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Campbell Brown
Jackson Custody Battle Heating Up?; Michael Jackson's Final Days
Aired July 02, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: (voice-over): Tonight, here are the questions we want answered.
Debbie Rowe, the that mother of Michael's two oldest children, says, "I want my kids." But will she actually go to court to get them? Her lawyer says she still hasn't made up her mind.
JOE JACKSON, FATHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: This is where they belong. We're the parents. And we have got other kids of their size. They love those kids. And we love those kids, too.
ROBERTS: Plus, Michael Jackson's last dance, new video, the king of pop singing and dancing just two days before his death.
DORIAN HOLLEY, VOCAL DIRECTOR FOR PLANNED MICHAEL JACKSON TOUR: He was very energetic. He was happy. He was even more playful than he normally was as rehearsal.
ROBERTS: So, what caused the pop star to drop dead two days later?
And Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan, who's the best man on the court?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, Michael. I mean, Kobe is -- Kobe is terrific, don't get me wrong, but I -- I haven't seen anybody match up with Jordan yet.
ROBERTS: President Obama one on one.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source of news. CNN prime time begins now.
ROBERTS: And hi, everybody. Campbell Brown is off tonight. I'm John Roberts.
And those are our big questions this evening.
But we start as always with the "Mash-Up," our look at the stories making an impact right now. and the moments that you might have missed. We're watching it all, so you don't have to.
In Afghanistan tonight, the hunt is on for the first American soldier captured since the war began.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The U.S. military says the soldier was taken by the Taliban two days ago near the Pakistan border.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Word that the guy didn't necessarily follow his superior officer's instructions and maybe went outside his forward base for who knows what reason.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is very unusual that we are talking about one soldier, because one soldier is not usually by himself off the base.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Taliban has contacted the American military at this point, because they have captured a soldier in eastern Afghanistan.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Apparently now transferred and in the hands of a major warlord, a man by the name of Haqqani. This is someone very well known to the U.S. military and to U.S. intelligence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. says they're doing everything they can to locate and return this soldier. But, at this point, things don't look too good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: The news comes one day after the U.S. launched a major new offensive in Afghanistan, 4,000 troops facing off against Taliban fighters in the southwestern part of the country.
The White House tonight playing defense as a new jobs report paints a they bleak picture. Here's the breakdown for you: June, 467,000 jobs lost, unemployment up to 9.5 percent. That is the highest rate in 26 years.
From the Rose Garden to the press room to a sit-down with the Associated Press, team Obama worked to stay on message today. But, in TV land, lots are wondering whether the president's economic plan is working.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When they sold the package, they said jobs, jobs, jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Practically raining pink slips.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing is going to change until people at the top recognize that these jobs aren't coming back.
OBAMA: We are deeply concerned about the employment rate. It's one of the things that I am most focused on.
ROBERT GIBBS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Hopefully, the worst job loss is behind us.
ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC NEWS: The Republicans immediately jumped on these job numbers and said this proves the stimulus plan is not working.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of folks are saying the stimulus package really hasn't started to kick in.
DICK MORRIS, FORMER CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: The first thing he did was to spend over $1 trillion in stimulus and supplemental appropriation. And it has done no good.
GIBBS: The stimulus plan is injecting money into the economy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're doing a good job of getting the money out. We need to do an even better job.
REP. TOM PRICE (R), GEORGIA: When you continue to try to stimulate the economy with just government spending, it won't work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't throw money at the economy and get it back to business as usual.
OBAMA: I have said from the moment that I walked into the door of this White House, it took years for us to get into this mess, and it will take us more than a few months to turn it around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: So who's winning the message war? Well, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll, nearly half of all Americans think that the economy is stabilizing. But only one in eight believe that it's started to recover.
And now for our daily episode of the Sanfords. When we last left South Carolina's first couple, Governor Mark was trying to fall back in love with his first lady Jenny, while fending off calls for his resignation.
Well, today, it was Jenny's turn to emote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The wife of the disgraced South Carolina governor is detailing how much pain her husband has caused.
DAVID SHUSTER, NBC NEWS: She issued a statement to the Associated Press a short time ago in which she says in part -- quote -- "There's no question that Mark's behavior is inexcusable. Actions have consequences and he will be dealing with those consequences for a long while."
MALVEAUX: "I am willing to forgive Mark for his actions. We have been deeply disappointed in and even angry at Mark. My forgiveness is essential for us both to move on with our lives with peace in whatever direction that that may take us."
SHUSTER: I don't know a lot of women in this country that would tolerate the stuff that he's done and the stuff that he's said.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is a bigger woman than I.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The incessant babble about everything from my lover is my soul mate to oh, gee, yes, I had some flings and indiscretions with other women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's almost like somebody who is trying to get fired.
