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American Morning

Discussion About Michael Jackson Investigation

Aired November 19, 2003 - 07:07   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.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Vanity Fair's" Maureen Orth has written extensively about Michael Jackson. She joins us this morning from Washington to talk about this latest controversy.
We also should mention, Maureen, that we invited Jackson's spokesperson to appear this morning, and he declined. But he told us this: "We cannot comment on law enforcement's investigation, because we don't know what it's yet about."

The spokesman also quoted Michael Jackson as saying: "I've seen lawyers who do not represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me. These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video is being released."

So, Maureen, let's begin with that. Some people might say interesting timing, and it's sort of true. Suddenly the same day that his new album is in stores, he's under the microscope once again. What's your take on that?

MAUREEN ORTH, "VANITY FAIR": Actually, my take on that is that I'm not absolutely certain that the sheriff's department of Santa Barbara County and the D.A., who have had extensive experience investigating him 10 years ago -- I think at that time both the Los Angeles County D.A and the Santa Barbara County D.A. had talked to about 400 people. So, I'm not sure that they keep up with the billboard charts about who's releasing what, when I have no idea.

O'BRIEN: So, were you surprised, then, to see the sheriff's department back at Michael Jackson's ranch?

ORTH: Not at all.

O'BRIEN: As you say, 10 years ago, 400 people interviewed. Why are you not surprised?

ORTH: I'm not at all surprised, because I recall, one of the prosecution team then told me recently for the article I wrote last April that they had found that Michael Jackson had a -- quote -- "special friend," a little boy, usually between the ages of 8 and 12 that he had cultivated going a decade back before 1993. At the time of those allegations, they also had found two other boys who admitted that had they had been -- or alleged that they had been sexually intimate with Michael Jackson one way or another. And, in one case, one got a large payment. In another case, the parents did not allow him to go forward. So, those allegations at that time were extremely serious. He was supposed to be arrested then, but made a deal with the prosecution that they would not handcuff him and arrest him if they would -- if he would allow them to photograph his private parts. And the boy in question at that point had drawn a very specific picture of his genitals. And when he was finally photographed, after much protestation, they found out that the pictures matched.

O'BRIEN: So, this is all from 10 years ago.

ORTH: Correct.

O'BRIEN: What exactly was removed at that time? That was the same time when they were searching the house then. What else, in addition to that you say, was removed from the house?

ORTH: At that time, they not only searched Neverland, they also searched -- or I believe they searched Encino, where his family lives, where he lived for a long time. And at that point, I was told by one of the detectives who was on that search that they had found a book of what they thought was very similar to what they had seen with other child molesters -- a book of little boys in various states of undress, et cetera.

O'BRIEN: Here is what Michael has said in the past about why he likes being in the presence of young children. He says he's a famous person. He had no childhood to speak of, and so he feels he can bring happiness to children just by being in their company, being in their presence. You don't think that's plausible with that uh-hmm?

ORTH: No. Well, he's 45 years old, and he is a very hardened and shrewd businessman. The idea that he goes through life surrounding himself with children because somehow he didn't have a childhood really doesn't square with a lot of the way he conducts the rest of his life.

O'BRIEN: Maureen Orth joining us -- writes for "Vanity Fair." Thanks for joining us, Maureen. Nice to see you.

ORTH: You're welcome.

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 19, 2003 - 07:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: "Vanity Fair's" Maureen Orth has written extensively about Michael Jackson. She joins us this morning from Washington to talk about this latest controversy.
We also should mention, Maureen, that we invited Jackson's spokesperson to appear this morning, and he declined. But he told us this: "We cannot comment on law enforcement's investigation, because we don't know what it's yet about."

The spokesman also quoted Michael Jackson as saying: "I've seen lawyers who do not represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me. These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video is being released."

So, Maureen, let's begin with that. Some people might say interesting timing, and it's sort of true. Suddenly the same day that his new album is in stores, he's under the microscope once again. What's your take on that?

MAUREEN ORTH, "VANITY FAIR": Actually, my take on that is that I'm not absolutely certain that the sheriff's department of Santa Barbara County and the D.A., who have had extensive experience investigating him 10 years ago -- I think at that time both the Los Angeles County D.A and the Santa Barbara County D.A. had talked to about 400 people. So, I'm not sure that they keep up with the billboard charts about who's releasing what, when I have no idea.

O'BRIEN: So, were you surprised, then, to see the sheriff's department back at Michael Jackson's ranch?

ORTH: Not at all.

O'BRIEN: As you say, 10 years ago, 400 people interviewed. Why are you not surprised?

ORTH: I'm not at all surprised, because I recall, one of the prosecution team then told me recently for the article I wrote last April that they had found that Michael Jackson had a -- quote -- "special friend," a little boy, usually between the ages of 8 and 12 that he had cultivated going a decade back before 1993. At the time of those allegations, they also had found two other boys who admitted that had they had been -- or alleged that they had been sexually intimate with Michael Jackson one way or another. And, in one case, one got a large payment. In another case, the parents did not allow him to go forward. So, those allegations at that time were extremely serious. He was supposed to be arrested then, but made a deal with the prosecution that they would not handcuff him and arrest him if they would -- if he would allow them to photograph his private parts. And the boy in question at that point had drawn a very specific picture of his genitals. And when he was finally photographed, after much protestation, they found out that the pictures matched.

O'BRIEN: So, this is all from 10 years ago.

ORTH: Correct.

O'BRIEN: What exactly was removed at that time? That was the same time when they were searching the house then. What else, in addition to that you say, was removed from the house?

ORTH: At that time, they not only searched Neverland, they also searched -- or I believe they searched Encino, where his family lives, where he lived for a long time. And at that point, I was told by one of the detectives who was on that search that they had found a book of what they thought was very similar to what they had seen with other child molesters -- a book of little boys in various states of undress, et cetera.

O'BRIEN: Here is what Michael has said in the past about why he likes being in the presence of young children. He says he's a famous person. He had no childhood to speak of, and so he feels he can bring happiness to children just by being in their company, being in their presence. You don't think that's plausible with that uh-hmm?

ORTH: No. Well, he's 45 years old, and he is a very hardened and shrewd businessman. The idea that he goes through life surrounding himself with children because somehow he didn't have a childhood really doesn't square with a lot of the way he conducts the rest of his life.

O'BRIEN: Maureen Orth joining us -- writes for "Vanity Fair." Thanks for joining us, Maureen. Nice to see you.

ORTH: You're welcome.

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