against the Daily Mirror, his Los Angeles attorney, Bert Fields, said.
Fields said the Daily Mirror ‘went too far’ in its July 24 story about the megastar, which called Jackson a ‘hideously disfigured phantom’ whose face was covered with scar tissue.
The paper also claimed that Jackson had a hole in his nose and that one of his cheeks was higher than the other.
Jackson, who arrived in London Wednesday for the start of his European tour, filed a second suit Monday against the Mirror claiming the paper had broken its contract with him by selling and publishing his photograph, Fields said.
The day after the suit was filed, the tabloid challenged Jackson to submit to photographs by their cameramen ‘in natural light,’ and to take the photos to an expert to prove they had not been doctored.
Their photos, they said, would show their claims of facial damage were true. It also challenged him to submit to an examination by a plastic surgeon ‘to determine the exact effect of your operations.’
The Mirror also re-ran the offending photograph, a close-up shot of Jackson’s face, the day after the singer filed suit, calling his claims ‘ludicrious’ and promising to defend itself ‘vigorously’ in court.
A High Court judge Tuesday granted Jackson a 15-day order to stop The Mirror from publishing the ‘Scarface’ photo again.
Jackson fans, meanwhile, took up Jackson’s case Wednesday, hurling garden compost at Mirror photographer, Ken Lennox, as he attempted to get more shots of Jackson’s face.
Another article of the time speaks of Michael’s willingness to subject his face to the gawking curiosity of a jury in order to prove his case. Those of us who know anything about Michael Jackson at all know how sensitive he was about such issues. I can only imagine this as an experience only slightly less degrading and humiliating than the strip search that would come just over a year later!
Interestingly, it was the same Bert Fields who helped Michael to win this case who is now presiding over 3T’s lawsuit against Radar Online. Lets hope history can repeat itself. However, even though Michael eventually proved his point, it was, again, a litigation that dragged out for six years before an amicable settlement was reached in 1998 and a public apology given.
This case set an interesting precedent for the relationship between Michael and the tabloid press over the issue of his appearance. Up to this point, the media had taken a lot of potshots at Michael over his perceived “changing” appearance but this was the first time a tabloid had actually gone so far as to call him “disfigured” and to claim his face was actually disintegrating as a result of cosmetic surgery. This is where we really get the roots of all the ridiculous “Michael Jackson has no nose” nonsense that would dominate tabloid headlines for the next two decades. So as we see, neither the lawsuit nor the eventual settlement would prove a deterrent to those kinds of stories-if anything, it only served to intensify them!
2005 Wasn’t The First Time Michael Emerged Victorious From Court-But His Victory In 1995 Proved Hollow, As Both Diane Dimond And Victor Gutierrez Found Shady Ways To Evade Paying Up.
2005 Wasn’t The First Time Michael Emerged Victorious From Court-But His Victory In 1995 Proved Hollow, As Both Diane Dimond And Victor Gutierrez Found Shady Ways To Evade Paying Up.
The other case for which Michael brought litigation and won was against the TV show Hard Copy, reporter Diane Dimond, the host of KABC-AM radio and Victor Guiterrez. In 1995, Diane Dimond, acting on a tip from her friend Victor Guiterrez, falsely reported the existence of a Jackson sex tape during a January 1995 edition of Hard Copy. The lawsuit was initially filed on January 13, 1995 (only two days after the broadcast) and the amount of damages sought was 50 million. As most Jackson fans know, however, Diane Dimond was able to get her friend Tom Sneddon to extricate her from the proceedings. In the end, Michael only succeeded in a favorable judgement against Guiterrez for 2.7 million (far short of the 50 million initially sought) and for which he never received a penny since Gutierrez elected to flee the country rather than pay up.
Of course, in cases of genuine defamation it is not really about how much money one gets. It is the principle that counts, and certainly any victory against the tabloid press has to count for something.
But if history is any indication, such victories are only small battles in a very big and interminable war. Nothing-be it enormous lawsuits or public shaming-has ever really succeeded in stopping the beast in its tracks. If one rag is forced into bankruptcy over a massive lawsuit, another clone just like it merely rises from the ashes to take its place. Scandal and disgrace can rock the empire of Rupert Murdoch or Dylan Howard, but that empire goes on relatively unscathed, doing what it has always done.
In both of Michael’s victorious cases, he went against the British press (even the 1995 case had its roots in the British press) whose rules regarding libel in the press are much more stringent than in the United States. And, of course, he took these actions while alive. It will be interesting to see how his nephews fare against an American publication. I suspect that the 100 million figure is not really the ends to the means, and even if they “win” this case, they will probably have to end up settling for substantially less (personally I hope not as I would love to see Radar Online forced OFFLINE, the sooner the better). But the figure is meant to send an implacable message: We are not just going to take this, and we aren’t going to back down.
It’s high time that such a stand was made. My biggest concern since Michael Jackson fans began really pushing the Adllaw Initiative is that, yes, it will be great if we can push this law into being to protect the deceased against defamation; that will be a wonderful and triumphant step. But what then? The law can only be effective provided there are heirs willing to take the initiative and to enact those rights by bringing legal action in the first place. Such laws can only work if the deceased person’s living relatives and estate are willing to take the necessary actions to enforce them, and as we have seen, that is not an easy, cheap, or painless undertaking.
jackson-nephewsFor this reason, the actions taken by Taj, Tarryl and TJ Jackson in filing this lawsuit marks an important and reaffirming milestone. Rest assured, many prayers are with these courageous young men who have already endured so much-the loss of their mother, the loss of their beloved uncle, the betrayal of so-called “family friends” and an utterly disgusting and unwarranted impugnation of their own reputations that they certainly didn’t deserve.
Radar Online may have gloated over their June 2016 stats, but now it’s time to pay up. Let’s hope they will be paying dearly for those stats for a long time to come.
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18 THOUGHTS ON “EXPOSING RADAR ONLINE’S SECRET SHAME (PART 4): THEIR POTENTIAL 100 MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE”
Dalia Burgos García
AUGUST 21, 2016 AT 3:33 PM
Excellent post. Fans will not lower our guard. We will be to support them.
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Raven
AUGUST 28, 2016 AT 9:27 AM
Sending out to Dalia, Jolanta, Esemerelda, and Jadz collectively-thank you so much and you are very welcome! Your kind words are much appreciated.
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Jolanta Czajerek
AUGUST 21, 2016 AT 3:49 PM
Thank you Raven <3
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Esmeralda Rokaj
AUGUST 21, 2016 AT 4:43 PM
My prayers go out to MJ’s nephews that they win the case and also to this blog for doing the wonderful job that it does. Thank you.
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jadz
AUGUST 22, 2016 AT 1:43 AM
Thank you! Your posts are always great to read.
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Silverlight
AUGUST 22, 2016 AT 12:06 PM
Thanks dear Raven,thanks for all you do to help Michael.- I hope Taj, Taryll and TJ o succeed in this struggle, they deserve to succeed over Radar, and Michael too deserves to succeed over Radar.- Here we will always be, supporting you Raven in this task and of course supporting Michael.-
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Raven
AUGUST 28, 2016 AT 9:24 AM
Thank you! We must keep lots of positive energy flowing their way in this endeavor.
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Des
AUGUST 23, 2016 AT 3:27 AM
I once again I want to thank you for all that you do. You and many of you have i life to live,you have jobs and commitments but you still find the time and the energy for Michael. I spent hours and hours reading and watching anything that I can find about Michael but am not helping in any way like you people, but it hurts me knowing that This man he endured so much all his life,from a very young age he carried the responsibility and the weight of the world on his shoulders and the same time being a very religious man. To me only that Michael was so open about his love for children it was enough to see Michael’s soul.Every one wanted something from him.Children were an escape for him and he was becoming one of them around them.I know that so well now.When I was younger I liked older people I liked listening to them and the stories but now that am older I like to have children around me they are brighten my day,you love them you play with them but your not responsible for them for their future you know what amen.To me Michael becoming a father,and having to go through the trial and the lies and the vissues attack from the media in every aspect of his life and with all his fame and all the money he couldn’t not protect his children that he loved more than his life,killed him and if he survived as long as he did its because of his children,and now the media continue with the next generation of Jacksons. How can someone leave a normal life with this constant pressure?He was a human been he made mistakes like all of us but there’s no money in our stories or mistakes or plastic surgeries or throwing our children up in the air or parents killing their children accidentally on their own drive ways or people loosing their hair or parents leave children in their cars with 40 temperature outside its just no justice for this man.But anyone With a little bit of brain can see what’s happening here.LOVE&PEACE.
