Basic Provisions
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Netflix documentary «"Michael Jackson: Verdict"» tells the story of the pop star's 2005 child molestation trial from the perspective of everyone involved.
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Those interviewed included Jackson's lawyers, journalists and former jurors.
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One of Jackson's former associates claims his former assistant purchased material depicting child sexual abuse for the star.
Documentary series «"Michael Jackson: Verdict"» comes out a little more than a month after the film's premiere «"Michael"» , which sparked controversy and ended in 1988, five years before Jackson was first accused of child sexual abuse. A new Netflix documentary series takes viewers through the singer's 2005 trial, where he was charged with 14 criminal counts of child molestation.
Due to the widespread publicity surrounding the trial, the presiding judge ruled that photography and video recording were prohibited in the courtroom. in the book "Verdict"« The story is illuminated through interviews with numerous key players in the trial, including lawyers, experts, journalists, and even Jackson's former associates.
The result is a gripping exploration of the infamous trial, containing a number of disturbing revelations and previously unreported details. Below are 10 of the book's most shocking revelations. «"Michael Jackson: Verdict"» .
01 of 10
Martin Bashir was "stunned" by Jackson's admission that he slept in the same bed with children.
Journalist Martin Bashir outside the Santa Barbara County Courthouse during his trial in 2005. Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty
In the first episode podcast "Verdict"« British journalist Martin Bashir recalls the filming of the controversial 2003 television documentary «Living with Michael Jackson» . Bashir admits he was being deferential to the singer in order to get the best footage and perhaps prompt Jackson to answer some of his toughest questions regarding earlier abuse allegations.
Instead, Bashir and his film crew were "stunned" when Jackson frankly admitted to sharing a bed with young boys. Bashir recalls that toward the end of filming for the 2003 documentary, Jackson invited him to his home at Neverland Ranch to interview him along with Gavin Arvizo, the child Jackson claimed he "cured" of cancer. Not only did Jackson make this shocking admission, but he also seemed to confirm suspicions about his relationships with children.
«I realized that we were dealing with something extremely important,” Bashir says in book "Verdict" »But I only realized the scale of the sensation after the program aired.».
Bashir was called as the first prosecution witness in the 2005 trial. In the second episode, he recalls being "terrified" of having to testify against Jackson, whose team had worked hard to discredit Bashir's documentary, which was shown to the jury in its entirety, and whose extremely devoted fans had been outside the courthouse every day.
Kerry Anderson, Jackson's director of security, claims that on the way back to Neverland after Bashir's testimony, Jackson called the journalist "another demon who's just trying to destroy him.".
Edition Entertainment Weekly reached out to Jackson's estate for comment on this and other statements contained in in the book "Verdict"« .
02 of 10
According to investigators, Jackson asked his assistant to order materials containing scenes of child sexual abuse.
Another participant in the interview in in the film "The Verdict"« Jackson's former press secretary, Vincent Amen, explained that he initially believed his employer was innocent. This belief was confirmed by Jackson's assistant, Frank Tyson, with whom the singer had been friends since he was five years old. Tyson declined to be interviewed for the documentary.
«"Michael was like a father to Frank," Amen says, "and basically, whatever Michael wanted, [Frank] had to do." Amen says he trusted Tyson, who denied that Jackson ever behaved inappropriately toward him.
During the investigation, Amen claims that Tyson was getting rid of all his belongings from the ranch and gave him a "Nike bag" filled with various papers and files.
Amen filmed himself looking through a bag containing a pornographic magazine. One section advertised child sexual abuse material available for purchase by mail, and several titles were circled with a Sharpie marker.
Amen claims that when he asked Tyson about ordering the magazine videos, Tyson reportedly stated, "It's just a phase Michael and I went through," and that Jackson "circled the videos he wanted" and Tyson ordered them.
Tyson declined Netflix's request to appear in a documentary series.
03 out of 10
Jackson was reportedly seen having sex with teenagers during a police raid on Neverland Ranch in 2003.
During the police raid on Jackson's properties, the media tried to find out where the singer was staying. Investigative journalist Diane Diamond recalls a source telling her that Jackson had "locked himself away" in a Las Vegas villa, where he was throwing "wild parties.".
«"The leather sofas and armchairs were scorched with cigarette burns, food containers were strewn everywhere, and empty liquor bottles sat on every table," says Diamond. "This is where Michael Jackson spent several days entertaining young teenagers, all of whom spoke German.".
04 out of 10
The Jackson family was reportedly more concerned about their legacy than Michael's innocence.
Michael Jackson leaves the Santa Barbara County Courthouse with his father, Joe Jackson, in 2005. Photo: Carlo Allegri/Getty.
«"For Michael's siblings, it was never about guilt or innocence," said Stacy Brown, a former family friend of the Jacksons. "It was about legacy.".
