June 14, 1995 (Hollywood, United States) - Prime Time
Diane Sawyer: So whatever the future holds, music will always be at the core of this man—someone who says he’ll soon return to a place where he feels more comfortable than anywhere else.
Diane Sawyer: Are you really anxious to get back onstage?
Michael: I miss the fans. It’s an opportunity for me to... you know, to see them and feel their presence. When we have a concert and a hundred thousand people are out there. You see a sea of people singing. Everyone is in sync, while they’re holding up candles and you’re saying
”Woooh”. You know, it really makes your heart happy—and it’s the feeling that everything is going to be okay.
Diane Sawyer: But as we said, two years ago this shy man faced serious accusations of abusing a young boy. As the headlines grew louder, many people wanted to know whether what had seemed merely strange was actually something sinister and vile. And the boys who were always around him—were they trapped by a seducer? The question had been hanging for a long time: was Michael Jackson guilty? Or was he forced to endure two years of unprecedented injustice?
A warning for mothers and fathers—this subject is for adults.
The accusations were...
” A 12-year-old boy said that during a period of 4 months, while repeatedly sleeping alone in Michael Jackson’s bedroom, there were kisses, caresses, and sexual contact. The boy said he objected, but Jackson cried and said it wasn’t dangerous, and that other boys had done it with him. “
The accusations were......... But there were problems in pursuing the case. The boy had insisted on telling these things while his own father was also seeking custody of the children and had spoken with Jackson’s team about money—” the amount of 20 million dollars “ ....... according to Jackson’s team.
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(A recorded tape of the accusing father talking to someone who knew him)
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Accusing father: Well, if I get this done, I’ll get a big opportunity. There’s no way I can lose.
Diane Sawyer: But whatever the revealed circumstances of credible sources were, they believed the boy’s story. And the search for Michael Jackson began—and within days it reached everyone’s ears.
Reporter 1: Tonight’s program «Police investigation of allegations against Michael Jackson of sexual abuse of a young boy...»
Reporter 2: «Pop music star Michael Jackson is under investigation for the alleged abuse of children...»
Diane Sawyer: The so-called friends who worked for Jackson were looking for a story, claiming they knew about these events too... and that was the trash they fed to the newspapers.
And even when some of Jackson’s young friends tried to defend him, they raised other troublesome questions.
It’s an 11-year-old boy (Brett Barnes) talking to a television interviewer.
” Interviewer: When you slept in Jackson’s house at night, and you were in a room or in a bedroom together, did anything seem strange to you at all?
Brett Barnes: No, because I slept on one side of the bed and he slept on the other side of the bed—that was it. “
Diane Sawyer: After months at the top of the news, the tour took place, and then—according to reports—after treatment for his addiction to tranquilizer pills, Jackson returned to the United States and agreed to a series of police photo sessions. News sources say these photos were meant to see whether the photos matched the accuser’s descriptions of specific parts of his body that the news media called «private parts.»
On December 22, 1993, Jackson appeared in public.
Michael: Don’t treat me like I’m a criminal, because I’m innocent. I’ve been forced to submit to an inhuman and insulting examination by the Santa Barbara courthouse and the Los Angeles Police Department earlier this week. They gave me a written order for the examination, which allowed them to examine my body—including my genitalia, buttocks, lower body, thighs, and any part they wanted—and take photographs of it.
Diane Sawyer: A month later, on January 25, 1994, Michael Jackson settled his young accuser’s lawsuit... for how much? According to reports, about 15 to 20 million dollars. After the settlement, the boy refused to testify about this criminal matter.
So after 13 months at the top of the news, the case investigator said, ”The matter is over.“
Jill Gurstey: We have to refuse to pursue legal action against Mr. Jackson.
Diane Sawyer: They didn’t have any other children to bring to court. And none of the employees who claimed they had seen questionable things had a story that could be confirmed by a child. To this day, some investigators remain convinced that «the power of beauty and love to stir emotions» and «money» are attractive enough to produce loyalty and silence. Meanwhile, Jackson’s team insists the matter is over because nothing at all happened.
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When we come back, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley will have the chance to talk.
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Diane Sawyer: Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, welcome to Prime Time.
Michael: Thank you.
Diane Sawyer: I’m glad you’re here. When I look at you both, it seems to me that I should start. How did this marriage happen? How did it begin? Let me guess—this didn’t happen around some little bay, or a hot dog stand, or something like that. When did it start? When were the dates set?
Michael: Well, the first time... she was seven and I was seventeen. In Las Vegas... she had always been in the habit of coming by and watching my shows. We had a family show, and she was used to coming by as a little girl. And she would sit right across from me. She would usually come with a lot of security and...
Diane Sawyer: Were you in contact with her?
Michael: Of course, of course. She would come backstage... and then me, you know... I’d say hello, talk, and then she’d come again. And I thought she was kind and sweet, and I wished... I always wished I could see her again.
Diane Sawyer: And when was the first time you talked about marriage?
Lisa Marie: We weren’t in contact with each other after that.
Michael: No, we weren’t in contact.
Lisa Marie: She, she... go ahead, you wanted to say, go ahead.
