Michael Pays Up
By 1 January 1994, nearly two million dollars had been spent by prosecutors and police departments in California jurisdictions on the investigation of Michael Jackson. Two Grand Juries had questioned more than two hundred witnesses, including thirty children who had been friends of Michael’s over the years. Not one witness could be found who could corroborate Jordie Chandler’s story, and without other witnesses the authorities’ case against Michael was weak. Perhaps Michael had the undying loyalty of the youngsters with whom he’d had sex? Or, maybe all of those who had investigated the singer were inept? Or was it possible that he was innocent?
11 January marked Jordie’s fourteenth birthday, but he had no party. He wasn’t in the mood to celebrate, he said. When he blew out the candles on his cake, Evan asked him to make a wish. ‘I wish this nightmare would end,’ he said. As a gift, Evan gave him a bottle of mace, for his protection.
On that same day, more damage was done to Michael’s image when transcripts of depositions in the Jackson – Chandler civil suit were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court as part of a motion brought by attorney Larry Feldman. Arguing that he should be allowed access to Michael’s financial records since, as he put it, ‘there is substantial probability’ that his client would prevail in the suit, Feldman filed the transcripts as a demonstration of the evidence against Jackson. Also included was a new declaration from Jordie, who had repeated the original allegations he had made about Michael to police and social workers.
Transcripts filed by Larry Feldman included sworn depositions from Michael Jackson’s former chauffeur, former maids and secretaries. Truth or fiction, it didn’t matter; all of it was now a part of the public record. Composed mostly of hearsay, speculation and innuendo, and much of it from people who’d already been paid handsomely by tabloid television programmes and newspapers to ‘reveal all’ about their boss, it was difficult to imagine that such statements would have been given much credence by a jury.
No doubt, Jordie Chandler’s detailed testimony would have been the most damaging to Michael. One wondered, though, how a jury would have reacted to the fact that the original allegation, that Michael had touched his penis, was given while under a mind-altering drug? And what of the question of Michael’s being circumcised or not? In the end, it would be Michael’s word against Jordie’s, because there were no witnesses to any episodes of molestation (but, then again, there are rarely witnesses to such events).
Due to his celebrity status, it was possible that Michael could prevail at the civil trial. A mountain of circumstantial evidence (not to mention the impact that might be made on a jury by his wrong-minded determination to continually flaunt young boys in public) was probably not enough to secure a verdict against him. However, the question then was: was it worth it for him to find out? His attorneys didn’t think so, feeling that more harm than good would occur by having so many disclosures made public. Plus, what if he really
was
guilty? What would such a trial do to the already-victimized Jordie Chandler? Though Jordie certainly wasn’t the primary concern of Michael’s attorneys, they empathized with him and felt a sense of responsibility to him simply because of his youth. They probably didn’t care much about his father, though, not after all that had occurred.
When Larry Feldman began nosing into Michael’s finances, he had crossed a line. ‘A lot of terrible business had gone down for Michael, but once Feldman started demanding information about his bank accounts, we knew the game was over,’ said one of Michael’s advisers. ‘You can take pictures of Michael’s dick, and he’s not gonna like it. But once you start trying to figure out how much money he has, that’s where he stops playing around.’
Unbeknownst to even Michael’s attorneys, Lisa Marie Presley had also tried to influence his decision to settle. A seasoned survivor of many publicity wars, she had long thought that Michael should end the matter with a cash pay-out. She was finally able to convince him that, as she later put it, ‘some things, like a good night’s sleep, are more important than public opinion.’
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 maybeI 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.’