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Raven
AUGUST 28, 2016 AT 9:23 AM
That is true although as we have seen, many private citizens have indeed had their lives turned upside down by the media and tabloids when the right circumstances convene and the spotlight is thrust upon them as a result. That is why we have to cease thinking of this as just a celebrity problem, but as one that can affect all of us-anyone at any time.
But I have thought a lot about Michael’s life and how that kind of intensive, obtrusive, non stop scrutiny must have impacted him on every level of his life. And for him, it would have started at age ten or eleven. Most celebrities at least have a normal childhood. Michael spent his entire life under that kind of intense scrutiny. Imagine how it must be to have to go back to your first ten years to remember any sense of normalcy (and even then it would not have been completely “normal” by most standards-how many seven year old kids are performing gigs in strip clubs?). Even though his press coverage as a child was mostly positive, there was still enormous pressure to always act a certain way; talk a certain way because the press was always watching. And it wasn’t ALL positive, even then. He was already being put on the defense about his talent (how could an 11-year-old possibly do this?); as he grew into his teens they were already taking jabs at his sexuality. And all of the scandals, trials and tribulations of his adulthood were still to come. To some extent, this became his “normal” and he learned to live and cope with it-but at what price? I doubt any of us could hold up six months under what he lived with his entire life.
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Simba
AUGUST 24, 2016 AT 1:55 AM
Wish 3T had Melania Trump’s lawyer – he already has media outlets walking back their salacious stories about her, and she just threatened to sue a couple of days ago. Bert Fields is eighty-five. They need a young pit bull, not an elder statesman. (And didn’t he screw up the Chandler case and put Michael at a disadvantage?)
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Raven
AUGUST 28, 2016 AT 9:05 AM
Johnnie Cochran was the one who pushed for the settlement, though. I thought his letter to Radar made a strong case, although it does not seem to have scared them off in the least *they ran another negative MJ story just this week). If I were in their shoes, I would be backing off at this point. They are only making the argument for “malicious intent” look even stronger for them.
Fields’s age could be a disadvantage, though, especially if this thing drags on for several years as some of these cases have.
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stephenson
AUGUST 25, 2016 AT 1:34 AM
Another person, among many destroyed by the media, was Senator Gary Condit, whom they accused of murdering his lover– his career and reputation shredded. Even now, the whole media whipping of the Olympic swimmers in Rio has been debunked in USA Today, but not before Locte’s sponsors dropped him (a la MJ) and his reputation obliterated. Interestingly, it was 2 Australian journalists who encountered Locte’s mom on a bus and ‘broke’ the story–their story picked up on Twitter and away it went into all kinds of moralizing judgmentalism, i.e., privileged USA swimmers trash bathroom, etc. he is a LIAR etc. The swimmers never even went into the bathroom–see the USA report for an example of investigative journalism that actually tries to get it right.
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Raven
AUGUST 28, 2016 AT 8:53 AM
Both of those are great examples. I haven’t kept up much with the news out of Rio regarding the Olympics or any of the participants, but it does not surprise me insofar as knowing how the media operates. This also made me think of Budd Dwyer, the Pennsylvania politician who shot himself on TV after having been accused of criminal activity (his act was later immortalized in Filter’s song “Hey, Man, Nice Shot”). Dwyer always maintained his innocence and it came out decades later that an over zealous prosecutor had lied under oath to secure his indictment.
REPLY
stephenson
AUGUST 25, 2016 AT 1:41 AM
Here is a link to the USA TODAY piece, and there’s a podcast that’s pretty interesting. (Gary Condit was a US Representative, not Senator).
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/21/investigation-ryan-lochte-rio-olympics-authorities/89082232/
REPLY
sanemjfan
SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 AT 6:47 PM
Raven, a few nights ago the Reelz channel (a channel dedicated solely to tabloid entertainment and celebrity gossip shows and documentaries) debuted a new series called “Rich And Acquitted”, which highlights celebrity trials. MJ was the subject of the first episode, and it was just as bad as I expected it to be! My review and rebuttal is included in this Twitter thread, as well as the video of the episode (I recorded it and uploaded it)
The Reelz channel has uploaded the trailer for the MJ episode of their new series "Rich and Acquitted" https://t.co/dEBjULJMCG
— sanemjfan (@sanemjfan) September 3, 2016
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Raven
SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 AT 8:41 PM
Yes, I am just now catching up on this unfortunate piece of trash. Thanks for the review! I have unfortunately been a bit overwhelmed lately, trying to get settled in with my new job, so I haven’t had a chance to view it yet but it sounds positively horrid.
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Dialdancer
SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 AT 6:18 PM
Raven, These are questions I will ask on several Advocacy Sites such as yours. They are meant for people to ponder. Recently there was an article published in the NY Daily News concerning the so called porn books. One in particular was used. The article was so copy and paste lacking any information about the official determination of the books it could only be called a “pay to lie.”
1. Have you ever seen inside the book called “Boys will be boys”? Once again this work has been returned to the status of porn,, despite the fact it sits in the Library of Congress and several City Public Libraries. and is categorized as Children’s Adventure.
2. In reference to Chandler’s book. It talks about MJ spooning JC while unconscious giving it a sexual implication. Where are the photos of this? It would have been easy enough since Chandler claimed to have drugged Michael. Where are the photos or recordings by anyone who claims suspicion or knowledge of improper acts? Chandler had a Detective why did he not set up hidden equipment to prove his accusations? It is what they do and these devices were known and used so why are there none, not one photo, audio or video from anyone. The Maid who claims MJ was so involved in an immoral act in the shower that she was able to observe him without his knowledge could have easily taken a photo. The Police and Prosecutors would have overlooked any violations if it proved conclusively that Michael had abused any child.
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Raven
SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 AT 9:43 AM
Recently, someone asked me on Twitter if any of those books Michael owned, while not classified as child pornography then, could be considered so now? My answer was no because none of those books have ever been titles that are illegal to own, and what’s more, none of them depict children in a sexualized manner. People tend to forget or overlook that nude photos of children in and of themselves-even frontal nudity-is not child porn. Parents still take nude photos of their babies, for example. It is still permissible to photograph your two year old daughter topless, and no one is going to send you to jail for that. Additionally, books like “Boys Will Be Boys” harken back to a much earlier era when our society was not nearly so uptight about child nudity (and granted, when sexual child abuse was not nearly so prevalent in our headlines). This is because in the old days, a child was automatically equated to innocence and it wasn’t really taken into consideration that there might be sick adults who would possibly find a nude image of a child stimulating or arousing. I think that today we have, of course, become much more sensitized to this fact. Thus, a book like “Boys Will Be Boys” which was considered perfectly innocent fodder in the 1960’s had, by 1993 and again by 2003, become something to be viewed with suspicion by a prosecution desperate to make a case. As you know, of course, their main argument was not that the books were pornographic (they never even tried to argue this) but that they “could” fit the definition of books that some pedophiles “might” use as part of a grooming process. However, it is extremely hard to build a solid case on this kind of “could be; might be” speculation, especially when we take into consideration Michael’s entire collection of art books as a whole.