Michael: No, you can say it. You have a good memory.
Lisa Marie: Well, you said you were going to tell it.
Diane Sawyer: This is from our first argument, right here at this hour. Who proposed? I want to say... how did the discussion about marriage happen?
Michael: Well, well... at first, it was what happened. When she was 18, I was in the habit of telling my lawyer «John Branca» to say, ”Do you know Lisa Marie Presley?“ And he would say, ”Well, I’m her mother’s representative.“ I’d say, ”Well, can you call her? Because I think she’s really cute and attractive.“ And every time he’d laugh and say, ”I’ll do my best.“ Then he’d come back and I’d tell him, ”Okay, did you understand?“ And he’d say, ”No, nothing.“ And I always reminded him about it. Then I noticed a picture on the cover of a magazine—her wedding photo—which really broke me up. Because I felt she had to be the one. I really felt that.
Diane Sawyer: When was the first time you talked about marriage?
Michael: I said
Lisa Marie: She said
Diane Sawyer: Who? Where?
Michael: Who? Where?
Lisa Marie: On the phone.
Michael: Oh. Yes, yes... on the phone.
Lisa Marie: She first asked me, ”We’ve been dating for 4 months now, right? 4 months...“
Michael: I don’t remember.
Lisa Marie: Anyway... we spent a lot of time together. I don’t know how this didn’t get out to the press. Because we didn’t hide it. In Las Vegas... we were...
Michael and Lisa Marie: We were together everywhere.
Lisa Marie: Everywhere.
Michael: We went to bookstores.
Lisa Marie: We went to bookstores. We didn’t hide it.
Diane Sawyer: And you immediately said yes?
Lisa Marie: At that time, I had been divorced for 4 months. She said, ”If I asked you to marry me, what would you do?“ And I said
”Yes, I would do that.“
Michael: A strong yes... you were really eager... (laughs)
Diane Sawyer: I have to ask, because I can only imagine that a number of lawyers were involved in the arrangements for the marriage agreement. Is there an agreement?
Michael: Well, we worked on things and signed certain documents, but... of course it’s very confidential.
Lisa Marie: We agreed. We made preliminary arrangements.
Diane Sawyer: As you know, this marriage was met with reactions all over the world. And I know you both feel it strongly.
Reactions ranging from surprise, shock, and excitement to suspicion and doubt... that this marriage was somehow too easy, without effort or trouble. Lisa, did you ask Michael about his accusations? Did the two of you think about how this marriage would affect the accusations?
Lisa Marie: Of course, no. He called me... I was in contact with him throughout every stage of these accusations. When he disappeared, I was talking to him. I actually had to go to «Santiago» and «Puerto Rico»—which he left and disappeared from. And I got a phone call saying Michael didn’t intend to go there. And I was actually part of all the events that happened to him—talking to him by phone and...
Diane Sawyer: Did you ask him, ”Are these accusations true?“
Lisa Marie: No, I didn’t ask.
Diane Sawyer: I have a minute here—time to clarify something... and I want to return to the marriage topic.
Lisa Marie: I can... sorry... he, he... he kept talking about it. So I didn’t really have to ask, ”Are these accusations true or not?“ He was very angry on the phone, and you know...
Diane: Always?
Lisa Marie: It was constant. Yes.
Diane Sawyer: Okay, Michael—because I know you’ve wanted to express similar feelings for a long time. I want to ask a few things about the accusations. But first I want to make it clear to the viewers that nothing has been decided in advance. You’ve told me you’re not afraid of any question. So I wanted everyone to know all of this before we started.
I think I want to begin with the confidence that the situation has been clarified.
You said you’ve never hurt a child. I want to be as direct as possible. Have you ever touched or caressed this boy the way he said, or had sexual contact with this child or other children?
Michael: Never. I could never hurt a child or anyone else. It’s not in my heart. It’s not who I am. It’s not something I do. I don’t even have that desire.
Diane Sawyer: Do you think someone who does that should do what?
Michael: Someone who does that? What should they do? I think they need help in some way.
Diane Sawyer: What about the police photos? How did this boy have enough information about that kind of things?
Michael: Police photos?
Diane Sawyer: Police photos.
Michael: The photos they took of me?
Diane Sawyer: Yes.
Michael: There was nothing that could connect me to the accusations.
Lisa Marie: There was nothing they could tie to Michael.
Michael: That’s why I’m sitting here today talking to you. A little information that could link me to the matter wasn’t found.
Diane Sawyer: Okay, when we heard about the accusations...
Michael: There was nothing.
Diane Sawyer: There weren’t any marks on your skin?
Michael: No marks.
Diane Sawyer: None?
Michael: No.
Diane Sawyer: So why did you settle...?
Michael: So why am I still here?
Lisa Marie: You don’t intend to ask me anything about them, do you? (laughs) Sorry... marks on his skin.
Diane Sawyer: Are you volunteering?
Lisa Marie: No, it’s just that... despite how big it got, once it was finally determined that there was nothing related to this, very little was printed about it.
Michael: Well, because there was nothing at all to write about.