JAMES CARVILLE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think we ought to make a deal the Sanfords, is, you quit talking about yourselves and we will quit talking about you, and let's move to something else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Today, the governor's office announced the Sanfords will be spending the holiday weekend together in Florida. Good times. I know. Oh, no, that's another show.
A busy day in Jackson land, several big developments and one potential bombshell today. Michael Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, is apparently considering whether to fight for custody of their two children. A Los Angeles television station quoted Rowe this morning saying she wants the kids. Just hours ago, though, her attorney dialed that back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Her attorney felt so compelled that they wanted to hold a conference call with the media.
Here's a quote. He says, "I am representing to you now unequivocally that Debbie has not reached a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After several days of planning, Michael Jackson will be remembered in a public ceremony on Tuesday in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was right here at the Staples Center where Michael Jackson's last moments on stage were captured. So, it would be fitting perhaps to have the public memorial here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today, the promoters put out footage of his final rehearsal and in it he looked ready to make a comeback.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is it, new video of Michael Jackson rehearsing just two days before he died.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: I know a lot of people at home don't know this. But you and I know this, because we're on TV, but, if you look thin on TV, you are really thin, because TV don't make you look thin, right?
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: That's right.
SANCHEZ: He looked thin, didn't he?
GRIFFIN: That guy looked very, very skinny.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And we will be sure to show you more of that amazing video later on tonight.
This morning, Jermaine Jackson, clearly shaken, discussed his brother's death on NBC's "Today Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERMAINE JACKSON, BROTHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: I felt really, really empty. And this sounds strange, but he went too soon. He went too soon. I don't know how people are going to take this, but I wish it was me.
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": Why do you feel that way?
JACKSON: Because I have always felt that I was his backbone, someone to -- someone to be there for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: In that same NBC interview, Jermaine Jackson describes how the pop star's children reacted to his death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: When I entered the hospital, they were there. And the therapist felt that it was important to let them see their father, and so they can get it over and understand.
LAUER: So, they were taken in to see their father after he had passed?
JACKSON: Yes, yes, yes.
LAUER: That's a hard thing for kids.
JACKSON: Yes, but now they're fine. And I know it's tough, but I think it was the best thing to do. At first, I was against it, but what do you say if you don't show them?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Jermaine Jackson sits down with Larry King tonight, that interview at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Also today, President Obama made his first official comments about the dead superstar, all part of his interview today with the Associated Press.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: I grew up on his music, still have all -- all his stuff on my iPod. You know, I think that his brilliance as a performer also was paired a tragic and in many ways sad personal life.
But, you know, I am glad to see that he is being remembered primarily for the great joy that he brought to a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And much more on the Jackson story coming up tonight.
Well, sometimes, someone says something so out there, that you just shake your head. And, today, that prize goes to Michael Scheuer, a former CIA analyst who recently appeared FOX News.
Jon Stewart played his comments on "The Daily Show" last night, and that gets our punchline. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL SCHEUER, FORMER CHIEF OF CIA BIN LADEN UNIT: The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States. Only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them.
JON STEWART, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART": What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is that?
(LAUGHTER)
STEWART: And, by the way, here's the fascinating thing about our culture. My guess is you didn't hear me say (EXPLETIVE DELETED) because the federal government is protecting you and your children's ears from that type of profanity, while Santa's evil twin...
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
STEWART: ... gets to -- gets to nonchalantly propose needless slaughter of Americans for the purpose of furthering his national security plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Jon Stewart, everybody. And that's the "Mash-Up" for tonight.
President Obama, he is getting his daily prayers from his BlackBerry. We're learning tonight how he's squeezing in worship electronically. That's later on in the download. Plus, Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson's two children, tells a reporter that she wants them back. But she isn't filing for custody, at least not yet. We're knocking down rumors and focusing on facts tonight.
All that, plus Michael Jackson's final days -- new video of one of his last times on stage. Here's what he looked like just 48 hours before his death.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Michael Jackson from his rehearsal at the Staples Center on the 23rd, just two days before he passed away.
Breaking news tonight on the custody of Michael Jackson's children: His ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, told a Los Angeles reporter that she wants custody of Jackson's two oldest children. She is the mother of 12-year-old Prince Michael and 11-year-old Paris, but she is not the mother of Jackson's youngest son, Prince Michael II, also known as Blanket.
But, just a little while ago, Rowe's attorney said that she is undecided so far about a custody battle.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ERIC GEORGE, ATTORNEY FOR DEBBIE ROWE: Debbie has not reached a final decision concerning the pending custody proceedings.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROBERTS: A hearing whether to decide whether to decide if Michael Jackson's mother will remain the temporary has been delayed until the 13th of this month.