Unfortunately, many of these titles do straddle a very gray line which is why MJ’s haters and detractors love to argue the point about these books. The books ARE legal, and are no more child porn than books which may feature nude photos of children in war torn countries or third world countries. However, as we know, prosecutors can (and will) try to argue a case for most anything if they think they can make it stick. But as per the point I raised in my Huffington Post piece, any such speculations as these are doomed to fall back into the realm of reasonable doubt. If a book isn’t pornographic (i.e, none of these books featured photos of children in sexualized situations) then a jury can’t really be expected to second guess what an individual’s purpose might be for owning the book, which in Michael’s case could be a myriad of reasons-he often received books as gifts; he often bought many hundreds of titles in bulk; he often sent bodyguards and others out to purchase books for him; he was curious and inquisitive about many subjects, especially in the realm of art and photography, and so on). This is also precisely why it is so disturbing now that the media is continuing to run away with these headlines. It is extremely frustrating and infuriating for those who know the books and items in question that are actually being referred to.
As for Evan Chandler, if he purposely invited Michael to his house that weekend to try to set him up for a confession or an incriminating incident (which I believe 100%) then it makes NO sense whatsoever that he didn’t get photos. The story goes that he drugged Michael, then tried to get him-in a drugged and vulnerable state-to confess to being gay (Jordan even described it as if his dad was making an advance at Michael-whether genuine or to see how he would respond is unclear). When Michael finally passed out cold, Evan put him to bed IN his son’s room. How else could anyone construe this other than as an intended set-up? If he was already suspicious of the relationship, then why on earth would he do that other than with the intent of catching a possible incriminating act? (And really, what kind of father would intentionally put his son in such a compromising position if he genuinely believed something improper was going on?). Nothing about that scenario really makes sense from a logical perspective.
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Thank you for taking time to educate those that need to be! we know the truth.
Rave, thank you once again for another excellent article. When I first heard about Murray writing a book, I laughed. Then the joy faded when I thought about how easily the public can be led to believe those lies and the big promotion from the lovely tabloids.
In general terms, I wouldn’t hope to learn the truth about a person by reading a book writen by the man who killed him. The simple idea of a murderer making profit off of his victim, like you stated, is dehumanizing and outrageous. It’s something that the society would normally condemn.
If it wasn’t Michael Jackson the victim, Murray would be crucified and even the tabloids wouldn’t show him any sympathy. But those moral principles don’t apply when it comes to Michael Jackson, because negativity on him brings money, the thing that the tabloids most love.
I’ve seen quite a lot of random people express their doubts on this, or remain more neutral and say that it’s only one side of the story, since MJ is not here, we shouldn’t take it for granted. This is some progress and I hope that we’ll be able to do more.
For now, the fans have started this petition to boycott Murray’s book:
https://www.change.org/p/fans-of-michael-jackson-from-around-the-world-boycott-dr-conrad-murray-s-book-about-michael-jackson?recruiter=8749632&utm_source=petitions_show_components_action_panel_wrapper&utm_medium=copylink
Exactly. I think in this case, the media throws decency out the window because it’s Michael Jackson and any salacious details about him sell. It doesn’t matter how they get it or who is doing the dishing. What really gets me is the way some of these articles will try to pretend to be balanced while still, nevertheless, dishing the titillating details from Murray’s book. In this manner, they achieve the clicks while still pretending to absolve themselves from the guilt (sort of like, yes, we know Murray is a scumbag and this book is despicable and all BUT HERE IS WHAT IT SAYS…). In some ways, I have felt guilty about doing the same thing but I think there is a huge difference between discussing these details in order to REBUT them, as opposed to simply using them as click bait.
Thanks for sharing the petition. I think I may have already signed it (or one similar). I’m not sure how much good official boycotts actually do; obviously, the people who don’t want to read or buy it (which I’m sure is 99% of the fandom) won’t; those few who do want to buy it will. For me, it’s ONLY saving grace-if you will-would be if he provides any answers about who actually masterminded Michael’s death (if he didn’t) but I doubt seriously the book provides those answers and, to be honest, even if it did I would still have to take anything he said with a HUGE grain of salt because I simply don’t trust this man and never will. He has already lied too much, and even if there was a murder conspiracy, I believe he was a more than willing accomplice. The only exoneration for Murray in my eyes would have to be the emergence of bona fide proof that someone that morning entered the Holmby House premises completely unbeknowing to Murray while he was out of the room-but that is a highly unlikely scenario. From what I have gathered so far, this book is less about the crime that took place and is, instead, all about peddling gossip on Michael’s personal life. It seems like nothing but a cheap tactic of revenge for the fact that he probably considers (in his own warped mind) that Michael Jackson is the man who ruined his life. That seems to be the only justification for this smutfest.
Some fans are looking into the possibility of whether he can be taken down due to HIPPA violations. That may be possible IF he hasn’t completely circumvented this legality by publishing in Australia (I’m still not sure about that).
@Raven
Even if the HIPPA law can’t get him, the people mentioned in the book, like Emma Watson and Harriet Lester, could sue him for defamation. After all, there’s no possible proof of what Murray says were Michael’s intentions with them, it’s just his word. Since the family members of a deceased person can’t sue so for such things when the deceased is mentioned, at least living people can sue. Maybe Emma doesn’t want to get involved but for Harriet and her family who had a friendship with Michael this could be big deal. I hope that at least she decides to sue him. I have my fingers crossed on that.
Regarding Robson’s new lawyers:
I agree that the leaking of the letter was PR by Robson’s new legal team. There is no legal sense of it. In a court process you submit motions to the court if you want discovery on certain issues and like you pointed out in this case actually such questions have already been asked and answered during interrogatories. Like the letter itself points out it is illegal to keep settlements of sexual abuse a secret so they simply could have asked the court to reinforce the law if there were such secret settlements.
(BTW, Robson’s new lawyer firm filed on the 13th to the court that they would represent Robson from now on. On the very same day they were already in action, leaking the letter. Which BTW, also reads like a PR piece for their law firm, praising them, listing their activities etc.)
The letter is simply to make the impression to the public that there are many, many silenced, payed-off victims out there that the public does not know about due to lack of transparency. Like said, the source of this claim is nothing but tabloids, but the game Robson’s legal team is playing is to reinforce this idea in the public’s mind by innuendo. Like said they keep repeating unprofessional, emotionally manipulative language in the letter (“little boys”, “dozens of little boys” etc.) – it is clear it is for the public.
From a legal POV they they do need such victims and desperately so though. The case is still in summary judgement. This means the issue is still whether they are within statutes of limitations or not. As you know, the court already determined that they cannot sue MJ (because by law you cannot sue a deceased person) and they cannot sue the Estate (because under probate law Robson/Safechuck they are out of all statutes of limitations). So this leaves suing MJ’s companies. But for them to be able to sue the companies they have to prove that 1) the companies knew or had a reason to know about prior allegations of sexual abuse against MJ, 2) the companies could control MJ.
So what they have to prove is that there were allegations of sexual abuse before Robson’s alleged abuse and the companies knew about them. Gossip, speculations, personal opinions of employees are not enough. It has to be some sort of formal complaint that the companies had knowledge about. That is why they need to pin their hopes on allegations and settlements existing before Robson’s alleged abuse. That’s why they would so desperately need these phantom settlements and pay-outs. (But even if they had one they would still have the problem of whether the companies could have controlled MJ, which is not likely, since he was the sole owner of both companies. No one had the right to hire or fire him or to remove him from positions etc.)
Ironically, the Chandler story itself shows how the existence of such pay-outs is not likely. Since when Evan Chandler demanded MJ to pay them to silently go away MJ refused. Why if pay-outs for sexual abuse of kids were such routine for him? Why not take the opportunity with the Chandlers too, especially when they admittedly did not want anything more than a silent pay-off? It does not make any sense that pay-offs were supposedly routine for MJ, yet he would refuse to pay off the Chandlers when they were the ones offering him to silently go away if he pays them off. Moreover, both Robson and Safechuck state in their complaints that they were never offered pay-offs. So who are those mysterious paid off kids then if no one who we know about were ever offered pay-offs, not even MJ’s actual later accusers?
