Michael Jackson

by J. Randy Taraborrelli

  He wanted to get on with his life, Michael said, so that he could finally marry Lisa. Not much movement had occurred in their relationship since his odd proposal to her on the telephone, and he was afraid that she was becoming impatient with him. ‘The only thing I got out of therapy is that it’s my responsibility to have a good life,’ he said, ‘and maybe I can have that with Lisa. I don’t want to lose her, now.’

  Indeed, Michael Jackson was finally leaning toward paying Evan Chandler the money Jordie’s father had originally sought. ‘They’ve worn me down, I admit it,’ he told one of his attorneys. He wondered what more ‘they can do to humiliate me, to ruin me? I don’t know what else to do but pay the guy.’

  The attorney suggested that, perhaps, they should have done as much at the beginning of the debacle.

  ‘It’s not like we didn’t try, now is it?’ Michael observed, wryly. ‘What a nightmare this has been, to now only end up back at square one.’ He concluded that he was so unhappy about all of it, he wished he could ‘just crawl into a hole.’

  Another thing had also changed for Michael: he no longer wanted to think about Jordie Chandler. No one could mention the youngster’s name to him. If, as they say, a thin line exists between love a hate, Michael seemed to cross it after he was forced to pose naked for the police. The subject of Jordie was off limits from that day onward.

  On 16 January, Michael hosted a party for two hundred underprivileged children at Neverland. There he was, on news broadcasts all over the world, cavorting with children and gaily leading them in their fun day, like a Pied Piper. Some observers wondered if he had any sense, at all. His advisers were more frustrated than they were angry. (‘I give up,’ said one. ‘I fucking give up.’)

  Michael’s behaviour would never change, that much was clear. True to form, he was going to continue doing what he wanted to do, and that would have to be the end of it.

  On 25 January 1994, Michael Jackson agreed to pay twenty-two million dollars to Jordie Chandler, Evan Chandler, June Chandler-Schwartz and attorney Larry Feldman. Twenty million of it was earmarked for Jordie. One million each went to Evan and June. Larry Feldman then got about five million from all three of them in contingency fees. Jordie’s money would be held in a trust for him, to be paid out over the intervening years under the supervision of a court-appointed trustee.

  ‘He had sex with Jordie, and he paid a price,’ said a member of Jordie’s family of Michael. ‘He ruined the kid’s life. I hope he learned a lesson, the pervert. But I doubt it. He should be in jail. But he’s not, so good for him.’

  In the end, no criminal charges would be brought against Michael by the police or the Grand Juries, citing a lack of evidence. They had many witnesses, said the police, but no victims who actually wanted to testify against Michael Jackson.

  ‘All’s well that ends well,’ said Anthony Pellicano, bitterly. ‘From the beginning, this case was always about how much money the father could get out of Michael Jackson. So he got what he wanted, I guess.’

  Attorney Michael Freeman, who had represented June Chandler-Schwartz, says that, in his opinion, Michael was innocent of any wrong-doing. ‘I think he was wrongly accused,’ said the attorney. ‘I think that Evan Chandler and Barry Rothman saw an opportunity and went for it. That’s my personally held opinion. I believe it was all about money, and their strategy, obviously, worked.’

  Elizabeth Taylor’s comment about the end of the investigation and litigation was classic spin-doctor Liz. ‘Thank God this case is being dismissed,’ she said. ‘Michael’s love of children is one of the purest things I have ever seen, it shines like an extra sun, despite the media’s distorted lens. I always knew this would be thrown out of court, and I am so grateful.’

  The Last Word on the Matter

  When I conducted a telephone interview with Michael in August 1994, after the allegations were settled, he told me, ‘Too much damage had already been done to everyone involved. I don’t care what people think. I know the truth. If anyone has ever gone through something like this, they’d know you’ll do anything to end it.’

  Of the case, Michael suggested extortion, but without actually saying as much since he was not supposed to speak about the case by legal agreement (which didn’t stop him, though, in other instances). ‘Lots of people are always trying stuff like this, trying to hurt me, embarrass me. I thought this was just another one of those things. I never dreamed it would blow up to be the mess it became. I’d never hurt a child, and any child who has ever been my friend knows that. I’d never, ever, ever hurt any child on this planet.

