Untouchable

by Randall Sullivan

  Arnold Klein financial problems: Schaffel, Klein’s bankruptcy filing, claim and counterclaim between Klein and Jason Pfeiffer, media reports. Klein’s wild claim re. Khilji using his money to finance terrorist organizations: Schaffel, court file, Seal/Vanity Fair. I am in no sense suggesting that claim is true. “To say I’m a thief”: Khilji to Dimond/“The Secret World of Dr. Arnold Klein.” Subpoena of Klein’s medical records by Murray defense: public record; some of them were introduced as evidence at trial; see also reporting on subpoenas of Klein’s records issued by AEG and the California Medical Board. The effort of the Murray defense to build its defense around the claim that Klein was responsible for turning MJ into a drug addict was blocked by Judge Pastor. Pfeiffer’s claims he and MJ had been lovers: Pfeiffer to Woman’s Day; Klein backing Pfeiffer: Klein to Extra (appearing with Pfeiffer), later to TMZ; see also hollywoodgossip.com. Klein apology: posted on Klein’s Facebook page; he said he was sorry for having repeated a story he now believed was “fabricated by a ghost writer” working with Pfeiffer, and wrote, “I do not at this time believe there is any evidence that [MJ] was gay” (see lipstickalley.com story). Taylor’s tweet denouncing Klein: Seal, “Dramatic fall”/Daily Mail. Taylor’s rejection of Klein’s rapprochement attempts: confidential source. Hoefflin travails: Dimond/“It’s Getting Even Weirder.” Hoefflin as Jackson family “medical representative”: Hoefflin claim; KJ advisors largely dismissed it. Hoefflin has never, to my knowledge, spoken publicly about these events. I should note that Klein sued Hoefflin in September of 2009 for remarks Hoefflin made to Britain’s the Sun suggesting that Klein must have instructed Conrad Murray in how to administer propofol and mostly likely was Murray’s source of the anesthetic. Hoefflin attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed on free speech grounds but Judge Amy Hogue ruled against him after Klein’s attorneys showed evidence that Hoefflin had been warned beforehand that he was about to make a false accusation. The case is apparently now in arbitration, see Ourweekly.com below.

  Palomino house sales data: promotional brochure from when it went onto the market in spring 2010; the house is still for sale (see zillow.com listing), but the price has been substantially reduced and the new listing acknowledges that MJ lived in the guesthouse. Proposal to make Neverland Ranch into a state park: LA Times; plans for helicopter tours: Bly/USA Today. Drop in MJ record sales in 2010: Sisario/New York Times; much other information about the decline from 2009: Christman, Mitchell/Billboard. “Inventory liability”: Mitchell. Sillerman and Lefsetz: to Sisario. I used the $756 million figure for the value of the deals generated by the MJ estate in the first year after his death because it was the most widely published estimate, based on the examination of those deals by Billboard, as the NY Daily News story listed below acknowledges. But an estimate it is. That figure didn’t include merchandising deals or the earnings from the Mijac catalog. Billboard’s claim that MJ had made $1 billion in “earnings” in the first year after his death may be closer to the mark. There will be no way of knowing for certain unless the estate is subjected to a truly independent audit. The same is true of the $310 million (an amount that increased to $475 million in the “Second Account Current”) in “profits” reported by the estate. Back when he seemed to believe he had made a deal with the estate and was speaking well of Branca, Perry Sanders told me that Branca had done a brilliant job of reducing the estate’s debt, including a remarkably successful renegotiation of the interest on MJ’s loans. Sanders also told me that there was no way to be certain what Branca and McClain had paid themselves without an audit. Sanders said that such an audit would take place. “Only place he had ever really felt comfortable”: Mesereau, our very first interview. Neverland ruined for MJ: just about everyone I spoke to who dealt with MJ in the last five years of his life agreed on this; he repeatedly said he would never go back, not even for a visit, and Katherine Jackson said her son’s statements in that regard were why she blocked any attempt to bury him there. MJ talked about “going on” with his life in the very first interview he gave after the Chandler settlement, and it was a phrase he repeated again and again, according to those who represented him as attorneys, advisors, and business associates.