BTW, settlements are not hush money pay offs. They are often lumped together in the public mind and the Chandler/Francia settlements are characterized as “hush money”, but we are talking about two different things. A settlement is paid after authorities and the public already learnt about the allegations. Nothing is “hushed” there. But here the suggestion is that there were pay-offs to victims to never report the alleged crime and never go public with it. Like said in the Chandler case MJ actually refused such a pay-off when the Chandlers wanted it!
“Well, that “open season” is exactly what they are trying to create.”
I think that is a good point as well. If they do not find allegations/settlements prior to Robson’s alleged abuse they still want to play the critical mass game that these same lawyers so masterfully play with the Catholic Church. Often they dig up 100-150 accusers for a case against a Catholic priest and the sheer number of accusers usually results in a settlement. I think that’s what they are trying to do here as well. Dig up so many alleged victims that it would pressure the Estate into a settlement. Or at least the bad pulicity that they are creating in the media would. Because these lawyers are all about settlements. When I cheked out their website most of their cases ended in settlements, not in actual court victories. I think that’s Robson’s goal as well. That’s why he hired them.
Regarding Murray:
I am not even willing to entertain the things this pathlogical liar claims on a “what if” basis.
A fan on Twitter dug up his previous interview with the police and showed that he said completely different things there:
https://twitter.com/Nimue9/status/755416106785968128
https://twitter.com/Nimue9/status/755390307118804992
https://twitter.com/Nimue9/status/755390204844896257
https://twitter.com/Nimue9/status/755390095415447553
“Moreover, both Robson and Safechuck state in their complaints that they were never offered pay-offs.”
Which begs the question – if Michael Jackson routinely paid huge sums to supposed victims, how come Robson and Safechuck never scored any cash? That’s where they tripped up. They should have told more lies and claimed that they were offered money but they turned it down. Michael’s not here to dispute it. That’s what happens when you tell big lies – it’s really hard to manage all of the phony details.
As for Murray, I don’t believe he “wrote” that book for a second. He’s a paid shill. It doesn’t matter if anyone buys the book. All the salacious details are out there already.
Robson and Safechuck claiming their parents or them received hush money would get their complaint immediately thrown out. For them to be within statutes of limitations they have to claim that they recently realized they were abused or that it was wrong. They also cannot claim their parents knew about the abuse because then the Court would tell them: then sue your parents not MJ’s companies. It is already ridiculous enough as it is now. Think about it. Robson claims that total strangers in MJ’s companies should have protected him and that it is the companies’ fault that he was allegedly molested, but he does not blame the one person who was the closest to the whole situation, who was his guardian, who knew all along that he slept in MJ’s room and allowed it, who was the one who begged MJ to bring them to the US from Australia – his mother. But somehow she is not responsible while MJ’s companies are. Joy Robson and her responsibility is completely missing from Wade’s complaint. If that’s not transparent! He would not be able to make money by suing his mother. The big money is in suing MJ and his companies. So claiming his parents were given hush money would not be effective at all for his complaint. Both Robson and Safechuck claim that their parents only learnt about their alleged abuse when they recently told them, so they cannot claim they received hush money for silence about abuse.
Besides, they cannot just claim it, they would have to have some sort of evidence, like big money transferred to their bank accounts, receipts. Such big money cannot just move without any trace. And then they would also have to prove that the people at the companies knew what it was for.
The joke in this presistent hush money rumour in the tabloid media is, that no actual accuser claimed to have ever received or been offered hush money. Not Robson, not Safechuck, not Arvizo. The Chandlers begged MJ to get hush money and MJ refused! So there is this presistent myth, yet there is not one single evidence of it ever happening – and not even by people who later turned on MJ.
Those are all excellent points. It has crossed my mind to wonder if, possibly, let’s say Michael had ever given these families a monetary gift-let’s say, they hit him up with a hard luck sob story, he feels sorry for them, and out of goodness or charity or friendship wrote them a sizeable check-a plausible scenario because Michael was known for his generosity and was known to be generous with his friends. He always lavished expensive gifts on people he felt close to; that was just part of his nature. Is it possible that any of those scumbags could try to use his generosity against him and claim it was “hush money” or gifts in exchange for silence? If they did, it would probably be very hard to prove otherwise as there would simply be no way to know if it was simply a gift and nothing was ever put in writing. In Safechuck’s case, there was the alleged check written to his father (which I genuinely believe was just such a gift) but something like that is near impossible to prove one way or the other. However, as you said, in the case of Wade or Jimmy if they try to claim their parents were paid hush money then it destroys their claim that they only recently realized they were abused AND makes their parents more complicit than MJ’s companies (in the worst case possible scenario). It is a really a convoluted kettle of fish they have cooked up.
“In Safechuck’s case, there was the alleged check written to his father (which I genuinely believe was just such a gift)”
That story came from LaToya when she was telling all kind of BS under Jack Gordon’s thumb. I would not take that at face value. Safechuck doesn’t claim anything like that in his lawsuit.
Eventually they will hang themselves with their own lies. That is what happens. You have to keep telling more and more, and bigger and bigger lies, to cover it up.
Murray is living far too extremely comfortably for someone who hasn’t worked in six years.
Michael’s entire reaction to the Chandler accusations, also, were very much the reactions of someone in a state of shock (which, again, would hardly have been the case if these kinds of scenarios were routine for him). We saw him publicly go through all the stages of shock, from anger and denial to being overwhelmed and finally, acceptance of something inevitable that he couldn’t change. It doesn’t make sense that he would have gone through all of that if he was someone who was already long experienced in how to slickly handle these things. He would have, as you said, simply handled it and kept the Chandlers out of the press.
“Michael’s entire reaction to the Chandler accusations, also, were very much the reactions of someone in a state of shock (which, again, would hardly have been the case if these kinds of scenarios were routine for him).”
Agree with this completely.
Thank you for this, Raven. You are an angel!
Thank You Raven for your heartfelt and steady work !
You provide an invaluable source of fact checking, sources and reasonable assessment for those of us who want to be properly armed against any who are inclined to believe Murray’s lies (or any of the other stuff). Great work, as always. Thank you!
Macaulay “This is one of the most important people in my life. https://web.facebook.com/matilde.latini/media_set?set=a.10209661401075802.1073742739.1352616276&type=3¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic¬if_id=1469169193812431
That’s a good screencap of his exact words! Thanks for the find.
Esmeralda Rokaj says, “Even if the HIPPA law can’t get him, the people mentioned in the book, like Emma Watson and Harriet Lester, could sue him for defamation.”
But they weren’t defamed, and as a public figure, a lot of nonsense can be published about Emma Watson with no repercussions whatsoever. (It’s arguable that Harriet Lester was turned into a public figure when her father displayed her on the Today show like a prize heifer when he was trying to peddle that nonsense that she and Paris Jackson looked so very much alike that he had to be Paris’ biological father, too. Talk about betrayal!)
However the Jackson children were patients of Murray’s before he poisoned Michael. They could definitely ask for sanctions against Murray for violating their privacy, but as Murray is unlikely to practice medicine in the US again, there seems little point. It’s obvious that he’s being paid off big time. Perhaps the Jackson children can sue and subpoena Murray’s tax returns to discover the source of his cash. If he hadn’t been paying taxes on the money that’s even better – get him on tax evasion like Capone.
Murray is not that slick; somebody could take him down if they wanted to badly enough. Put a PI on him and watch his every move. Maybe they’re afraid of what they might find.
@Simba
From the legal point of view, I’m not sure of all the circumstances under which something constitutes as defamation. Indeed, is a slight hope that the girls could sue him or even have any right to do so. But I’m pretty sure that Murray has some dirt which would be enough to cause him problems with the publishing of this book.
The media has no morals and boundaries. Now they are trying to turn this felon into a celebrity. I am beyond disgusted. And these are the people who are all judgemental about MJ, yet they are the amoral psychos.