  ‘I want to go on with my life,’ he said, passionately. ‘I want to make records. I want to sing. I want to perform again. Tell my fans I have supreme confidence that they’ll judge me on stage and in the recording studio, just as they always have. I don’t believe this nightmare will interfere with my career,’ he added, ‘because I’ve spent too many years developing my relationship with the fans. They should just know that, yes, I paid some money. So what? But no, I’m not guilty. I did nothing wrong.’

  I asked him if he was concerned that, his fans aside, he would be thought of by much of the general public as having been guilty because of the way he settled the case. His answer was direct: ‘It’s my talent. My hard work. My life. My decision.’

  Today, Jordie Chandler is twenty-three years old and living on eastern Long Island near the beach in a $2.35 million home, under an assumed name. He and his family also own a high-rise apartment in Manhattan and a condominium in Santa Barbara.

  Evan Chandler also lives in Long Island – under an assumed name.

  June Chandler and David Schwartz are divorced.

  Jordie hasn’t seen Michael Jackson since that day in Anthony Pellicano’s office a decade ago when Evan and Michael had their final show-down. The last instalment of Michael’s payments to Jordie was paid in June 1999.

  PART ELEVEN

  Michael and Lisa Marie Become Lovers

  On 1 February 1994, Michael telephoned Lisa Marie Presley at her estate in Hidden Hills, California. He was at his hide-out in Westwood. ‘Hey, listen up, girl,’ he said, according to her memory, ‘I’m heading up to Las Vegas to see The Temptations and the Fifth Dimension. Come with me. I’ll get us a suite at the Mirage and we can party like there’s no tomorrow.’

  ‘Am I staying in the suite with you?’ she asked

  ‘Hell, yeah,’ Michael said. ‘What do you think, girl?’

  ‘I think I’m still married,’ Lisa said.

  ‘Then separate rooms, if that’s what you want,’ Michael responded.

  Lisa agreed to go; the next day, the two flew up to Vegas in Michael’s private plane.

  Otis Williams of The Temptations once told me, ‘Man, we were backstage after the show, and here comes Mike with this chick, and he’s all up in her face, kissing on her, and we were saying, “Who the heck is this girl?” Finally, he introduced her: Lisa Marie Presley. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I said to the guys, “Check this out. The King of Pop and the King’s daughter, together. It had to happen. They looked pretty cosy.”’

  Two weeks later, Lisa accompanied Michael again to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his appearance on The Jackson Family Honors Special (the programme Jermaine had been working on for months). Designed to pay homage to Elizabeth Taylor and Berry Gordy, the television special was also an attempt by the Jacksons to project a wholesome image to a now-suspicious public.

  Janet made a quick appearance performing her hit ‘All Right’, before vanishing from sight as if embarrassed for herself and everyone else on stage. She had little to do with any of her family members, and steadfastly refused to appear in the planned finale. She even checked into the Luxor Hotel, rather than take a chance on running into anyone named Jackson at the MGM Grand, where most of them were staying. Michael also wanted little to do with his father or siblings, which was not a surprise. Though Jermaine had generously offered him a suite at the MGM Grand, he chose to s
tay at the Mirage.

  ‘When does the boy grow up and not have to go to the family reunions?’ Lisa has said he asked her. He said that it was taking ‘everything I have’ to show his face in public again after all that had happened with the Chandlers, ‘and to now have to do it at one of these things is really hard for me.’ If it wasn’t for his mother, he said, he would never even attempt it.

  ‘But if you weren’t here, there wouldn’t even be a show,’ Lisa observed.

  ‘Exactly,’ Michael said, dryly. He adjusted the red arm band on his black military jacket. ‘If I could, I think I would pay twenty million dollars for them to be more famous than me.’ He seemed exhausted. ‘What a relief it would be to accept their love and not have to wonder what they have planned for me, next.’

  It was then that Lisa had an uncomfortable encounter with Elizabeth Taylor, who had tried to coax Michael into performing. He didn’t want to sing. Rather, he just wanted to make an appearance, present an award, and then sit in the audience. As Elizabeth tried to change his mind, an already-protective Lisa intervened. ‘Look, he’s not going to perform,’ she told Elizabeth, ‘so you might as well just leave it alone.’ Elizabeth, taken aback, gave Lisa a once-over and remarked, ‘Well, you’re the boss, I guess,’ and walked away.