Joining me now to talk about what happens next, from Los Angeles, Jim Moret. He's a former CNN anchor and now chief correspondent for "Inside Edition." Also in Los Angeles, CNN legal analyst Lisa Bloom, and in Reykjavik, Iceland, Jackson's one-time spiritual adviser, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. He's in Iceland shooting a television show with his family. He joins us via Skype.
Lisa, why don't we start off with you.
If Debbie Rowe does eventually decide to wage a custody battle, as the children's natural mother, what kind of standing does she have? And what kind of chance would she have of gaining custody?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Under California law, she would be presumed to get custody of the kids because she's the biological mother. The law very strongly favors that blood relationship of a parent, unless, unless Katherine Jackson or someone else can show that she's an unfit mother.
Now, what are they going to do to show that? They would say that she abandoned her children. She made no efforts to have a relationship with them, even though she lived in the same general area of Southern California and could have had access to them if she wanted to.
She's going to say the Jackson people kept her away. This could blow up into an enormous custody battle, with both sides slinging mud at the other. We will have to wait and see how it all turns out.
ROBERTS: Jim Moret, is the Jackson family expected to viciously fight custody here?
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Well, you would hope that for the sake of the kids, they don't.
I will tell you, what we know is earlier today, she made a statement, "I want my children." Later today, there was a clarification. And then the hearing that was supposed to take place on Monday has been delayed a week. So, what can we glean from that? They're probably talking now. Maybe they will reach a settlement. And that really would be in the best interests of the kids, to not have a vicious in-court fight.
ROBERTS: Yes. I just want to point out here that we're having a problem with Rabbi Shmuley's audio coming to us from Reykjavik.
So, let's go back to you, Lisa.
What about -- you know, Debbie Rowe is the mother of the two oldest children, Paris and Prince Michael. What about Blanket, though? What might happen to him?
BLOOM: Yes, she has no biological relationship to Prince Michael II, the youngest child. She doesn't have any other kind of connection with him. She hasn't spent any time with him. So, she would have no claim to him.
Now, in the interview this morning with the local NBC affiliate here in Los Angeles, though, she said she wants to keep those three children together. It sounds as though she has a heart. But the law would never grant her custody of Prince Michael II, absolutely not.
ROBERTS: So, I guess we're talking, Jim, about a potential side agreement here that, if Debbie Rowe, the biological mother, did manage to gain custody of Paris and Prince Michael, the Jackson family, if they so saw fit as to wanting to keep the kids together, could give her custody of Blanket, though, I'm sure with liberal visitation rights.
MORET: They could.
You know that Debbie Rowe signed an agreement with Michael Jackson when they got divorced in 1999 giving up parental rights. But, in 2006, an appellate court ruled she did not give up parental rights. That's really why she's still back in the picture. She thought she had given them up, and they're now reinstated.
The kids really should be together. ROBERTS: Right.
MORET: As a parent, I can't imagine separating my kids. And Michael Jackson, in her view, she had stated publicly, was a great father. But the fact is, he's gone. And maybe, maybe she believes that she could be a good mother to them.
ROBERTS: We do have the Rabbi Shmuley back just on the telephone, though. The Skype is not working.
Rabbi Shmuley, what do you think of the potential psychological effect on -- on...
RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH, AUTHOR, "THE KOSHER SUTRA": Hello?
ROBERTS: Hi. Rabbi Shmuley, can you hear me? We still seem to be having some audio problems.
BLOOM: Reykjavik.
ROBERTS: Yes. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERTS: He's there in Reykjavik. It's a long way away.
BLOOM: Sure is.
ROBERTS: But I didn't think it was that far away.
All right, Lisa, let's go back to you then. There's also Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson. Apparently Debbie Rowe is trying to file a restraining order against him. What are the chances that she could succeed in that?
BLOOM: I think she could succeed, because there have been numerous public allegations, including by Michael Jackson himself, on record, on video, that he was severely abused as a child by his father, Joe Jackson. That's the kind of thing that the court would take into account.
And, in Debbie Rowe's defense, she has come in and tried to seek custody on a couple of occasions, when Michael Jackson was associated with the Nation of Islam, and she felt that was an anti-Semitic organization, and she wanted to get her kids at that point a couple years ago.
When she was on trial for child molestation, she wanted to get custody because she was concerned about the safety of her kids. And now that Michael Jackson is gone, that's a clear change of circumstances the courts would look at. And she's going to that say she's concerned that they may be in the custody of someone who has a history of abusing children.