Article:
—
Conrad Murray in talks to join I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here
In some cases, it’s shown up different sides of public personas and, in other cases, it’s helped to either rebuild or destroy celebrities’ reputations. For Conrad Murray, he’s actually hoping it will helped rebuild his career.
For those that don’t know, Conrad Murray was convicted and sentenced to four years in jail for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. Murray served a total of two years in jail and was recently released. As it goes with most former celebrity physicians who are convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he’s hoping to rehabilitate his image by going into the jungle with a bunch of Z-list celebrities.
Makes perfect sense.
Murray’s publicist, Max Markson, confirmed that Murray is in talks with ITV to star in the upcoming season of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. “He’s a doctor, very calm and great with people and he has some extraordinary stories to tell. He’d be a great draw and I’m sure he’d be a fascinating guest for the show.”
Speaking of extraordinary stories to tell, Murray is currently working on a tell-all memoir about his time with Michael Jackson as his personal physician. Is that why he’s planning on going into I’m A Celebrity, perhaps?
No, that’s just us being cynical. He’s going on to I’m A Celebrity because he wants to help the Z-list celebrities will need a doctor.
That’s it. That’s clearly why.
http://entertainment.ie/tv/news/Conrad-Murray-in-talks-to-join-Im-A-Celebrity-Get-Me-Out-Of-Here/383425.htm
—-
BTW Murray’s publicist Max Markson is an Australian. He retweeted a MJFacts tweet about the book.
BTW Murray’s publicist Max Markson is an Australian. He retweeted a MJFacts tweet about the book.
Yes, and you know I keep coming back to this. There is clearly something amiss that I think has as its center certain players in Australia. I know that Michael has millions of fans there who love him just as he does everywhere, and for their sake I hate to keep harping on this but these latest developments really kind of clinch it.
@jacksonaktak
“BTW Murray’s publicist Max Markson is an Australian. He retweeted a MJFacts tweet about the book.”
I would have shot myself in the head after reading that but I believe my life is worth more than that. What a nonsense. Please God, allow no reasonable human to be fooled by this.
I don’t think it’s fair to lump all Australians with sleazebags like Markson. As far as Murray goes, I really hope the creators of this reality T.V. show aren’t seriously considering having Murray among this roster of celebrities. That’s like hiring Charles Manson. Are they that desperate for ratings the way Radar Online are desperate for readers?
Just to provide some clarification, a few months after Wade Robson came forward with his allegations, I began to notice a pattern: The only media outlet that was continuing to feed his story was Radar Online. It became obvious then that Radar Online had become Wade’s personal mouthpiece. Radar Online at the time was still under Dylan Howard. Wade and Howard are both Australian, which of course could have been just coincidence but then a lot of other pieces started to fit as well (for example, the MJFacts website has strong ties to Australia) and much of Mike Parr’s support seemed to be coming from there as well (no surprise, mostly from Wade’s relatives). I wrote about these connections in a three-part series (granted, this was over two years ago so some of the info may be outdated; for example, Desiree’s blog was taken down and many believe she is now works anonymously as part of the MJFacts team):
http://www.allforloveblog.com/?p=9377
http://www.allforloveblog.com/?p=9426
http://www.allforloveblog.com/?p=9590
Of course, these players are from everywhere but I just found it interesting how there seemed to be an especially strong connection linked to Australia. However, they are only a very small minority out of a huge continent, so the theory is in no way intended to cast aspersions on the entire continent. I know for a fact that many very devoted MJ fans and advocates also hail from Australia, so no, this certainly isn’t about judging an entire continent based on the work of a few sleazebags. Do I find it more than a bit odd that Murray just happens to hook up with an Australian book publisher and publicist? Yes. Is there a connection to Robson and MJFacts? That remains to be seen, although at this point it certainly would not surprise me. A lot of chummy tweets have already passed between Markson and MJFacts, causing many to go “Hmmm.”
I know what you mean, though. I am from the U.S. and have had to go on the defensive quite a few times from European fans who accuse the U.S. of destroying Michael. I, too, am ashamed of how Michael was treated in his own homeland and have been very outspoken in my feelings about that. However, Michael had and will always have fans here who love him and have stood by him. This was still his home, and he was a representative for us no matter where he went in the world. So I hate it when I hear people trying to lump all Americans in with those that destroyed Michael.
“A lot of chummy tweets have already passed between Markson and MJFacts, causing many to go “Hmmm.”
The irony is that Murray’s book does not really support the MJFacts agenda. Sure he says that thing about Emma Watson and Harriet Lester (BTW, Harriet and her father came out in defense of MJ since: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75D1upajvy0 ) but the MJ Facts agenda is that MJ was specifically attracted to boys and this kind of messes that up. In fact, this is so important to haters that they regularly emphasize that MJ was a GAY pedophile or a “BOY lover” and that he hated women and girls. A lot of Desiree’s blog used to be dedicated to that narrative of portraying MJ as gay as she was just as obsessed with it as with portraying him as a pedophile. That’s why she also cheer-lead for Jason Pfeiffer, although what Pfeiffer claimed had nothing to do with what haters wanted to prove about the allegations. (BTW, interestingly Pfeiffer story was also first picked up by an Australian magazine. It was an exclusive interview in an Australian women’s magazine. And only then was it picked up by Extra.) And now she embraces Murray who although does make some innuendo about MJ and children (the Emma Watson/Harriet Lester story, or he makes a claim about MJ being “obsessed” with his son and makes it sound creepy – the reality is that Murray’s son was born in March 2009, so he was a little baby and Murray’s girlfriend said before that MJ was interested in her pregnancy and things like that and that’s what now turned into this big “obsession”) but he generally portrays MJ as attracted to females. He makes a claim about MJ visiting hookers and another claim about MJ being into anorexic women. At this point this just shows haters’ true intention. They will just embrace ANY crap about MJ, doesn’t matter if it is actually consistent with their narrative or not. They just want the bashing and trash and they embrace any of it as long as it is salacious and humiliating to MJ – no matter from which direction it comes.
BTW, here is a selction of lies from Murray’s book that someone who read it posted on Facebook:
……………….. ……
And here are selection of the lies:
1.)Murray states that Michael didn’t have vitiligo but that he regularly used bleaching agents and chemical peels to turn himself white.
2.)Murray claims that Michael as given hormones to stop his voice from breaking. He claims that Berry Gordy suggested it to Joseph Jackson after Stevie Wonder had his voice box cut out when he was younger -THAT was the big “bomb shell” he wanted to reveal about Joe.
3.)Murray claims that Michael was repeatedly raped by doctors while he was under sedation.
4.)Murray claims that Michael was still “alive” when he reached the hospital. He claims that the heart was still contracting and therefore the doctors there should have done more.
5.)Murray claims that the paramedics stood around rather than doing anything. He claims they dislodged the IV from Michael’s arm and tried to give various injections via various different sites including Michael’s jugular vein.
6.)Murray claims Michael wanted to Marry both Harriet Lester and Emma Watson – as they were his ideal women.
7.)Murray claims Michael had a “thing” for women who were anorexic.
8.)Murray claims prosecution team falsified evidence in order to get him convicted.
9.)Murray claims the jury who convicted him were biased because they were fans of Michael’s.
10.)Murray claims the only reason Katherine sued AEG was to get her handson his money.
11.)Murray claims Katherine was bleeding Michael dry when it came to money and Michael felt let down by her.
12.)Murray claims that Michael’s family were “out to kill him.”
13.)Murray claims Michael’s veins were like those “of a drug addict.”
14.)Murray claims his girlfriend would not allow Michael to be alone with their son.
15.)Murray claims Michael considered Kenny Ortega and Frank DiLeo to be “devils”.
16.)Murray claims Michael dressed as a clown to spend time with stripper and escorts in Las Vegas. Michael liked them to be “stick thing” to the point of anorexia.
19.)Murray claims Michael was himself anorexic.
20.)Murray claims Michael was anti-semitic and refused to have “any jewish Doctor” near him. He also claims Michael would not have anything to do with Jewish children.