  (In the end, after the show was broadcast, Michael ended up getting dragged into a messy lawsuit between the producers of the show against the Jackson family.)

  When they got back from Las Vegas, on 21 February, Michael invited Lisa to Neverland. The two spent hours walking hand in hand on the well-manicured property, as Lisa’s children, Danielle, five, and Benjamin Storm, eighteen months, played with their nanny. Workers at the estate recall seeing Michael and Lisa kissing while high atop the Ferris wheel, then nodding graciously to the Neverland staff members as they sauntered from one ride to the next.

  There were times when Michael seemed unable to contain his laughter; he seemed to appreciate Lisa’s sharp and clever mind as much as he relished her new role as protector and sounding board. ‘I can run anything by her,’ he said, ‘and she has a good point of view about it. She’s on top of everything, she knows so much. I’ve never known a person like her.’

  He made sure all of her needs were met in an instant. If she got thirsty, he would clap his hands once and, as if by magic, a waiter would appear with an aperitif. If she was too tired to walk, someone driving a golf cart would appear to take her back to her room for a nap.

  For the first two days, Lisa and her children stayed in one of the visitors’ units on the property. On the third night, Michael ordered a dinner of poached salmon and cucumber salad to be served to him and Lisa on one of the candle-lit terraces. Afterward, he presented Lisa with a gift: a three-strand, pearl choker with a diamond clasp at the front, worth about $50,000. That evening, while her children and their nanny slept in the guest quarters, Lisa stayed with Michael in his bedroom.

  Did they make love? Lisa, say her friends, is a woman who enjoys physical intimacy and would not become involved in a relationship that was not sexual. She was aware that her mother and father had stopped being intimate shortly after she was conceived. Elvis met Priscilla when she was just fourteen; he was twenty-four. The two lived together for six years before marrying in Las Vegas, but were never intimate. Then, on their honeymoon, Priscilla got pregnant. Eight months later, Lisa was born. After that, Elvis would never touch Priscilla again saying he felt weird having sex with his child’s mother. ‘I was young and accepted his way of life as normal,’ Priscilla recalled. Though she was one of the most publicized women in America, Priscilla then lived in a sexless marriage for a couple of years before she got involved with her karate instructor – and that was pretty much the end of her marriage to Elvis. Lisa was not about to find herself in the same situation.

  In truth, Lisa and Michael had an intense and active sex life, which came as a surprise to many people. According to all available evidence, it was the first time he had ever experienced such chemistry with a woman, or with anyone, for that matter. His associates say the early stages of the romance impacted his personality in positive ways, in terms of his self-confidence and self-image. ‘Apparently, Michael Jackson is a freak in bed,’ said Lisa’s friend Monica Pastelle. ‘Lisa said he was amazing, and she’s been around. Everyone was saying, “No way, Lisa. It can’t be true. Michael Jackson? Are we talking about the Michael Jackson, the one with the glove?” However, she wasn’t joking, and it wasn’t long before she didn’t think it was funny, either.’

  Who knows why it became so intense for Michael with Lisa. However, it was this surprising – some may think of it as astonishing – sexual component that most cemented the relationship between Michael and Lisa.

  The ‘first time’ for them was in Florida, during a weekend stay at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Donald recalls seeing Michael and Lisa walking hand in hand on his estate, seeming lost in a mutual dream. In a photograph taken that day, Lisa was elegantly dressed in a severely tailored, black silk dress that fell in fluid lines around her shapely figure. Michael was wearing a sharp, black suit, scarlet-coloured shirt and matching tie. At one point, he dropped to one knee and kissed her hand. She urged him to his feet; the two embraced. Michael gazed at her intensely, mesmerized by her face. They kissed. He pulled from his vest pocket a small, wrapped box. When she opened it, Lisa’s face lit up. Pearls.

  ‘It was romantic,’ Donald Trump recalled. ‘Later, I asked Michael how things were going and he said, “Great. I just got to kiss the most beautiful girl in the world. I hope I’m worthy of her. I think I might marry her.”’