So, she certainly has some good legal legs to stand on here, although there are arguments against her as well. ROBERTS: Yes.
OK, so, Jim, when we look at the dynamic of the Jackson family, Katherine and Joe Jackson live in separate cities, but they are still married. So, they are a single entity when it comes to the eyes of the court. Is that something that might play against them in a custody battle, based on Joe Jackson's history with Michael?
MORET: Well, it certainly could.
And Lisa's right. Michael Jackson has been very public saying his father abused him physically, emotionally. And you don't want that kind of abuse or that type of person around the children.
It was interesting that Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mom, went to court earlier this week alone, not with Joe Jackson, to ask for temporary guardianship. And that's how the court granted it to Katherine Jackson.
And we also know that Michael Jackson himself wanted his mother to be the guardian of those children. He idolized her. He said so publicly. He worshipped his mom and loved her a great deal and would want her to raise those children.
Also, you have to look at what the kids want, especially the 12- and 11-year-old. You could certainly take that into consideration. They're old enough to have an opinion -- all three, frankly -- they're old enough to have an opinion. Where do they want to live? And then the judge has to do what's best for those children.
ROBERTS: Well, I will tell you, if Debbie Rowe does decide to contest, it's going to be a dynamic scene in the courtroom, no question about that.
BLOOM: Absolutely.
ROBERTS: All right, Jim Moret and Lisa Bloom, thanks so much.
BLOOM: Thanks.
ROBERTS: Our apologies to Rabbi Shmuley. Sometimes, the technology works and sometimes it doesn't.
Well, tonight, we are getting an extraordinary look inside the place where Michael Jackson tried to find peace, his Neverland Ranch, the place that many people say was the one place that he actually could call home. Jackson's fans continue flocking there to mourn.
And our Larry King is hosting his program tonight live from inside Neverland. Larry joins us now from the ranch north of Los Angeles.
Larry, it's the first time you have been to Neverland. What did you think?
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": First, I think that I hope technology works...
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTS: Oh, yes. We got you. We're looking at your smiling there, Larry. You're good to go.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: OK, good. Glad I'm here.
I will say it again and again. I have said it here so many times. I'm totally surprised. I never expected the beauty, the serenity, the expansiveness of Neverland. Frankly, I don't know what I expected. Maybe I thought it would be a little on the side of a kind of mini Disneyland or rides.
And it's not that at all. This is a palatial grounds that is so quiet, that it's a side of Michael Jackson that you don't see on the stage, at all. It's the opposite of the stage Michael Jackson.
And I hope we can capture it. We're going to give you a lot of views of it, take you around. And when Jermaine is with me -- he has not seen, by the way, John, the tape that we have been showing exclusively on CNN all day of that final rehearsal 48 hours before he died.
So, Jermaine will watch that with me for the first time.
ROBERTS: Wow.
KING: We will have other guests as well. And we will be with you at the top of the hour, John. I hope you watch this. It's going to be interesting.
ROBERTS: Oh, definitely, Larry. That's going to be tough for Jermaine to watch that videotape. You know, it looks like the grounds, even though Michael wasn't living there, are still in very good shape.
But I was struck by the fact that most of the rooms in the home, it seems, are empty. What's going on with that?
KING: Yes. They're going to redo something. They have got a major corporation that owns this place. It owned half with Michael now. And now they will be -- now they will probably remain by buying it all.
We talked with the president of the company that owns it. And, Tom, he didn't want to come on with us, but they have got plans for this place. They were mainly disrupted by Michael's death. But now they're going to have -- think of this, John -- a lot of income, because he said something to me that's very interesting.
Everyone knows that Michael Jackson spent a lot of money. Well, now all they're going to have is income without spending.
ROBERTS: Right.
KING: In other words, they don't have a person spending the money. And the money is coming in, in droves from the sale of albums and the like. There is some concern about Tuesday, I must report that to you, what's going to happen at Staples Center, security and the like. That could be a major problem for LAPD.
ROBERTS: Right. No question, because there will probably be tens of thousands of people wanting to get in there.
Larry, we're looking forward to your program. It's just about 40 ins away. And it looks like you have got some fascinating stuff for us tonight. Thanks for the preview.
KING: Thanks, John. Thanks very much. Always good seeing you.
ROBERTS: You bet. You, too, Larry. Take care.
Vice President Joe Biden in Iraq, plus the plane that fell out of the sky -- new details in that investigation. It's all coming up in the download. Also, the concert promoter who was one of the last people to see Michael Jackson alive -- what happened after he said good night for the last time? The timeline narrows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDY PHILLIPS, PRESIDENT & CEO, AEG LIVE: Something happened between 12:30 when he left us and the morning when I had to rush to the hospital when I got the first call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Now a look at some of the other must-see stories of the day.
