Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson (103 page)

Then Feldman arranged for Gavin to be interviewed by Dr. Stan Katz, a
psychologist. Gradually, during a series of interviews with the psychologist,
Gavin related incidents of alleged child
molestation by Michael. The case heated
up when Katz, in compliance with the
laws of California, was obligated to turn
his reports over to state authorities.

Janet Arvizo Jackson

Katz told authorities that he believed
that the Arvizo family had not been honest
in their previous testimony and now were
coming forward with the truth.

In April of 2003, the Santa Barbara
County Sheriff's Department had more or
less concluded its investigation without
unearthing any really damaging evidence
against Michael. But in June of that year,
the Sheriff's Department received Katz's damaging report, in which allegations were made that child molestation had
indeed taken place despite previous denials of wrongdoing from the boy's
family. After the receipt of the Katz conclusions, members of the Sheriff's
Department began interviewing family members, especially Janet and Gavin,
for inconsistencies in their previous stories.

It was learned that the relationship between Janet and Michael had soured
when she blew up after being told that he had served her cancer-stricken son
wine, which she maintained "might have killed Gavin." Later, she would
learn about more serious charges, including claims that Michael had masturbated her son and even taken nude pictures of him at Neverland.

During the course of their own pre-trial investigation, Michael's defense
members discovered a scandal involving the Arvizo family. On August 27,
1998, they had been caught in a shoplifting sting in a JC Penney store in West
Covina, California.

Both boys had been sent out of the store with concealed clothing which
hadn't been paid for. Janet would later claim that her sons were modeling
clothes for the chain, although there was absolutely no evidence of this.

Security detained both the father and mother, plus their two sons, including Gavin, age 8, charging them with stealing clothing. Both the Arvizos were
arrested and charged with theft and battery, for allegedly hitting the security
guards. The charges were dismissed on March 11, 1999 in Los Angeles
Municipal Court.

In a counter offensive, Janet then filed a $3 million civil complaint against
the store, charging that their boys were "beaten, battered, falsely arrested,
falsely imprisoned and falsely accused of criminal conduct" by store personnel.

Two years later she added a new charge to her original complaint, claiming that during her arrest by two male security guards she was "sexually fondled on my breasts and pelvic area." A psychiatrist hired by the store claimed
that she'd rehearsed her
sons to back up this outrageous story that seemed
"suddenly remembered" at
the last moment.

Gavin Arvizo with MJ

In yet another outrageous claim, she charged
that she'd suffered broken
bones during the fray. Not
only that, but that both Star
and Gavin had also suffered
broken bones during the incident, although there was no medical record at the time to support such a
charge. David Arvizo seemingly didn't want to get involved with the charges.
He was having his own problems with Janet, as they headed for the divorce
courts.

In an out-of-court settlement, JC Penney agreed to give the Arvizos
$137,500 to avoid the expense of litigation and possibly an even larger and
more damaging award from a jury.

During the period when the Arvizos were filing charges against Michael,
David, because of his ongoing feud with his former wife, had had no contact
with Gavin or his other children during the previous 18 months. But he
defended Michael as "a class act whose parenting skills always seemed good
when I was around. When my son was very sick and had not eaten for 18 days,
Michael got on the phone and prayed for him. When Gavin lost his hair from
the chemotherapy, Michael was the one who told him he was still handsome.
Michael took him out and showed him the stars in the sky."

Ironically, as David was praising Michael's parenting skills, his own were
coming under fire. On September 29, 2001, he had been charged with inflicting bodily injury on a current spouse. He pleaded no contest to spousal abuse
and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, plus three years probation.

David, or so it was claimed, kept his daughter a prisoner in his car for 2'/z
hours threatening "to kill your mom and your whole family." The teenage girl,
at the time aged 15, told the police that the incident happened outside her
school on November 13, 2001. Consequently, the judge issued a restraining
order, stating that David was not to come within 100 yards of his former wife,
Janet, or any of their three children.

On November 13, 2001, David violated the restraining order and allegedly beat all three of his children, including Gavin. On June 25, 2002 he pleaded no contest to one count of child abuse-one that involved his daughterand consequently, the other charges were dropped. He was sentenced to one
year in prison and also ordered to enroll in one year of parenting classes.