  ‘They made love at the Trump estate,’ said another one of Lisa’s confidantes. ‘She said it was intense, it took her breath away. I have no idea what they were doing, or what he was doing to her, but since she gravitates toward the unconventional, she was out of her mind over this guy. Maybe it’s hard for some to believe,’ she concluded, ‘but true, just the same.

  ‘After that first time, she went to turn on the lights, and he leapt out of bed and ran into the bathroom so she wouldn’t see his body. He emerged twenty minutes later, in full makeup and wearing a silk robe.

  Then, they went at it, again. He liked her to wear jewellery in bed. They were into role-playing games, though Lisa would never say who was playing what kind of role.’

  To say that Michael wanted children is to understate the way he felt about procreation. He craved offspring. When Lisa didn’t become immediately pregnant, even before they were married, he began to express his disappointment. ‘I want children,’ he said, ‘and I thought we would be expecting one within a couple of weeks of making love. But Lisa says it takes time. I don’t have time,’ he said. ‘I want it to happen, now. I want children so badly.’

  Michael and Lisa Marie: Happily Ever After?

  On 26 May 1994, Michael and Lisa were finally married in the Dominican Republic after a brief and, according to her, ‘uneventful’, courtship. Lisa’s divorce from Danny Keough had been finalized twenty days earlier.

  Lisa’s mother Priscilla had married the most famous singer of her time back in 1967, and now Lisa followed suit with a man who was, arguably, pop music’s biggest star. Though Michael and Lisa claimed to be crazy about one another, much of the public just thought they were crazy. ‘I actually did fall in love with him,’ she told Newsweek in the spring of 2003, ‘but I don’t know what was on his menu.’

  The close relationship they had forged during the time of the allegations was known only to those in Michael’s and Lisa’s inner-circle. The two had managed to keep the fact that they even knew each other out of the press. Therefore, when they married, it was like a bolt from the blue.

  Lisa was in love with Michael; did he feel the same about her? Always painfully conscious of the emptiness of his life, he said that he’d been missing out on ‘too much’ and wanted to now jump-start his life. After the Jordie Chandler business, the gnawing, empty space in his heart somehow seemed m
ore terrifying than ever. He was determined to now ‘start living’, he insisted and, at the time, that meant being in love with a woman, marrying and having children with her. Lisa Marie Presley was that woman.

  ‘When he nearly lost everything because of the allegations and then the drug abuse, he was determined to set things straight,’ recalled one of his associates. ‘He may have been in love with her, I don’t know. I think he was actually in love with what she represented: conformity and kids. Everyone who knew him felt it was too soon after rehab for him to be jumping into a marriage, especially since he’d never been married and had no idea what he was doing. I knew he wasn’t emotionally equipped for it. I also think the physical relationship was a powerful tool in convincing him that, yes, she was the one. However, as far as I know, she had been the only one.’

  Michael was deeply disappointed in the wedding ceremony, he later admitted. He’s a romantic. He’d always hoped for a grand, opulent and loving affair, like Jermaine’s wedding had been so many years earlier. It was significant to him that he one day have a ceremony to join him with someone he loved and to express his affection for that person before family and friends. Sure, he had romanticized the notion over the years, but so what? People have done so throughout the ages, and have seen those dreams become reality in their lives. Michael never imagined that he would run off and marry a person in secret, as if ashamed of his relationship.

  What Michael and Lisa ended up with was a fifteen-minute ceremony in front of a judge at his home in La Vega, eighty-five miles east of Casa de Campo, a resort owned by fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta (where Michael and Lisa had sequestered themselves in a four-thousand-dollar-a-night oceanfront villa). The ceremony was conducted in Spanish, and translated to Michael and Lisa by one of the attorneys present. Instead of the tuxedo he had dreamed of wearing on his wedding day, Michael wore black pants and matching shirt with a cowboy belt, bolero and black flamenco hat. Lisa also wore black. They exchanged heavy gold wedding bands. Michael later said he missed having Katherine present and to some extent, even Joseph. ‘It just didn’t feel right,’ he said. ‘It felt empty, like everything else in my world.’