Michael Jackson’s Home Videos and His Children
During the AEG trial, parts of Michael Jackson’s family home videos and those of his children were shown, which we watched together.
AEG Court Session 52
Brian Panish showed a video of Michael and his children in court. The video used footage taken from Michael’s children when they were small, and the song “Speechless” from the album Invincible was used as the soundtrack. At the end of the video, a segment of rehearsals for the This Is It tour was also added—during which Michael sings this song.
AEG Court Session 38
A video from when Prince and Paris were little—moving back and forth on their toy cars in Neverland—was shown. In the video, Prince and Paris speak into a microphone and introduce themselves.
Little Paris: “My name is Daddy’s sweetheart.”
Prince explains the task assigned to his sister: “Paris, I have to talk with this (microphone). And I have to talk about you and about myself, okay? Hi, my name is Prince Michael Jackson and I’m Daddy’s sweetheart, and I love Daddy.”
Michael had written the song “The Lost Children” from Invincible for his children. He was teaching them to sing it. A video in which Michael, along with his young children, was busy singing this song was played in court.
The jury saw a video of Michael and his children in which Michael asks them how they want to change the world when they grow up. Prince said the video was recorded on Christmas Day and that he was nine years old. Happy Christmas, 2006.
Michael: “What day is it today?”
Prince: “December 25th.”
Michael: “What day is December 25th?”
Prince: “Christmas.”
Michael: “Exactly. What does Christmas mean?”
Blanket: “Love.”
Michael: “Love—love for what?”
Blanket: “Family.”
Michael: “Who takes care of you?”
Blanket: “You.”
Michael: “Me and the ones who love you.”
Michael then asks the kids to say their ages: “9, 8, and 4.”
Michael: “Let’s start with Blanket. What’s your goal? What do you want to do? Who do you want to be in the future? Tell me—right now. Blanket, who wants to be someone to change the world?”
Blanket: “I don’t know.”
With mischief, Prince says: “Spider-Man,” and then helps his brother: “When you grow up, what do you want to do?”
Blanket: “A movie director.”
Michael: “Woooow, that’s what I want to do.”
Paris tells her father: “You’re doing it (even now).”
Michael addresses Paris: “Paris, what do you want to do? Be honest—tell me what your heart says. Think first, then tell me what you want to do in the future.”
Paris: “Help the poor.”
Michael: “That’s very good. And after that? A creative job?”
Paris: “Gymnastics.”
Michael: “And Prince?”
Prince: “I want to be a movie director and an architect.”
Michael: “First, tell me why you want to be a movie director.”
Prince: “Because I want to direct a movie with my dad.”
Michael: “And why an architect?”
Prince: “Because I like making things.”
Michael: “And what kind of movie do you want to make?”
Prince: “Action.”
Michael carried out small and big sacrifices for his children. One of them was buying a dog named Kenya. Prince said that a few years earlier, on Christmas morning (2006), they received a chocolate-colored Labrador from their father as a gift. He said that his father was afraid of dogs, but he wanted his children to have one of them.
Panish asked Prince how he felt that day.
Prince: “I was very happy.”
Panish: “When you, your brother, your sister, and your father were living in Las Vegas, how did you feel?”
Prince: “It was happy days for us.”
AEG Court Session 47: Testimony of Taj Jackson and the Plays/Skits the Children of Michael Jackson Presented to Their Father
Cheng then presented handwritten notes from Michael’s daughter and son.
Taj said she recognized Paris’s handwriting because she had seen her school assignments.
Paris’s note to Michael was full of love:
“My dear Daddy, I love you so much. And I’m so happy that tonight I hugged you to say good night. Sleep well. I love you and good night. See you tomorrow. (kiss and hug sign) Good night and with lots of love, Paris Jackson.”
The note that Michael wrote in Blanket’s words:
“Blanket’s words, my son, six years old.Daddy, what’s your favorite thing to talk about? Mine is H for please, and B for Daddy.”