June 14, 1995 (Hollywood, United States) - Prime Time
Diane Sawyer: So why did you settle the accusations?
Michael: It’s all lies!
Diane Sawyer: Why did you settle? It looks like you paid a lot of money and...
Michael: That’s mostly what the public says. I talked to my lawyer and said, ”Can you guarantee me that justice will prevail?“ And they said, ”Michael, we can’t guarantee you that the judge or the jury will do the right thing.“ And that made me angry. I felt humiliated.
Diane Sawyer: How much money...
Michael: I was completely humiliated. So I said, ”I have to do something to get out of this nightmare.“ All these lies and all the people coming around to get money and all the shows the tabloids were putting on... It’s all lies, lies, lies, lies... So what did I do? I got together with my advisors and they advised me. We agreed on a decision and the issue was resolved. This matter could have gone on for 7 years.
Diane Sawyer: How much money...
Michael: We said, let’s put this behind us. Let’s end this whole thing.
Diane Sawyer: Can you tell me how much?
Michael: It’s not what the tabloids printed. It’s not that weird, crazy money. What I mean is that the contract terms are very confidential.
Diane Sawyer: I want to ask...
Lisa Marie: He’s been barred from discussing the terms.
Diane Sawyer: The terms set?
Lisa Marie: The terms set.
Diane Sawyer: The contract terms set?
Lisa Marie: The amount set.
Michael: The things they say about me aren’t fair—the things they forced me to go through. Because there wasn’t even a shred of information
to prove I did that. And anyway... they turned my room upside down, searched all my books, all my video tapes. All my private things... and they found nothing... nothing that could prove Michael Jackson did that... nothing.
Diane Sawyer: Let me ask you a few questions.
Michael: Nothing, nothing, nothing...
Diane Sawyer: Nothing. We don’t have anything. As you may know or not, we called everyone we could. We checked everything we could. We tried to figure out whether the things we’d heard before were actually true... I want to ask you about two things. About these news stories we keep reading that they found photos of boys in your home.
Michael: No, photos of boys—photos of children, little girls... everything.
Diane Sawyer: That they found photos... books with photos of naked boys.
Michael: No.
Diane Sawyer: They didn’t find them?
Michael: No. I don’t know about those things... unless it’s things people sent me that I didn’t open. People send me things... People know about my love for children. After all, from all over the world, people send me books—from South America, Germany, Italy, Sweden, me...
Diane Sawyer: People say that they found things like that... they say there’s evidence. Let them come forward and let them publish these stories, okay?
Michael: Yes, because you can’t believe the number of mail letters I receive. If I told my fans that I love Charlie Chaplin, then my surroundings would be full of things related to Charlie Chaplin.
Diane Sawyer: About...
Michael: If I say I love children (which I do), then I’ll be surrounded by anything related to children.
Diane Sawyer: Is there any other agreement that was made during the court proceedings or before it with the children who brought these allegations? We’ve heard there was another case— not the one the prosecutor brought up in court.
Michael: No.
Diane Sawyer: But you’re talking again about paying money to the accuser.
Michael: No, that’s not true... No, that’s not true... I think I’ve heard that everything was fine and there were no other accusers.
Diane Sawyer: Let me ask... I’m trying to figure out how to phrase it. I want to clarify this for you because you’ve been cleared of all accusations. But I hear people in the suburbs say, ”Look... here’s a man surrounded by things children like. Here’s a man who spends too much time with boys.“
Michael: That’s right.
Diane Sawyer: What could a 36-year-old man do with a 12-year-old boy—or a group of children—sleeping in his bed?
Michael: Okay, sure. When you say boys, it’s not just boys, and I’ve never invited only boys to come into my room. Stop it. That’s ridiculous. It’s a ridiculous question. But since people want to hear, I’m happy to answer it... I’ve never invited anyone into my bed. The children love me. I love the children. They follow me. They want to be with me. But anyone can come into my bed. If a child wants to come into my bed, they can.
Lisa Marie: I can say... I can... I can say... sorry... I’ve seen this. I’ve seen it many times. I’ve seen the children. I’ve seen it with the children over the past year. I’ve seen enough to understand how something like this could happen. It’s... you know, I understand...
Diane Sawyer: This isn’t part of being an adult... and you have a 2-year-old. A 2-year-old boy.
Michael (to Lisa): Don’t you want to finish your point?
Lisa Marie: Yes, yes—let me... let me... sorry.
Diane Sawyer: Okay.
Lisa Marie: I just want to say that I’ve seen these children. They don’t let Michael go to the bathroom without them running after him... and they don’t let him get out of their sight. So when he goes to bed, even I stand outside, and they go into the bedroom with him.
Diane Sawyer: But isn’t part of being an adult—or being in love with children—keeping them away from situations that create confusion for them? And again, we’re talking about something that was repeated constantly in a compressed way. When your son grows up, when he’s 12, will you let him do this?
Lisa Marie: You know what? If I didn’t know Michael, then no. But I know who he is and what he is. I know he isn’t like that. I know he has something for children. And I... go ahead... I’m sorry.
Diane Sawyer: I just want to... Is it over? Are you sure it won’t happen again? I think this is really the key point people want to know.
Michael: What’s over?
Diane Sawyer: That there won’t be more of this «sleeping in your house»—so people won’t be surprised anymore.