21.Murray claims he was a “disciple” of Michael and that Michael wanted him to tell this story as “truth” should anything happen to him.
And then of course you have today’s claims of Michael’s nose being “a prosthetic” and that Michael did indeed sleep in a hyperbaric chamber to combat aging…..
(source: K.W. on facebook)
—–
I also read he also “confirmed” the age old rumour about Janet that she had given birth to a “secret child” in the 80s that she gave up to adoption.
Isn’t it convenient for the tabloids that he “confirms” every tabloid rumour that they wanted to have “confirmed” about MJ and his family down to stone age ones like the hyperbaric chamber? I wouldn’t be surprised if he had got good money from the Mirror for these “confirmations” and he “confirmed” anything they wanted “confirmed” for that money. Unfortunately for them most of it is easily refuted and no reasonable person considers a convicted felon and proven pathological liar a credible source for anything.
Since Murray claims negligence on the paramedics and hospital’s part I wonder if they could sue him. It’s astonoshing to me that he wants to blame everyone but himself. LOL @ the proseution falsifying evidence against him and the Jury being a bunch of MJ fans. The guy is truly a nutcase.
???
I simply stated a fact. Whether it has any singnificance or not, who knows? I only noted it because Raven earlier had an article about the strange fact that a lot of these attacks against MJ seem to come from Australian players. Could all be a big coincidence of course.
@jacksonaktak
I don’t know if your reply was about me but regarding my comment, I simply wanted to say that I was pretty shocked on the fact that these people are so low as to support a page like MJFacts or have anything to do with them. The nonsense word goes to what Murray is doing and I hope none get’s fooled by it. Just in case someone misunderstood it, I wanted to make it clear 🙂
Oh, OK, I thought it was directed at me for saying it. I misunderstood, sorry.
I am from Australia and I’ve been a fan of Michael for more than thirty years including my children and now my grandchildren.Two and half years ago I was working for thirty six years in the same company with more than a thousand employees.Over the years i worked with so many different nationalities and many times we talked about Michael Jackson. I never ever heard anybody say anything bad about him.Yes there were people not interested about him but never talk bad. And now that am not working anymore and maybe i socialize with around hundred people different ages young and old again no one says anything bad.Many of the older people don’t have Internet access and I only installed for Michael and to stop bothering my son for him.I am sort of the voice of many. And most of them saying it’s all for money and writings.For me Michael is an angel because I think I was a good person but because of him I become a better one.I sponsor a child,I hugged a Muslim when I sow the fear in her face I nursed an animal to health I can not hate anyone am honest and I try very hard not to hurt anybody.I get angry but no hate and all those little things and more they make me feel good. I looked at him with everything that he’s gone through and never give up to what really matter to him and get straingth.Two days ago I had a smal procedure and I had to go under anaesthetic and when they were getting me ready I asked are you going to give me what Michaels doctor gave him and he never wekup?the answer our medicine has become famous for the wrong reasons because of this doctor,don’t worry we never leave our passions alone their will be three people looking after you,and this Max Markson I don’t know who he is I’ve never seen his face and I don’t care what is doing all I care is together with so many others they glorifying a killer,that is wrong which ever way you look at it its wrong.Celebrity! wow is that what you have to do became a celebrity.I think this Max and any other Max should try and fix the injustices in our own back yards I don’t know if any one of you seen how some of our aboriginal children they’ve been treated in jails it’s disgusting and then we talk about America.People who love Michael Jackson they have goodness in their hearts,I see it all the time all off you out there with all that you do the comments that people make how polite you all try to be no matter what the difference between people who trying to make the world a better place without a hitten agenda people from all over the world rich and poor educated and ordinary people every colour every race every religion.What is religion any way.We don’t need religion if we have love in our hearts and we put this love in action.Love heals and if we have it in our hearts we need to give it away if we keep it for our selfs it’s a dying love hate destroys our hearts our brothers and sisters our planet everything.One word of hate one act of hate can destroy everything and then again with that precious feeling we nurture in our hearts we try to make things better for all of us.Thank you again for all that you do i visit you and Helena every day and we send you our love many of us who want our children and our children’s children to leave in a world of love not hate like Michael wanted it.LOVE&PEACH
Thank you for sharing your story. I know Michael is very much loved in Australia as he is all over the world. As I commented to thevalleymovie, “The Australian Conspiracy” as I call it only refers to a very small if albeit very vocal minority. Speaking of “I’m A Celebrity” there was an American version a few seasons ago and one of the contestants was set to be Rod Blagovech, a disgraced politician who was impeached in office when he served as governor of Illinois. I remember a lot of people then were upset about him being allowed to be on the show. Something came up-a legality of some sort-and he was not allowed to compete on the show, so his wife Patty stepped in in his place. From that point forward, it was all about Patty attempting to restore the Blagovechs’ reputations. She bonded with the other castmates and pulled her weight in all of the competitions (some of which were pretty fearsome although I always wonder how much of it is staged). She turned out to be a popular contestant who was liked by voters. Of course, there was plenty of air time for venting and sitting around the campfire telling life stories, in which she was able to have the perfect captive audience to sob about how hard her life has been since the scandal and how misjudged she and her husband have been, etc etc etc. It seems to me that this is what Murray is banking on as well. He thinks he will get to prove himself a hero and can have his “sitting around the campfire” moments to dish dirt on Michael Jackson and how he was set up as the poor, martyred victim.
About half an hour ago i watched and interview with Murray on a show call (the project) here in Australia it only lasted a couple of minutes.They destroyed him I felt.
@Des
Any links? I’d like to see it.
Hi Esmeralda, google this(tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/the-project/2016/7/27)its about fifteen minutes in to the show.I liked it even the way they’re stopped the interview its like they said to him enough of your rubbish.
@des
Thanks, I’ll check 🙂
In case you guys are interested, King Jordan Radio has uploaded a video regarding Tom Mesereau’s opinion on Dr. Murray. It was cut from a show in 2014 but it’s pretty relevant to what’s happening now. Mesereau successfully predicted Murray trying to write a book and says that one of the first things he learned about Michael Jackson’s world was how many people liked to claim they were his best friends. It deserves a listening:
That really is an interesting phenomenon. I think to some extent it is true of all really famous people. Everyone who is around them wants a little piece of that. It becomes a way of experiencing fame vicariously. But even though no celebrity is immune to it (they all have their share of hangers-on, etc) I think it was especially true of Michael. And I think a big reason is because he had that reputation of mystique about him, where few could ever get really close or to know the “real” Michael Jackson, so there was a kind of fantasy element to it for some people (they liked to think they were “the” one who somehow penetrated that wall; everyone seemed to want to be the one to get all the credit for having somehow cracked the MJ genetic code lol) and also because anything connected with his life was an easy sell. Anyone close to him always knew that, somewhere down the road, there was a chance for a story that could be sold to the tabloids, or a book that could be written. So therein you have the unique combination of ego and greed that constantly fed this phenomenon around Michael Jackson. He was a very big star who also made for a very big target. Women (and some men, too) fantasized about being his lover; others envisioned he would finance their pet projects. Almost everyone around him envisioned some kind of windfall that would come out of the association. When you think about it, it is a really sad way to live and it’s no wonder his ability to trust was severely eroded.
Finally good news guys! MJ’s nephews are suing Radar Online for the fake articles:
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-michael-jackson-nephews-lawsuit-20160727-snap-story.html
Bert Fields’ letter to Radar Online in courtesy of the Daily Michael blog:
http://i63.tinypic.com/2mobm2u.jpg
http://i67.tinypic.com/dnzodk.jpg
http://i66.tinypic.com/16k2ftd.jpg
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While it is not easy to win lawsuits against the media (they are protected by a lot of privileges such as the Shield Law), but I think Radar made some missteps here which actually may give a chance to 3T. For example, even after Fields’ above letter that pointed out the falsehoods and inaccuracies in their article, they still refused to publish a correction – this may prove malice and that’s what you need to do to prove to win cases against the media.
