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"J'Accuse Jacko!"
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 20, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 20, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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The whole Michael Jackson insanity is neverending. Who would have thought that the day would come when Jackson's lawyers would be working with the police to arrange for his surrender? Sadly, the multiple counts of child molestation are not so much a surprise as the request for $3 million bail. Fox News' Roger Friedman has sources who tell him the accuser is a cancer patient, whose apparent "last wish" was to meet Jackson: "Jackson paid the familys medical bills and assisted them financially, even buying them a car and, according to sources, possibly a new house." This is where there backlash against the molestation claims emerges - many people are confused and aghast that parents could knowingly let their children near Michael Jackson, and therefore the accusations seem more like a shakedown for a settlement. However, the lack of a civil suit that angle somewhat less likely, and it would seem that Santa Barbara authorities have a case, and The Sun implies that District Attorney Thomas Sneddon has a vendetta against Jackson, ever since the 1993 accusations by another young boy who later settled.
Of course Gawker revealed the ABC News memo that signaled a shift in news focus from world issues to Michael Jackson Watch, and Variety confirmed that the news divisions are scampering for viewers with Michael-centric shows, from NBC's Friday Dateline about MJ to whatever VH1 has cooked up. And the Hollywood Reporter profiles Court TV's Diane Dimond who managed broke the story first; she says she's been "covering this story for 10 years."
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michael jackson
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Roger Friedman
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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