The local press also joined in the attempt to discredit the Arvizos, especially Janet. News broke that Janet had falsely solicited funds for Gavin's
medical bills during his treatment for cancer, even though, according to
Celebrity Justice, medical bills had been paid in full by Gavin's father. "Janet
Arvizo is after money," charged Connie Keenan, editor of the Mid Valley
News in Southern California. On a TV talk show, Keenan charged, "my gut
level-she's a shark!"

In the months before the trial, as Michael's legal team dug up whatever
dirt they could on the Arvizos, Santa Barbara prosecutors were also busy hunting witnesses-in all cases young boys-who might testify that Michael had
molested them. The office cast a wide net.

One boy of "special interest" to the DA was found to be living in El
Salvador, another in South Africa. Police were also said to be quizzing the son
of a professional athlete in England. Sneddon, the prosecutor, was going over
all the evidence seized in raids very carefully, including explicit letters and
poems said to have been written by Michael to Gavin.

The Jackson family was outraged when Jeremy Jackson, the son of
Michael's oldest brother, Jermaine, was questioned by police. The boy was
asked, "Did your uncle ever have an improper contact with you?" The nephew
denied that any impropriety had ever taken place.

On December 18, 2003 Michael was charged with molesting Gavin seven
times and subjecting the boy to "substantial sexual conduct." The allegations
appeared in a nine-count complaint.

Michael was hit with charges of committing a lewd act on a child and two
counts of plying the boy with an "intoxicating agent." The incidents, according to court documents, occurred in February and March of 2003.

On Christmas night of 2003, Michael sat down with correspondent Ed
Bradley, giving his first interview since his arrest to the 60 Minutes reporter.

"Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists," Michael insisted to
Bradley. He restated his belief that "it's fine to sleep with children why not?
If you're going to be a pedophile, if you're going to be Jack the Ripper, if
you're going to be a murderer, it's not a good idea. That I'm not."

He also claimed that "I won't
live at Neverland ever again. It's a
house now it's not a home anymore. I'll only visit." He also told
60 Minutes that police "manhandled me" at the time of his arrest,
and he claimed that "I'm still in
pain it's hurting me very badly.
I'm in pain all the time." He said
he suffered a dislocated shoulder
from the way he was cuffed and
handled during his arrest.

Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake
performing during Superbowl's halftime,
February, 2004

He also charged that he was
locked in a toilet for 45 minutes
after he asked to use the facilities.
He said the room was smelly
because feces were thrown all
over.

The Santa Barbara County
Sheriff's Department refuted Michael's charges, claiming he was "treated with courtesy and professionalism throughout the arrest and booking process."

Michael wasn't the only Jackson family member involved in scandals. La
Toya had created nationwide sensations when she'd posed in a state of partial
undress for Playboy in March of 1989 and again in November of 1991. On
February 1, 2004 sister Janet was involved in "Nipplegate" at Super Bowl
XXXVIII in Houston, Texas.

During the Super Bowl's halftime show, Justin Timberlake and Janet
reached the final line of their suggestive song, singing "I'm gonna have you
naked by the end of this song." Timberlake theatrically, and unexpectedly,
pulled off a strategic part of Janet's costume, revealing a view of her right
breast to millions of viewers on live TV. The rather ample breast was adorned
with a large, sun-shaped nipple shield, a piece of jewelry worn to accentuate
the appearance of a nipple piercing. In horror, CBS producers immediately
ordered their cameramen to cut to an aerial view of the stadium. But Janet's
breast had already been broadcast around the world. In the aftermath, a
record-breaking 200,000 Americans lodged complaints against CBS.

Both Janet and Timberlake stated that the exposure was a case of
"wardrobe malfunction." No one believed them.

Reporter Keith Olbermann wrote, "Well, look at it this way. In an incredible role reversal, a Jackson is accused of having their clothes intentionally
ripped off them by a boy."

Michael was reported to be either "horrified" at the incident, or else
"amused." Take your pick.

Michael's friend, Marlon Brando, wasn't one
of the 200,000 people complaining. He told friends
that "Janet had balls" to pull a stunt like that,
revealing that one of his favorite pastimes when he
was her age was "mooning."

Janet, apres nipplegate

Former friends had deserted Michael in the
wake of his scandal, and he was sorry to hear that
his sister's career had also been damaged. It was
reported that soon after the incident, Lena Horne
cancelled a project wherein Janet would have portrayed her in a filmed retrospective of her life. But,
like Elizabeth Taylor, Brando remained a faithful
friend to Michael until the very end.