Brown claims several family members felt threatened by the investigation and expressed fears it would "destroy what we've built.".
He also recalls the words of one of Michael's younger brothers: "We are a royal couple. We are the Black Kennedys.".
05 out of 10
A devoted Jackson fan quit her job and moved for the trial.
The second episode features an interview with Shere Wilkins, a Jackson fan who recalls gathering with other fans outside the courthouse each morning to participate in a lottery to determine who would be able to attend the courtroom that day.
Wilkins says she quit her job as a preschool teacher to move to Santa Maria and attend the trial.
The third episode shows Wilkins losing consciousness and being taken away on a stretcher after Jackson's acquittal.
06 out of 10
Jackson reportedly asked his lawyer to gather dirt on the Arvizo family.
At least at one point, Jackson's lawyer the TV series "The Verdict"« displays unusual candor. In the third episode, Oxman claims that Jackson instructed him to find incriminating evidence that would discredit the family.
«"It's your job, Brian," Oxman recalls Jackson saying. "Your job is to find out what really happened here. I need to find every skeleton in their closet, every piece of dirt on their shoes. You need to sniff it out.".
This led Oxman to discover that the Arvizo family had previously sued JCPenney after a dispute with a store security guard. For Oxman, this proved that the family had lied about Jackson's abuse for financial gain.
07 out of 10
One of the jurors claims that Jackson thanked her after the trial.
Jurors at Michael Jackson's 2005 trial speak to the media. Photo: Aaron Lambert-Poole/Getty
В program "Verdict"« The series features interviews with several members of the jury, including Melissa Herard, who admits in the first episode that she has been a Jackson fan since childhood.
Herard says that while she wouldn't allow her own child to sleep in the same bed with an adult celebrity, she was unconvinced by Bashir's documentary and felt the journalist was trying to "trap" Jackson.
The third episode features various people who testified in Jackson's defense, including Brett Barnes, Macaulay Culkin, and choreographer Wade Robson—the latter of whom later recanted his testimony and accused Jackson of sexual assault, as detailed in the documentary series. «Leaving Neverland» .
Herard recalls being particularly persuaded by Robson's testimony, but the same wasn't true for the other jurors. During deliberations, she says, the jurors asked the bailiff to inform the judge that they were "stumped" and needed clarification. In response, according to Herard, the judge told them, "We're not declaring the trial invalid. You'll sit there and figure it out for yourselves.".
The jury found Jackson not guilty, and Herard says they could hear the crowd cheering outside when the verdict was announced. "I couldn't stop crying," she says. "It was so emotional.".
Gerard claims that after the verdict was read, Jackson turned, looked directly at her and whispered, "Thank you.".
08 out of 10
After the allegations came forward in 1993, a friend told Jackson he should "never be around children again.".
As shown in in the book "Verdict"« , The 2005 trial wasn't the first time Jackson had faced similar allegations. In 1993, the Los Angeles police investigated Jackson after 13-year-old Jordan Chandler accused the singer of sexual assault. Criminal charges were never filed due to a lack of physical evidence, but in 1994, Chandler's family filed a civil lawsuit against Jackson, who settled out of court for $23 million.
After the settlement, Jackson's friend and biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, recalls telling the singer, "That's it, Mike. You can never be seen around children again.".
Despite the 1993 investigation and its aftermath, Jackson continued to develop relationships with his children.
09 out of 10
Debbie Rowe's call to the stand was "a heart-stopping event," Jackson's lawyer says.
Debbie Rowe at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse in 2005. Photo: Getty.
In 1996, Jackson married Debbie Rowe, with whom he had two children: Paris and Prince. Following their divorce in 2000, Rowe agreed to renounce her parental rights. Under the terms of the agreement, Jackson was awarded full custody of the children, and Rowe received $8.5 million, the newspaper reported. Los Angeles Times .
During the investigation leading up to the 2005 trial, Rowe attempted to have the decision overturned. She agreed to testify for the prosecution, who believed Rowe had "critically important" information about Jackson and his relationships with his children.
According to journalist Dimon, Rowe claimed she hadn't seen her children for two and a half years. Reflecting on the day of her testimony, Jackson's attorney, Brian Oxman, called the event "stunning.".
Taraborrelli recalls Rowe exchanging glances with Jackson as she entered the courtroom. "At some point," he says, "I saw her change her mind.".
Oxman says Rowe "got emotional" and that she looked at Jackson and said, "Michael, I appreciate you so much.".
10 out of 10
A family friend says Gavin Arvizo was shocked by the verdict: 'Why didn't they believe me?'«
Louise Palanker, a friend of the Arvizo family, recalls Gavin's shock at the verdict. "Gavin kept saying, 'They didn't believe me,'" Palanker says. "He felt like he'd failed.".
As noted in The Verdict , The Arvizo family has made no public statements since the trial ended.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.