Michael: Nobody would be surprised if children spent the night in my house. Nobody would be surprised.
Diane Sawyer: Is it over? Are you... have you now decided to take care?
Michael: Take care of what?
Diane Sawyer: Just for the children—and for everything they’ve experienced.
Michael: No! Because it’s all... because it’s all moral and pure. I don’t even think that way. It’s not in my heart.
Diane Sawyer: So you, you do it again?
Michael: Do it again? What do you mean?
Diane Sawyer: I mean, do you let a child stay the night in your home again?
Michael: Of course! If they want to.
Lisa Marie: He...
Michael: It’s in the stage of purity and love, and it’s only innocent. Complete innocence. If you’re talking about sex, then the person you’re talking about isn’t me—it’s a crazy person. Go find the guy who’s out there in the streets. Because that’s not Michael Jackson. That’s not something I’m attracted to.
Diane Sawyer: Okay, we’ll take a break now. When we come back, «Elizabeth Taylor» will talk a little about the time she spoke with you and helped you quit your addiction to tranquilizer pills—and about what she saw back then.
Michael: Oh... «Elizabeth» is on the show!
Diane Sawyer: When we come back...
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«Commercial messages»
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Diane Sawyer: As we said, «Elizabeth Taylor» intends to talk a little about the time she came to see you when you were dealing with something that «Elizabeth» called a “great sadness”—she’ll talk. And she’s very... I think one of the things she was very upset with us about was that... she said, ”People always only talk about one side of someone’s personality. People never give them a chance for their moral virtues.“
Michael: That’s right.
Diane Sawyer: Especially because of what you give to the children... the money you give them.
Diane Sawyer: The interview begins like this.
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«A recorded interview with Elizabeth Taylor is shown»
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Elizabeth: When Michael is on tour, he goes to hospitals—without the press following him. Without anyone knowing. He disguises himself and does it. When he’s in the hospital, he takes off his disguise and the children realize, ”Wow... it’s Michael Jackson!“
Diane Sawyer: Is there anything you didn’t say to yourself—anything you read that everyone else had read—and say to yourself, ”Maybe it’s true”—maybe I didn’t fully understand who he was.
Elizabeth: Not at all; absolutely not.
Diane Sawyer: Never?
Elizabeth: Never. I know Michael’s heart. I know his intentions, his thoughts, his spirit. I’m not that cold. Especially not about him or the people I love.
Diane Sawyer: How did you decide to go to Singapore?
Elizabeth: He was my friend. He was alone. He was completely alone. And he only needed help. Nothing in the world could have hurt him more... if it had been planned... if they had plotted a murder, they couldn’t have hit him better. It was almost like his heart was breaking.
Diane Sawyer: «Elizabeth» said that if a friend brought tranquilizer pills to help him escape, she recognized it in that person and understood that he was using pills.
Elizabeth: Michael didn’t know what was happening to him. He was trying to ease his pain. But I was really scared because I’ve been in that situation, and I know how easy it is to get trapped by pills when you’re suffering—emotionally or physically.
Diane Sawyer: And he immediately understood he had to deal with this issue?
Elizabeth: Immediately, no... but he understood.
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«Back to the interview with Michael and Lisa»
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Diane Sawyer: Michael, during this time there were reports... that this pain was so big for you that you were actually hurting yourself. Is that true?
Michael: I never hurt myself. I love life more than I would ever hurt myself. I’m resilient. I’m tough-skinned. Never... never did I hurt myself.
Diane Sawyer: It made you...
Michael: My heart broke (touches his heart), but not in a way that hurt myself.
Diane Sawyer: Did it make you change completely? We talked about where you want to live. Did these accusations change your thoughts about living here? Are you thinking about living somewhere else?
Michael: It doesn’t matter to me anymore whether I stay in America. No... I don’t care. I’ll always have Neverland. But I’m sensitive to smoke and fog. You know, so I can’t tolerate smoke and fog. I want to go abroad. Honestly, I want to go abroad.
Diane Sawyer: Do you?
Michael: Yes.
Diane Sawyer: Where?
Michael: Oh, I haven’t decided exactly yet. Probably South Africa.
Diane Sawyer: To live there forever?
Michael: Maybe Switzerland.
Diane Sawyer: Lisa, do you support this decision too?
Lisa Marie: We can change the subject... wait... let’s address the truth that we don’t live in separate houses. Let’s start with that.
Michael: Yes, we don’t live separately... those who say these things are just dreaming.
Lisa Marie: It’s ridiculous. Where did you hide your hidden camera? Anyway... oh, I’m sorry... heh heh.
Michael: No, whenever you want to jump into the argument.
Lisa Marie: What? How do I feel about countries over there? I think those places are beautiful to see. I’d love to have a house there. We’ll be bothered all the time in an unbelievably intrusive way.
Michael: (laughs)
Diane Sawyer: Before we get away from the last two years—because I told you we want to show your views about the last two years—the clip you did with your sister is called ”Scream”... In that clip you use certain words... (Diane repeats those words for middle-aged people who can’t follow them)... the words you’ll hear are:
«Chaos, pounding, victimizing» and «Don’t push me»
Michael says, ”The events of the past two years made me scream.“
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«The Scream video is shown»
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