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CNN Live Today

King of Court

Aired November 15, 2002 - 11:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this is a deal gone bad ends up in a courtroom in Santa Maria, California. Doesn't sound that impressive unless the person being sued is none other than the self- proclaimed king of pop, Michael Jackson, who had to take the witness stand two days in a row. None too happy about that.
For more on the case, we want to bring in Harvey Levin, executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," joining us from Los Angeles. Harvey, good morning again.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, Daryn.

KAGAN: So, Michael Jackson not too happy about having to take the stand for a second day in Santa Maria?

LEVIN: Doesn't seem to be, and, Daryn, I think the problem isn't even so much what he's saying, it's the fact that this guy has been a no show in a case where he's being sued for being a no show. He showed up for court four hours late yesterday, and now he's asking that his testimony be cut short so he can go to Germany to pick up an award. And I think that's a really bad message as a lawyer to telegraph to a jury.

KAGAN: Well, let's take a step back and find out what he's being sued for.

LEVIN: He is being sued because his long-time promoter, Marcel Avram, he's a big, big promoter in the music business, says that Jackson flaked out on two millennium concerts, one in Honolulu, one in Sydney. And Jackson -- it all comes down to a phone call. Jackson says that the two of them talked and they agreed that the concert would be canceled. Avram says no way, He stiffed me. I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and my reputation was severely damaged. He is suing for tens of millions of dollars.

KAGAN: So there's been a camera in the courtroom, a still camera. If we could put that picture back up again. Apparently this is what's really causing the discomfort for Michael Jackson is that he hates the idea that people are seeing what he looks like. Apparently his nose is practically gone.

LEVIN: Well, one of the photographers was called into the courtroom -- into the judge's chambers yesterday morning, and Jackson apparently felt that the camera was shooting him too closely, and it was showing his facial imperfections. Clearly he has some kind of a physical problem, as you pointed out, but ultimately the judge said the camera can stay. KAGAN: So this is what I wonder: If this is a man that clearly is so uncomfortable about sitting there and not having control over his image, why would he let it go this far.

LEVIN: You know, I think that's a great question, and it's hard for me to answer that because if he really cared about this case, if he were committed with this case, it seems to me he would be there every day. He didn't show up for opening statements. He was late for his testimony. He's not going to show up next week, and it's almost like saying to the jury, hey, I don't care, do what you want to do, and if you're going to do that, why not just settle. But it's hard to get into Michael Jackson's psyche, if you know what I mean.

KAGAN: And once again, the stakes here, you mentioned a big suit for tens of millions of dollars. This could actually end up costing him a pretty penny.

LEVIN: Absolutely. And you know, this is not the only lawsuit. He's being sued in Los Angeles federal court. He -- some say he's having money trouble, at least according to the suit in federal court, so $21 or $26 million depending on how you read the complaint in the case that he's in right now, is a big chunk of change for him, and it is puzzling to me why he and his lawyer are treating it this way, where he's not sitting there, riveted every day and making sure that that jury connects with him.

KAGAN: I mean, even Winona Ryder sat there every day. But that was a different story that we had you on there for. Harvey, thank you.

LEVIN: I just lost you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Oh, that's OK, we're letting you go. Harvey Levin, "Celebrity Justice," thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired November 15, 2002 - 11:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this is a deal gone bad ends up in a courtroom in Santa Maria, California. Doesn't sound that impressive unless the person being sued is none other than the self- proclaimed king of pop, Michael Jackson, who had to take the witness stand two days in a row. None too happy about that.
For more on the case, we want to bring in Harvey Levin, executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," joining us from Los Angeles. Harvey, good morning again.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, Daryn.

KAGAN: So, Michael Jackson not too happy about having to take the stand for a second day in Santa Maria?

LEVIN: Doesn't seem to be, and, Daryn, I think the problem isn't even so much what he's saying, it's the fact that this guy has been a no show in a case where he's being sued for being a no show. He showed up for court four hours late yesterday, and now he's asking that his testimony be cut short so he can go to Germany to pick up an award. And I think that's a really bad message as a lawyer to telegraph to a jury.

KAGAN: Well, let's take a step back and find out what he's being sued for.

LEVIN: He is being sued because his long-time promoter, Marcel Avram, he's a big, big promoter in the music business, says that Jackson flaked out on two millennium concerts, one in Honolulu, one in Sydney. And Jackson -- it all comes down to a phone call. Jackson says that the two of them talked and they agreed that the concert would be canceled. Avram says no way, He stiffed me. I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and my reputation was severely damaged. He is suing for tens of millions of dollars.

KAGAN: So there's been a camera in the courtroom, a still camera. If we could put that picture back up again. Apparently this is what's really causing the discomfort for Michael Jackson is that he hates the idea that people are seeing what he looks like. Apparently his nose is practically gone.

LEVIN: Well, one of the photographers was called into the courtroom -- into the judge's chambers yesterday morning, and Jackson apparently felt that the camera was shooting him too closely, and it was showing his facial imperfections. Clearly he has some kind of a physical problem, as you pointed out, but ultimately the judge said the camera can stay. KAGAN: So this is what I wonder: If this is a man that clearly is so uncomfortable about sitting there and not having control over his image, why would he let it go this far.

LEVIN: You know, I think that's a great question, and it's hard for me to answer that because if he really cared about this case, if he were committed with this case, it seems to me he would be there every day. He didn't show up for opening statements. He was late for his testimony. He's not going to show up next week, and it's almost like saying to the jury, hey, I don't care, do what you want to do, and if you're going to do that, why not just settle. But it's hard to get into Michael Jackson's psyche, if you know what I mean.

KAGAN: And once again, the stakes here, you mentioned a big suit for tens of millions of dollars. This could actually end up costing him a pretty penny.

LEVIN: Absolutely. And you know, this is not the only lawsuit. He's being sued in Los Angeles federal court. He -- some say he's having money trouble, at least according to the suit in federal court, so $21 or $26 million depending on how you read the complaint in the case that he's in right now, is a big chunk of change for him, and it is puzzling to me why he and his lawyer are treating it this way, where he's not sitting there, riveted every day and making sure that that jury connects with him.

KAGAN: I mean, even Winona Ryder sat there every day. But that was a different story that we had you on there for. Harvey, thank you.

LEVIN: I just lost you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Oh, that's OK, we're letting you go. Harvey Levin, "Celebrity Justice," thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com