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| Martin Bashir |
London, June26: Michael Jackson’s fans today blamed the television presenter Martin Bashir for starting the chain of events they say led to the pop singer death last night.
They reacted with fury after Bashir, a co-anchor on Nightline, a current affairs programme on the ABC network in America, paid tribute to Jackson, saying that “I think the world has now lost the greatest entertainer it’s probably ever known”.
In a 2003 documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, made for Granada television in the UK but sold worldwide, Bashir, then a British journalist based in London, got the singer to reveal children had routinely slept over at his home, Neverland Ranch, and even in his bedroom.
Though Jackson denied any sexual impropriety, his reputation never recovered from the implied slur.
Bashir, now 46, made his reputation with a confessional interview with Princess Diana in which she admitted she had been unfaithful to Prince Charles, but she also pointed out her husband had for years had Camilla Parker-Bowles, now his wife, as his mistress.
The Israeli illusionist Yuri Geller, who was close to the pop star, introduced the singer to Bashir who managed to win Jackson’s confidence and spent eight months making the documentary.
When it was broadcast, Jackson issued a statement: “Today I feel more betrayed than perhaps ever before; that someone, who had got to know my children, my staff and me, whom I let into my heart and told the truth, could then sacrifice the trust I placed in him and produce this terrible and unfair programme.”
He said: “I trusted Martin Bashir to come into my life and that of my family because I wanted the truth to be told. Martin Bashir persuaded me to trust him that his would be an honest and fair portrayal of my life and told me that he was ‘the man that turned Diana’s life around’.”
Jackson emphasised: “Everyone who knows me will know the truth which is that my children come first in my life and that I would never harm any child.”
However, in 1994, he had paid $22 million to the family of a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler who had accused him of sexual abuse. The case was dropped after the settlement.
Shortly after Bashir’s documentary, Jackson was charged with abusing Gavin Arvizo, who had appeared in the film and was under 14 at the time of the alleged offences. After the high profile trial in 2005, during which Bashir gave evidence, the singer was acquitted of all charges. But his reputation and his health were irreparably damaged.
Geller, who now lives in Berkshire, with his wife, two children and five dogs, having made his money by appearing to bend spoons, today expressed regret that he had ever introduced Bashir to Jackson.
“I made a mistake,” commented Geller. “I thought Bashir was going to make a great documentary.”
Given Bashir’s history of engagement with Jackson, his fulsome tribute last night rang hollow, even hypocritical, to the singer’s fans.
“I think all of us were shocked and deeply saddened by the news today,” said Bashir, looking his most sombre. “I was actually out running in Central Park when I heard, and came home, showered and came into the office. Many of us were excited about the prospect of him performing in London. Thousands of people had bought tickets from all over the world. And now to hear to hear this news is very, very sad.”
He added: “I think it’s worth remembering that he was probably, singly, the greatest dancer and musician the world has ever seen.”
Bashir added: “Certainly when I made the documentary, there was a small part of that which contained a controversy concerning his relationship with other young people. But the truth is that he was never convicted of any crime, I never saw any wrongdoing myself. And last his lifestyle may have been unorthodox, I don’t believe it was criminal.”
The irony is that after the Diana interview, Bashir, a devout Christian whose family had to leave Pakistan, was forced out of Britain partly by jealous colleagues and partly by a lucrative offer from ABC.
Now Jackson’s fans want him to leave America. It will never be clear whether they are shooting the messenger or Bashir did manipulate the documentary.
“If you didn’t see any wrong doing why did you edit your video to seem like it,” was the question from one fan.
Another said: “Flawed as he might be, Martin Bashir creatively edited Michael Jackson’s interviews to sensationalise and further his own interests.”
Bashir may have to get used to the abuse.
“I hate Bashir,” raged a fan. “He was out to get Michael Jackson, and started the chain that destroyed his life. Go home Bashir, we don’t want you here.”
The theme that was repeated was: “I am so appalled that Martin Bashir would have the nerve to give any kind of eulogy for Michael Jackson after he assassinated his character five years ago.”