  As noted earlier, I did speak to members of the Chandler family. None of them wanted to be quoted by name, though Ray Chandler didn’t say that until past the midpoint of our second and final interview and, as I explained earlier, my position is that my obligation not to quote him by name didn’t take effect until he made that request. Still, I did try to respect his wish that he not be quoted about Jordie and tried to use his quotes from earlier interviews or from his book when I could. That said, nearly all of the quotes attributed to Chandler family members in this section are from my interviews with them, though some of Ray’s quotes are from David Jones’s Daily Mail article on Evan Chandler’s suicide. I’ll note those.

  “Looking over your shoulder for the next ten years”: via Ray Chandler. “Completely broken”: Orth, “Neverland’s Lost Boys”; that’s certainly not the description of Jordie I heard from two people outside his family who have had lengthy relationships with him. I can’t name them or even describe the nature of those relationships (other than that they were quite protective of Jordie) without compromising their identities, and both wanted to speak only on background. “Lonely, introverted”: Daily Mirror on Evan’s suicide; probably from Gumbel/Independent, 2003; again, that doesn’t really correspond to the descriptions I’ve heard, although the people I spoke to agreed that Jordie lives in a certain amount of fear and is wary of strangers—for good reason in their opinions. “Like a cancer”: Ray Chandler to Jones/Daily Mail. “Most vilified person on the planet”: Ray Chandler. Prostituted her son: Evan’s fundamental claim in custody battle with June was failure to protect Jordie because she was being treated to the lifestyle she longed for. Evan’s promises to maintain a relationship with two younger sons, excuse for poisonous nature of relationship with Nathalie: Ray Chandler; according to family members I spoke to, the producer mentioned earlier, and two other persons familiar with Jordie, Nikki, and Emmanuel were deeply wounded by their father’s abandonment and as adults had refused any contact with him, including arranging or attending a funeral. It was clear to me that even Ray had a difficult time forgiving his brother for turning his back on his sons. Evan and Jordie fleeing to Germany, then settling on Long Island: Chandler family member. Praise of Nathalie/Robert Rosen home and parenting: several people, including my producer friend, who told me Rosen had been a terrific step-father and that because of that Nikki, and Emmanuel had turned out well. I also learned not long after this, though, that Rosen and Nathalie had separated. Jordie refusing contact with June: June testified to this in People v. Jackson, saying she hadn’t seen him since 1994; the skateboard in the garage: probably first reported by Kevin Smith, 1997; see also vindicatemj.wordpress.com. A particularly rich though entirely slanted source of information about Jordie and the Chandlers is the “Michael Jackson Is Innocent” file at lacienegasmiled.wordpress.com, which has been written by a young woman who claims to have attended NYU with Jordie (a claim I’m told is true). Anyway, I was told by family members that the skateboard story was true, but that it was actually one of Jordie’s siblings who put it in the garage. Jordie’s growing wealth and investments: Chandler family members, other sources, Daily Mail (including investments in oil stocks), Smith/People, Gumbel 2003; the bank vice president who became Jordie’s financial advisor was Jeffrey Hahn. Jordie/Evan terror of MJ fans, stalking: British MJ fan Denise Pfeiffer was sent to jail in Los Angeles for making threats against both of them, before being bailed out by the actress Lynn Redgrave: Evening Standard, 1994; I heard a good deal from Ray about how threatened Evan felt by Pfeiffer/other MJ fans. “We’re coming to take your blood” phone message: basis of a complaint to the police in Beverly Hills; Ray Chandler told me that there were many other, equally disturbing messages. Jordie taking shooting lessons: All That Glitters. Tabloids’ bounty on Jordie’s head: widel
y reported (see vindicatemj.com for links). Jordie’s adult life/living circumstances: Chandler family members, Jones/Daily Mail (including building with rooftop pool/indoor track, work as record company intern), other published reports. Sonnet Simmons was identified as Jordie’s “girlfriend” in the 1997 Kevin Smith article, when they were both still still in high school; they also attended the same college. One source told me they were “just friends,” but I didn’t make a great deal of effort to determine if that was so. As noted earlier, the people I spoke to who had relationships with Jordie were quite protective of him and felt he was living a good life, other than feeling hunted by the media and certain MJ fans. Evan’s attack on Dave Schwartz: Fischer/GQ, Larry Feldman/Frozen in Time. Evan’s 1996 lawsuit against MJ: widely reported at the time; see “On This Day”/BBC, posts on vindicatemj.com, which obviously take MJ’s side. Evan handsomeness: agreed upon by pretty much all who knew him; “a handsomer Rob Lowe”: unnamed source to New York Post on his suicide. Evan unable to form another relationship after the one with Nathalie ended: Ray Chandler, another source (also reported in Jones’s story); bipolar diagnosis, avoidance of medicine/“zombie”: Ray Chandler; another family source, though, had more to say about how Evan’s condition worsened, and that he became increasingly unstable and frequently frightening. Evan’s plastic surgery: Jones; Ray merely acknowledged that what I had read was true. Another source described it more vividly, in the context of both Evan’s fragile psyche, his insistence that he was trying to maintain anonymity (which Ray mentioned also) and how difficult to look at he became. Evan and Jordie fighting over money: Jones, acknowledged by Ray, also an aspect of Jordie’s family court complaint against his father. Opportunity for vindication: Ray told me how convinced he was that the criminal filing against MJ would offer this, and how disappointed he was when it didn’t.