Radar Online’s response:
“Radar’s parent company, AMI, released statement to BuzzFeed News in response to the lawsuit:
It’s curious and revealing that plaintiffs have not attached the Radar article to their complaint. The article does NOT accuse Michael Jackson of molesting his nephews, nor does it accuse them of accepting a bribe.
The Radar article clearly states that detectives reported that Michael Jackson may have used photos of his nephews “to excite young boys.” This theory was, in fact, presented by the prosecution during Michael Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial.
Radar looks forward to correcting plaintiffs’ misstatements in a court of law.”
They keep lying. Here is the original RO article. What exactly does it do then if it does not suggest that MJ molested his nephews? Can they explain to me what exactly does this article mean if the suggestion in it is not that, among others, he molested his nephews? Surely a lot of people came away with that conclusion from reading this article, which was surely was also its goal.
The article:
“EXCLUSIVE Jacko Betrayed! Sex Perv Singer’s Family Turned Against Him In Abuse Probe.”
New claims relatives told cops he liked ‘prepubescent’ boys.
Michael Jackson‘s sordid secret life of creepy porn and perverted art was no secret to his family, RadarOnline.com has learned. According to an insider, his own relatives were grilled during the past investigation into child molestation claims against him — and there were even claims he had exposed some of them to his sick fetishes!
As Radar reported, Santa Barbara Police Detectives raided Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in 2003, looking for any trace of evidence to support child abuse allegations. Jackson was later cleared.
But in the process of digging into his dirty double life, cops interviewed two of the late “Beat It” singer’s family members about his creepy secrets, a source claimed, and authorities even worried that he may have victimized his own relatives!
One private investigator with direct knowledge of the raids told Radar, “The detectives’ report cites Michael even used sexy photos of his own nephews … in their underwear to excite young boys.”
Jackson had always taken a special interest in his nephews, the source claimed, even writing a letter to their late mother which warned her to “please read this article about child molestation and please read it to [your son] … it brings out how even your own relatives can be molesters of children, even uncles or aunts molesting nephews or nieces. Please read. Love MJ.”
The boys always denied they had been abused. But according to the source, when it came time to ask the family about these and other concerns, detectives were met with resistance.
Said the insider, “Jackson’s people got wind of it and Jackson spirited the relative off to an island. Well, when that person returned, Jackson had also purchased them a brand new car, which we understood, along with the trip, was to shut them up.”
Nevertheless, the source said the individual’s behavior still seemed to suggest that something was amiss in the Jackson home.
The individual “was home alone and invited two detectives in, offered refreshments and also offered that they would be unwilling to talk bad about Michael,” the source said.
“It was odd that this person wasn’t upset with the visit, and wasn’t upset that the detectives told them what they had suspected happened with Michael and this person never gave a real denial,” the source claimed.
Another family member was also interviewed but flatly denied any wrongdoing by the “Dangerous” singer, said the insider.
Still, the authorities continued their investigation, and flew to Las Vegas to meet with another close Jackson family member.
Said the source, “What he told us was eye-opening. He told us that Jackson had for years tried to hide his predilection for prepubescent boys. However, he said Jackson had also been addicted to all kinds of drugs and often was too screwed up to even realize that others were witnessing his touching little boys, caressing little boys and doing other untoward things.”
“This family member said he feared that there were several young relatives, including his own son, who may have been victims,” the source claimed. “He also told us that Katherine Jackson, more than anyone else, knew about her son’s activities with boys but was too embarrassed to do anything about it. He told us that Katherine implied that Hollywood turned Jackson gay, which had nothing to do with his being a pedophile.” Jackson had always insisted he was straight.
According to the source, the family member declined to testify at trial, however, telling investigators and friends that he’d be ostracized from the family or even killed if he did so.
Latoya Jackson had previously made her own bombshell claims that her brother was indeed a pedophile and that she and her mother had uncovered letters and canceled checks that Jackson paid to victims’ families.
However, she repeatedly refused to speak with law enforcement, which didn’t stop prosecutors from seriously considering calling her as a hostile witness during Jackson’s 2005 molestation trial — in which he ultimately was found not guilty.
“We thought, she had made some serious public allegations in the past against Jackson and having her on the stand, under oath, may have been a game changer. However, we thought it could ultimately undermine us too,” the law enforcement source said.”
——
Radar’s claim that they only repeated the police report when they claimed that MJ used those photos to excite young boys is clearly a false statement (yet again) by Radar Online, since that’s not what the police report claims. This is what is in actually in the detective’s report:
https://s32.postimg.org/aky44qlr9/Clipboard01.jpg
They make this standard legal text at the end of each and every item they confiscated – simply to give a reason as to why they were confiscated. This is something that is generally based on the detective’s training as to what child molesters generally may use to molest children. Not even a claim directly about MJ, let alone a statement that MJ did in fact use those photos for such things.
Radar, however, claimed that the detectives’ report factually stated that MJ did use those photos to “excite young boys”. Nowhere in that document is such a thing stated. Radar did not just say that the detective theorized that he might have used them as such instead they state is as a fact that he did use them as such as if it was something that was factually proven. In reality, the prosecution never even introduced such a theory or these photos to court. So they are once again wrong when in their statement they claim: “This theory was, in fact, presented by the prosecution during Michael Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial.” No such tehory was ever presented at the trial by the prosecution. Nor did any accuser ever claim that MJ used these photos to “excite them”. If Radar had been genuine in their reporting they should have explained to their readers what this standard legal text meant – instead they do just the opposite and make a claim about it that was never actually in the original police document.
BTW, the wording of Radar’s statment clearly attempts to make that statement from behind the Shield Law by putting it in the mouth of an unnamed source (a supposed “private investigator”), however I think the moment they say “the detectives’ report cites” – they ruin that Shield Law defense because what the detective’s report actually states they could have and should have checked themselves as they had the document. And especially because they were asked to correct these statements in July and still refused that proves further malice (along with them actively doctoring the document or if it was their source who doctored it – not issuing a public apology and correction once they found out it was doctored).
Since they put the other salacious claims in the mouth of an anonymous source (the classic Shield Law trick by rags like this) they might expect to be protected by the Shield Law, however because 3T asked for a correction and Radar refused to publish it then it may prove malice on Radar’s part with that Bert Fields can already do something.
Here is MJ’s letter to Dee Dee. Yeah, right sounds like something a child molester would write. It actually sounds just the opposite. And knowing since that Taj was molested by another relative that’s maybe why MJ wrote it.
http://www.allforloveblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/letter-to-Dee.jpg
What Radar is guilty of doing is using what I call tabloid double talk. It’s a way of sensationalizing factual statements by making them seem more horrific, bizarre or twisted than they actually are. They were also banking that most of their readers would simply skim the headlines and the highlights of their story, rather than actually clicking on the documents and reading the fine print for themselves.
Radar effed up by allowing themselves to get overly carried away with their Jackson bashing fest. The truth is that, despite universal condemnation from the fandom, people were clicking on those articles. In some cases it was part of necessary detective work (how else would we have known, for example, the extent to which those initial documents were faked?) but all of it resulted in a glorious ratings spike for Radar in the month of June which they boasted about. So after that, it became all about “more, more, more” with the stories growing taller and dirtier and more bizare with each new “scoop.” I really think they got carried away with their own perceived “triumph” and greed and allowed it to go beyond the pale. And this may cost them dearly. 3T may or may not get $100 million out of this, but I believe they definitely have a strong case and, hopefully, if they prevail it will curb the media’s appetite for salacious stories about Michael Jackson. At the very least, they will certainly be a lot more careful about including living heirs and members of his family in their stories, which is a start (now if we can just push the anti-defamation law into existence!).
I certainly hope that Fields will find a way to make them be punished. It seems unfortunately trashing MJ is still a lucrative business. People shouldn’t be this freaking gullible, but unfortunately most are.