Here's Erica Hill with tonight's download.
Hello.
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John. Nice to see you tonight.
ROBERTS: Good to see you, too.
HILL: Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq right now, and on his agenda, visits with U.S. troops, a speech on the Fourth of July, and meetings with Iraqi leaders, where he will stress the need for cooperation and political progress to ensure the nation's long-term stability.
There are some new details about the final moments of an Air France jet that crashed off the coast of Brazil last month, killing all 228 aboard. French investigators today saying Flight 447 did not break up in the air, but hit the water belly first, going so fast, the passengers likely had no time to inflate their life jackets.
A federal judge will toss out the conviction of a Missouri mother in the country's first cyber-bullying trial. Prosecutors say Lori Drew created a fake MySpace page and posed as a teenage boy three years ago to humiliate a 13-year-old girl who later committed suicide. Drew was convicted of misdemeanor cyber-fraud for breaking MySpace's terms of service. But the judge said he does not see the crime, noting, plenty of people lie on social Web sites.
It turns out not everything President Obama gets on his BlackBerry is political, some of it spiritual. The president says the White House's faith director sends him a prayer every morning, something which began during the campaign. The president made some other personal revelations in a sit-down interview with the Associated Press today. And we're going to play some of that for you coming up a little bit later.
Finally, though, right now, a little something you probably should not do if you're a cop and especially if you know you have a dashboard camera in your cruiser. Yes, how about not making out with the boss, or maybe the boss shouldn't be making out with the employees.
Perry Township, Ohio, Police Chief Timothy Escola on the right there in the driver's seat, he took an early retirement this week. The female cop, though, engaging in rather amorous activities still on the job. Just out of view, the best part, they just picked up someone and had him in the back seat, a prisoner.
There you go, awkward threesome.
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERTS: You know, it's like don't post nude photographs of yourself on the Internet. Don't make out in the front of a police car with a dash-cam.
HILL: When you know you have got a dashboard cam.
ROBERTS: When are these people going to get it?
HILL: They can't all be as smart as us, John, you know?
(LAUGHTER)
ROBERTS: Erica, it's great to see you. Thanks.
Tonight, Michael Jackson in his final hours, new video of his last full rehearsal -- plus, the concert promoter who was one of the last people to see him alive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: He put his arm around me and, with that soft voice of his, he whispered in my ear: "Thank you. We're going to get it there together. I know I can do this." (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Riveting new video today showing Michael Jackson singing and dancing on stage in Los Angeles during one of the final rehearsals for his shows in London. This is two days before Jackson died.
The president of the company that shot the video tells CNN's Anderson Cooper about the last time he saw Jackson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: All I know is, the Michael Jackson that hugged me and said good night was a healthy, vibrant human being about to undertake the greatest undertaking of his life, OK?
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: And -- yes -- and something happened between 12:30, when he left us, and the morning, when I had to rush to the hospital when I got the first call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And you can see Anderson's full interview about the Michael Jackson video. That's tonight at 10:00 Eastern on "AC 360."
So was Michael Jackson frail? Was he a hardcore drug abuser? Was he even capable of taking the stage for 50 shows in London?
Tonight's newsmaker saw him up close. Actor and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno is Jackson's personal trainer for his comeback tour, and he joins us now from Los Angeles.
Lou, it's good to have you with us. You saw that video of Michael Jackson at the Staples Center two days before his death. What did you think of his appearance?
LOU FERRIGNO, JACKSON'S PERSONAL TRAINER: Well, I saw the video, but you got to consider it's still a rehearsal. So he's not giving it 110 percent. I thought he looked fine. I mean, if you look at him, the way he moved, the way he danced, apparently, he definitely could have pulled it off.
ROBERTS: Now, he did look a little thin compared to other tours that I've seen him in the past. I mean, you've known him for some 15 years. Was he a little more frail than he has been in the past?
FERRIGNO: I think it's because he was under so much stress, especially with his financial trouble and especially he had to make this commitment. Especially he had to dance like in 15, 17. I had to work with him because it's taken a toll on his body. But I think that -- you know, I talked to him, he said he wasn't even nervous about doing it because he was determined to pull it off. You got to consider four hours a day of dancing and all the stress on him, the production, plus he was in full control of the whole production.
ROBERTS: The lighting designer of the show in an interview with the BBC recently said that the crew was nervous as to whether or not Jackson would be able to pull off one show, let alone 50 dates. You know, from your experience with him and working out with him, and I guess there was a lot of aerobic activity and some stretching, did you have any doubt that he would be able to do that entire series of concerts?
