September 12, 1997 — ABC Network
Barbara Walters: Do you like being a father?
Michael: I love it [he answers immediately, with a big smile]
Barbara Walters: You’re really into your work?
Michael: Yes [laughs]
Barbara Walters: Do you want more children?
Michael: Yes [he laughs awkwardly]
Barbara Walters: Since you were a child, you’ve been in the spotlight.
Michael: Yes.
Barbara Walters: If your son showed talent… by the way, does he really show talent at 9 months old?
Michael: Well, I’ll tell you this much… when he cries… to make him stop, I have to do something.
Barbara Walters: What?
Michael: I have to stand in front of him and dance.
Barbara Walters: Seriously???!!!
Michael: Yes. And the crying stops. His crying turns into laughter… and now he’s happy [Michael claps his hands together], and he smiles.
Barbara Walters: And you do « Moonwalk » for him too?
Michael: Yes, I do all kinds of moves [suddenly he mimics his dancing]… [he laughs]
Barbara Walters: And then he doesn’t cry anymore?
Michael: He doesn’t cry anymore.
Barbara Walters: You must dance a lot.
Michael: [laughs louder] I dance a lot, yes.
Barbara Walters: Michael, if this little boy says, ”Dad, I want to go on stage…“
[Michael laughs while pounding his hand on his leg]
Barbara Walters: After all the things you’ve experienced…
Michael: Well, I was saying, ”Wait, now. Wait. If you choose this path, expect… expect that… expect this… expect that…“ [he counts on his fingers]
Barbara Walters: You’d lay everything out for him?
Michael: I’d lay everything out for him… ”Look, you’re going to go out there and face all of this…
[he gestures toward one of the cameras], and this one [he gestures toward another camera], and this one [he gestures toward a third camera].
Now are you ready to do it?”… If he said, ”Yes, I can’t wait”… I’d say, ”Go ahead and do it better than I did…“
Barbara Walters: But you know why you’re here…
Michael: You know why you’re here.
Barbara Walters: Our interview was over. We hadn’t told anyone, not even the hotel manager, that he was there. But when Jackson wanted to sneak out through the back entrance, a huge crowd had gathered and everyone was waiting.
Hugh Downs: Barbara, we now know that Diana didn’t have enough proper protection on the last day of her life. What kind of protection did Michael Jackson have?
Barbara Walters: Well, we saw at least four guards… and Michael needed them… Actually, I spoke with a female super star, and she told me that when she goes out, she has at least four guards… and a car moves in front of them, and another one behind them.
Hugh Downs: That’s really what they need, isn’t it?
Barbara Walters: Unfortunately, yes. That’s how it is.
Hugh Downs: Well, you told me that Michael told you why he only wears one glove?
Barbara Walters: Yes.
Hugh Downs: What’s the story behind that?
Barbara Walters: Well, he has a sense of humor. As I think you’ve seen yourselves… he said, ”Why one glove? Well, it’s cooler than two…“
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* September 12, 1997 / televised on ABC *
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* Princess Diana died in 1997 in a car accident. Evidence suggested that the car carrying Princess Diana was being chased by paparazzi, and that the speeding that ultimately led to the deaths of all the passengers was an attempt to escape the paparazzi. After all these years, the main cause of the accident still hasn’t been determined.
During her lifetime, Princess Diana was extremely popular in England because of her charitable activities.