3T’s complaint: https://www.scribd.com/document/319652929/3T-Complaint-for-Libel-against-Radar-Online
@jacksonaktak
I think that 3T has indeed a chance to prove malice from Radar Online. The lawyers will certainly go through all what you mentioned and even more. Hopefully, 3T wins the case. It will give a clear message that not only tabloids lie, but no serious media outlet should copy and paste their stories. Huffington Post already showed regret when they allowed Raven’s article to be published on their page. I hope others feel ashamed for what they did as well.
Copy and paste journalism has really got to go. Fortunately, a few outlets did fact check beyond the initial Radar story, and as a result, we had the statement from the Santa Barbara sheriff’s department which first alerted many to the forgeries. But for the most part, many just copied the story verbatim. The reason media outlets do this is because no one wants to be left out of the ratings game. If one rag publishes what looks like a hot story, everyone wants to be in on it-or risk losing out.
Hi Raven, I just read your article on HP . Kudos again, I am still in the proces of reading and may comment later…
But there is one thing that is more nuanced than you have asserted and that is about benoquin .Benoquin works on the unaffected ( by vitiligo)parts of the skin to destroy the melanocytes and help prevent it from producing melanine again so that it matches the colour of the affected skin. It is primarily used for vitiligopatients ,but it does not mean that people who are not diagnosed with vitiligo cannot and do not use it. Since it is a(semi) permanent skinwhitener (not a bleacher), it is abused on a large scale in Asia, Africa S America and other countries where fair skin is the beauty ideal, because it is just as effective in reducing/erasing melanine as with vitiligopatients. In most countries it can only be prescribed by a doctor because of its strong side effects, it actually damages the skin, But it is freely sold online and in non western countries you can find markets and shops stuffed with skinwhitheners .
There is a documentary about the use of skinwhiteners that I am looking for to send you.
Michael also suffered from lupus which also causes skindiscoloration, but with the opposite effect of vitiligo,ie overpigmentation, dark patches. which should have made treatment of these conditions quite a challenge. .
Here is a very informative article about monobenzone , the effects and the risks.
http://whiterskin.info/skin-bleaching-with-monobenzone/
.
The statement that Benoquin is only effective for vitiligo patients came from that article by Dr. Harris which I linked to in the piecehttp://www.umassmed.edu/vitiligo/blog/blog-posts1/2016/01/did-michael-jackson-have-vitiligo/
However, even prescription medications can certainly be abused, as we all know, and there are always markets available where people who desire a prescription drug can obtain it. As I am sure you are aware, a pet theory of many Michael Jackson detractors is that Arnie Klein faked his diagnosis in order to enable him to obtain the medication. However, even given that it is possible that monobenzone can be abused, there remains a lot of debate as to its effectiveness on non-vitiligo patients and, frankly, I prefer to give Michael the benefit of the doubt. With Murray making these kinds of claims in his book and in the media, I think it is important to educate the public about what Michael was using and that it IS a prescription medication for the treatment of vitiligo. Doing so removes the mystery Murray is trying to create of some “mysterious, magic bleaching cream” that Michael somehow had access to.
Raven says “I prefer to give Michael the benefit of the doubt.
To me there is no doubt whatsoever , the autopsy report is unambiguous and leaves no room for interpretation .
I have read about “Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Vitiligo”, of which the symptoms are very much like what we heard/read that Michael suffered from. Ofcourse it is tricky to pinpoint this as the exact type of lupus and vitiligo that Michael had, but it may not be too farfetched .
My point is that, despite contra indication for people who do not suffer from vitiligo( because it actually damages healthy skin), benoguin and other dangerous depigmentating creams are used on a large scale for ‘cosmetic’ skin whitening because it works in the same way on the mylococites as for people with vitiligo, They really end up paper white,Iincluding side effects that vitiligo patients also suffer.
That is where the speculation about Michaels skin condition comes from., which can easily be countered with the autopsy report.
Regarding Murray’s current claims about MJ not having vitiligo. He said something completely different to the police when they interviewed him:
https://jacksonaktak.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/cnvg7tlxeaiz27x-large.jpg?w=640&h=933
This should really be added to my HP article! Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I probably read it long ago but had completely forgotten about this statement! Of course, he would probably come back now and say something like he was lying at the time to protect MJ’s reputation or something equally inane (Murray is one of those who has lied so much he actually forgets which ones he needs to cover himself for).
What is often overlooked is that it is not just a skin disease but an autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body that has melanocytes .including hair / eyebrow/lashes) lips, inside mouth , nostrils, genitals, eyes, and inner ear. Having it on the skin is bad enough as it affects the protective function of the skin and has psychological effects. In the ears or eyes it can cause loss of eye sight and hearing. Sadly the focus of vitiligo is very much on the visble part..
Interesting. I didn’t know it could affect vision and hearing as well. I am wondering if this could have been part of the reason for Michael’s vision problems later on. I remember reading in the bodyguards’ book that his vision “was really messed up” but he didn’t like to be seen in public wearing glasses (however, we certainly have many photos of him in glasses, and I think I can vouch for most fans that they certainly did not detract from his looks!).
Raven,
After all ths trauma I am searching for a way to get back to the Michael
I still love. I feel lost. Any suggestions?
The Michael we know and love hasn’t gone anywhere. We have to keep in mind that what has happened recently is a deliberate smear campaign that is being orchestrated by certain parties. I realize it must seem that there has been a lot of focus on all of the negative recently, even among the fan community. Michael always said, “Bad news sells.” Even among the fan community, where we SAY we want to focus on the positive, what happens? A negative story comes out and that is everyone’s focus. Stories about Michael’s artistic accomplishments and/or humanitarian works take a back seat. I will admit that recently I have also had to expend much more time and energy on this mess than I would really like, but sometimes the dirty work has to be done in order to educate people and to provide the much needed and necessary counter rebuttals to the media trash. I am not one of those who adheres to “if we ignore all of this, it will just go away.” It won’t.
That being said, the best way to get back to the Michael we love is by focusing on those things we love. Play his music; immerse yourself in his videos. Go into a dance studio and put him on and practice his moves (which is not only a great stress reliever, but a great cardio workout, too!). Pick up Dancing The Dream and read his words. Reflect on what his life and its mission truly meant. Michael hasn’t gone anywhere. His magic, power, and great love is still there, burning brightly through all of the darkness that certain forces wish to bring. None of this is new. Michael’s fans lived through far worse in the years 2003-2005, but still kept the faith.
There are really two schools of thought on this, and both have their adherents within the fan community and in determining how we, as individuals, deal with times like these when negative publicity about Michael seems to dominate the headlines. There are fans who will say we need to attack and counter, and those who will say the only way to truly fight against the tide is to hold up his artistic legacy and example. In my estimation, both are equally important and I don’t think it has to be either/or. But I do think it will take a concentrated effort of both strategies to turn this tide. For myself, I continued teaching critical analysis of music (using Michael’s songs as examples) right through the storm this past summer, and my students responded to him, to his messages and to the magic of his songs and films as they always have. This was a wonderful reminder that the artistic legacy Michael left is more than secure, and will continue to be appreciated by many generations to come. This is what will endure long after all of the other garbage has faded away.
On a personal level, that is what must be done as well. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the garbage, and sometimes it doesn’t help when that is also all we see even when we go on fan sites and social media. Ironically, I was just thinking before I saw your comment that I, too, have grown a bit wearisome with the whole topic. This current storm really started with the breaking of that first Radar Online story on June 20, and I realized as I was putting together my latest post that rebutting this mess has really consumed my entire summer-certainly a summer that I would much rather have spent discussing and discovering new things about Michael’s extraordinary art. I realized this has consumed a lot of my energy this summer, but on the flip side of that, I also can take no real pleasure in enjoying his art when I know these forces are at work to tear him down. After awhile, it becomes a vicious cycle.
As far as “getting back to Michael” that has to be a personal journey and no one person can tell someone else how to do it. I can only say that, for me, getting back to the music is what it’s all about.