FERRIGNO: Well, it's going to be a big challenge, but I think he wanted me to come over there to help him. But I think once he got started with the tour, then I think he would have modified his diet more and have been more relaxed. But the bigger challenge was the opening night of the first week.
And plus, he was planning to take his children and his family with him. And I think that would have been an ace up his sleeve, but basically, I'm going to think he could have pulled it off because he would have been more set. Because, remember, a week before production, like doing a stage play, like opening a play on Broadway.
ROBERTS: You mentioned his diet, Lou. And you have said in previous interviews that he ate one meal a day. The amount of physical activity that he was undertaking, training with you, and those rehearsals, and, you know, he's sweating there and we know Michael Jackson, the level of performer that he is, he always had a tremendous amount of physical activity in his shows, was eating once a day, enough to sustain that level of activity?
FERRIGNO: He always ate like that, once a day, because I believe he was a vegetarian. He had been eating like that for 20 years. And when I worked with him, he was steadily improving, especially the flexibility and tone. And I suggested him to eat more.
But, you know, I think he snacked throughout the day. So basically he had one meal. Basically, he would eat like protein and different vegetables. But I think because of all the stress and the tour and the strain, he didn't have a chance. He just ended up losing weight.
ROBERTS: Did he take supplements as well?
FERRIGNO: I told him it would be good for him to take calcium and magnesium and fish oil for the joints. Calcium, magnesium will help him fall asleep because he had a sleeping problem for years. So, I mean, he was constantly improving when I worked with him.
ROBERTS: Let me ask you the question everybody wants the answer to. As you've said you've known him for 15 years. You were working out with him. You were very, very close to him, physical activity every day, or at least three times a week. Did you ever know him to be using drugs?
FERRIGNO: No. He never talked about it. I never see him use drugs. As a matter of fact when I was with him before he left for the tour, a month ago, I remember him taking his jacket off and he was doing different exercises. I look in his arm I didn't see any needle marks or anything like that. Basically, he was very animated and very motivated, and he didn't show any sign of foul play or being on drugs because he completed his entire workout.
ROBERTS: He never showed any signs of impairment?
FERRIGNO: No.
ROBERTS: And in terms of --
FERRIGNO: He had --
ROBERTS: Go ahead, Lou.
FERRIGNO: I'm sorry.
ROBERTS: Go ahead.
FERRIGNO: I know he's had some injuries, but the thing we were working on his flexibility and toning because he didn't want to incur any more injuries. So he was very concerned about that.
ROBERTS: All right. Lou Ferrigno, it's good to talk to you tonight. Thanks so much for taking the time.
FERRIGNO: Thank you.
ROBERTS: We really appreciate it.
FERRIGNO: Thank you.
ROBERTS: A week after Michael Jackson's sudden death, we still don't know what killed him. But the Drug Enforcement Administration wants to know more about his possible drug use.
Now, later, President Obama on the economy. Are we turning a corner?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We had successfully stabilized the financial markets and that's important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: The talk of possible drug use and abuse by Michael Jackson, possibly leading to his death one week ago, has now drawn the interest of the feds. The DEA, the Drug Enforcement Administration, is getting involved in the Jackson investigation. So what does it mean?
Let's ask Robert Strang. He's a former special agent for the DEA. Also once again from Los Angeles, Jim Moret of "Inside Edition."
Bob, let's start with you. I take it that the DEA is involved here because practicing physicians have DEA clearance to write prescriptions for, you know, scheduled drugs.
ROBERT STRANG, FORMER DEA SPECIAL AGENT: Right.
ROBERTS: That's drugs that are right for abuse. So what are they looking for in this investigation?
STRANG: You know, they're looking for a number of things. I mean, clearly the reason they got involved is because they saw so many drugs leaving the house. They knew from a lawsuit that there was over $100,000 due a local pharmacy. So clearly, this was, you know, far more than a normal person would be using in terms of prescription drugs.
And DEA has a responsibility to look at the doctors, to look at the pharmacy, the drugstores, to look at the manufacturers where the drugs are made to make sure that they get safely to ultimate patients. In this case, obviously, something went wrong somewhere. Because there were too many drugs, too much money, so the DEA wants to look and find out how he got those drugs.
And, by the way, there could be a number of different reasons. It could be a doctor was involved. It could be that the patient was involved or people helping the patient that went to different pharmacies in different cities, maybe in different countries.
So there could be a lot of explanations to what happened here. You have to keep an open mind going into it to see where you come out.
ROBERTS: I mean, we see a lot of what's called doctor shopping, right?
