By Roger Friedman…
Michael Jackson didn’t want to, but he finally had to answer some questions
on Friday.
He reluctantly answered questions posed to him in a deposition by the
attorney for his former business partner, Marc Schaffel .
Schaffel has sued Jackson for $4 million, claiming he loaned Jackson money
and bought him luxury items, but was never reimbursed.
I’m told the session, held in a conference room at London’s prestigious
Dorchester Hotel, lasted eight hours, with Jackson’s lawyer, Thomas
Mesereau, frequently objecting to questions asked by attorney Howard King.
Nevertheless, Mesereau did not ask Jackson questions himself.
Mesereau, I’m told, was upset by the appearance of another deponent in the
Schaffel case, Jackson’s former manager Dieter Wiesner.
The deposition was a unique one in that Jackson, sources say, refused to
return to Los Angeles for it.
His attorneys petitioned the California judge in the case, saying that the
beleaguered pop star didn’t want come back to America from Bahrain, where
he’s been staying since his child molestation trial ended in June
There was no mention of Jackson having been in New York recently. More on
that in a bit.
The judge OK’d the London deposition but required that Jackson - who is
quite cash-poor and is depending on the kindness of his royal Bahraini
friends - pay the expenses involved.
This meant flying Schaffel, King, Mesereau, Jackson’s Houston attorney
Michael Sydow, Wiesner, et al., plus entourages, to London in business class
and putting them up at hotels.
Jackson, I’m told, cobbled together the cash from various sources at the
last minute.
The actual questioning was said to be uniquely weird, with Jackson at first
claiming not to know simple things such as what his business relationships
were, what he owned or how he’d gotten it.
Schaffel, for example, bought Jackson a Lincoln Navigator and was supposed
to have been reimbursed. Jackson, in this testimony, seemed initially
unaware of the purchase, or that he’d ridden in the vehicle back and forth
to court last spring.
The hedging, which may surface one day, since the deposition was videotaped,
was eventually addressed when King produced itemized bills and receipts kept
by Schaffel throughout his association with Jackson.
Jackson, meantime, is still facing at least three other court issues: a $48
million lawsuit brought by Darien Dash, the cousin of hip-hop entrepreneur
Damon Dash; an ongoing custody/visitation fight with Debbie Rowe (search),
mother of his two eldest children; and a civil action brought by a New
Orleans man who claims to have a repressed memory of Jackson molesting him
when he was underage.
Jackson is also still dealing with his former PR man Bob Jones and co-author
Stacy Brown. Their book about Jackson, “The Man Behind the Mask,” remains a
sticking point for the singer despite his recent acquittal.
Jones’ revelations and observations about Jackson - he worked for him for
over 25 years - cannot be ignored. They are about as accurate a report on
Jackson as we will ever get.
To stem the tide of bad press, Jackson recently announced he would record an
all-star charity single for hurricane survivors.
Unfortunately, his efforts have so far produced little satisfaction.
I’m told everyone he’s asked, including Stevie Wonder, has politely
declined.
As it turns out, Wonder has a new single called “Shelter in the Rain,” from
which he is donating its downloading profits (from iTunes, MSN Music, etc.)
to the American Red Cross beginning tomorrow.
If anything, that’s the song celebrities should get together and record in a
group. It’s a winner.
Source: FOX News