STRANG: Right, right. And people do that. And, you know, but then, on the other hand, there are doctors that have reputations for being able to write prescriptions without a physical, without a medical history and cases are made that way. There are other cases where the pharmacies actually falsify their records, and they can provide the drugs that way. These are schedule two, schedule three narcotics. Pretty serious stuff.
ROBERTS: Jim Moret, Bob was mentioning drugs that were taken out of the home there in the Holmby Hills. And, in fact, LAPD has confirmed that they have taken medications out of the home. Do we have any idea what they found there yet?
JIM MORET, CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": No, we don't. And that's OK.
The reality is, when you look at the Anna Nicole Smith, we got the toxicology reports some four to six weeks after her death. You didn't see criminal charges filed for a year. And I think we first have to look at what was in his system at the time, and then you're going to look at the prescriptions. You're going to look at the names. Were they in aliases? How many doctors were involved? How many pharmacies were involved? Was there doctor shopping? Are any doctors responsible, negligent and so forth?
And it's OK to take time, because I think it's more important to do this investigation correctly rather than to jump to conclusions and speculation.
ROBERTS: Bob, you know the ins and outs of these investigations. What Jim just said there about many different doctors, as you said many different pharmacies, how long will it take or how complex a task is it for investigators to unravel this web?
STRANG: Well, it takes a long time. And Jim's right, there's not a real rush to get it done. You want to get to the bottom as quickly as you can because you don't want other people to get caught up if there is something more. You want to stop it obviously.
But you got to interview the family. You got to interview the guards, you know, the security, the friends. You have to interview the staff and the household, the help. You have to go and interview people that he met with and talked with and people in the pharmacy. You're going to have to put together and piece together a background here that's going to identify how he went and got these drugs, and how he ultimately put those drugs in his body.
And, you know, there's going to be three separate investigations. One is from the coroner's office, one is from the LAPD, the other is from the DEA. And at some point, these three agencies will intersect. They'll talk and they may have something in common, they may not. But that will be the outcome of the case.
ROBERTS: And Jim Moret, you're an attorney. Is it possible that charges could be filed in this case? And even if it was found that the drugs were directly responsible for Michael Jackson's death, if indeed he was using drugs at the time, could they still face serious charges like manslaughter if a physician was to have prescribed a drug that was somehow associated but not the cause of his death?
MORET: Absolutely, John. Look at the parallels between this case potentially and the Anna Nicole case. You see criminal charges brought in that case for what are being described as enablers. And we've heard people around Michael Jackson say that he was enabled. People around him were allowing him to continue with drug abuse. And I think the fact that the DEA is involved signals very clearly that they're looking for drugs.
ROBERTS: Bob, do you expect that there are some nervous doctors in Los Angeles tonight?
STRANG: I would think that everybody around this situation would be pretty nervous. You know, this has really brought on the scrutiny of the federal and the state investigators. And not only will they lose their DEA license to prescribe drugs, but the state could move forward and take their license to actually be a doctor in that state. And worst case scenario, they go to jail.
So it could be from one extreme to a very minor incident. But needless to say, there's something -- something is wrong here.
ROBERTS: Bob, it's good to see you tonight. Thanks very much.
STRANG: OK, John.
ROBERTS: Jim Moret as well, thanks for joining us.
Tomorrow night, a special edition of CNN's CAMPBELL BROWN goes inside the Michael Jackson investigation, his life and tragic death. Plus, plans to say goodbye. That's tomorrow.
And this weekend, Don Lemon takes an in-depth look at Jackson's life and legacy, his childhood, music, finances and influence. Watch "Michael Jackson, Man in the Mirror" Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern only on CNN.
In an interview today, President Obama was asked to reveal one secret about the White House. When we come back, we'll tell you why he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The pastry chef here makes the best pie I've ever tasted. And that is causing big problems for Michelle and myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: We'll have that Michael Jackson rehearsal video for you in its entirety coming up in just a few minutes.
But first, the economy, North Korea, Michael Jackson, even the sweet secret that's causing big trouble for the president and first lady. All of that and more was on the table in tonight's White House interview with "The Associated Press." Here's President Obama in his own words.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Obviously, we are deeply concerned about the employment rate. It's one of the things that I am most focused on.
We have successfully stabilized the financial markets and that's important.
It's important that even as we move forward with President Medvedev that Putin understands that the old cold war approaches to U.S.-Russian relations is outdated.
So far, what we've seen is fairly remarkable cooperation from Russia on North Korea. We've seen the same thing from China.
There potentially is room for more later but keep in mind that what we're also trying to do is to keep a door open for North Korea to start acting in a responsible way.
It gives me huge pause, and that's why we're going to proceed very carefully on this front.
I have a very narrow definition of success when it comes to our national security interest, and that is that Al Qaeda and its affiliates cannot set up safe havens from which to attack Americans.
I'm not reconciled with that, and I don't think the international community is reconciled with that.
I don't think we've got a level of violence in our minds where it hits that point, and then suddenly we see whether the Iraqis want to rethink this thing.
I think that Michael Jackson will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. I grew up on his music. Still have all of his stuff on my iPod.
The pastry chef here makes the best pie I've ever tasted. And that is causing big problems for Michelle and myself.
I mean, Kobe is terrific, don't get me wrong. But I haven't seen anybody match up with Jordan yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: There you go. Jordan beats Bryant.
Well, we could all use a little help now and then from our friends. But now a revolutionary new concept has arrived in this country and it could mean welcome relief from strangers around the globe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIK MANTSCH, KIVA LOAN RECIPIENT: We carry a lot of German family games.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Erik Mantsch sells board games at a store he recently opened in San Francisco.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Microlending, it's tonight's "Money and Main Street" report. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Tonight, one of those "why didn't I think of that stories." With the credit crunch making it harder to get a loan, the Internet is making another solution possible. All it takes is $25 to make a loan and maybe change someone's life.
CNN's Deborah Feyerick reveals all in tonight's "Money and Main Street."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIK MANTSCH, KIVA LOAN RECIPIENT: I carry a lot of German family games.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Erik Mantsch sells board games at a store he recently opened in San Francisco.
SILVIA, KIVA LOAN RECIPIENT: Why don't you throw it to Ali?
FEYERICK: Silvia runs a daycare center nearby. Across the country in Brooklyn, New York, Hardiyal (ph) Singh is starting a recycling company, exporting scrap metal to India.
The three small business owners don't know each other. Yet all know what it's like not to qualify for a traditional bank loan.
MANTSCH: It was the access to the capital that we needed and nobody wanted to give it to us.
FEYERICK: Nobody that is until kiva.org expanded from developing countries into the United States this month. The Web site lets anyone anywhere lend at least $25, which is then pooled into a larger loan up to $10,000. Kiva president Premal Shah --
PREMAL SHAH, KIVA PRESIDENT: The fact that you can lend money to somebody in Uganda and they can start a small business, or someone now in Uganda can lend someone else money in Des Moines, Iowa, I think that's a really exciting concept.
FEYERICK: Erik Mantsch and business partner Shane Alan are among the first people in the U.S. to get a Kiva loan.
SHANE ALAN, KIVA LOAN RECIPIENT: It can really make the difference between life and death for a start-up business.
FEYERICK: Anyone who wants a loan must first be approved before they can post their profile.
(on camera): So you lend to people in South America, North America, Europe, Asia.
(voice-over): New York City school teacher Graham Button (ph) has invested in 71 different people.
GRAHAM BUTTON (ph), NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL TEACHER: It's not just people in developing countries who are struggling. It's people all over the world.
FEYERICK: One of his first U.S. loans was to Silvia who used it to improve her daycare.
SILVIA: I really appreciate that because without that loan, I could never have done the work I had started.
FEYERICK: Hardiyal (ph) Singh is now fully funded.
It was really hundreds of people who said he's a good dad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They trusted me to send their small amount this time.
FEYERICK: As for Eric Mantsch and Shane Alan, they're fixing their ceiling and buying more board games.
SHANE: And people really put their faith in us as a business and it will get paid back.
FEYERICK: Just like the $25 Alan invested in a Cambodian woman who recently paid her loan back in full.
Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: So, how well does it work? In just three weeks, Kiva raised $300,000 for American small businesses. The loans get repaid overtime and with interest.
You can find out more about microfinance in the U.S. Go to CNN.com/moneyandmainstreet.
It was one of the last times that Michael Jackson ever took the stage. The King of Pop on camera rehearsing just two nights before he died.
How did he look? We'll let you be the judge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Before we leave you tonight, here's the video release today of Michael Jackson singing and dancing on stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles just two days before he died. In an ironic twist, that same 20,000 seat arena will be the site of Jackson's memorial on Tuesday.
AEG, the promoter of the London shows, released this video of the song "They Don't Care About Us" from Jackson's history album. Judge for yourself about how healthy Michael Jackson looked in the final hours of his life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUSIC: They Don't Care About Us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold for applause. Hold for applause. Slow umbrella, fade out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on June 23rd.
That's it for us. For Campbell Brown, I'm John Roberts. Thanks very much for being with us.
"LARRY KING LIVE" from Neverland with Jermaine Jackson starts right now.