  “Sketchy,” “naïve as hell,” “somewhat asexual”: Presley to Stern, Sawyer, GQ as below. Dateline/Ernie Rizzo: see Mankiewicz/NBC, broadcast September 2004. “It’s cosmic”: reported by Dateline from a chronology Evan wrote for Barry Rothman. Salinas, Rizzo quotes: Dateline. Fall of Anthony Pellicano: I cite simply the lengthy reports of Pellicano’s conviction on racketeering and wiretapping charges (see LA Times, New York Times), but the LA Times reported much more, as did Dateline. Ray Chandler clearly feels that what came out about Pellicano should have created greater sympathy for his family and greater skepticism about the Fischer article. He described Fischer as “a dupe” in an interview with me. Ray moved to write his book after seeing the Bashir documentary: Ray Chandler in 2004 and to me. “They’re in love!,” “six wishes”: All That Glitters, Dateline. Sworn declaration in which Jordie described MJ’s alleged sexual seduction: now widely available online, see “Michael Jackson’s lover tells all”/ Michael Jackson Forum/topix.com. “Before it got to anal sex”: Ray Chandler. Corey Feldman quotes: Feldman to Bashir. Ray Chandler dismissal of Feldman’s prior “no inappropriate contact” account, similar stories from others: Ray Chandler. Elatab: “New Jersey Teenager”/CBS. Retort that MJ was “selective”: Ray Chandler. Vaknin/roots of pedophilia: Vaknin, Malignant Self-Love. “What made Michael different”: Ray Chandler. Ray acknowledged that Jordie and Evan were unhappy with him for going on TV (and for seeking publicity) and said that neither wanted to be associated with the criminal case—out of fear for their safety, Ray said. Photographs of Jordie on the ski slopes: I remember seeing them during the trial but they’re not easy to find these days. Some were posted by a bulletin board user at somj.org (“Sisterhood of Michael Jackson”). Liberty Towers: description and accompanying photographs/Jones/Daily Mail. Evan/Gaucher’s disease: Jones probably first to report, likely via Ray, who told me. As with drugs earlier, I used Wikipedia and its outbound links to research the disease. Evan’s rages: Ray Chandler acknowledged, but another source described them more vividly. Attack on Jordie: public record, reported at the time by Friedman, Caruso/NY Daily News. Evan’s last days: Jones, Ray Chandler. Surfing and guitar: Jordie continued to spend money on lessons right up to the time of MJ’s death; according to confidential sources, he was studying surfing and guitar in Los Angeles when MJ died, but left town shortly thereafter. “You’re So Good For Me”: Jordie is credited as the lyricist; Simmons performs under her first name only. Jordie’s life in 2009: based on confidential sources, as earlier. Death of Evan, discovery thereof: Jones, Ray Chandler. “Absolutely nothing to do with Michael Jackson . . . euthanasia”: Ray Chandler; Ray/funeral arrangements, funeral home staffer quote: Jones/Daily Mail. MJ fan quotes about Evan’s suicide, threats against Jordie: various MJ/gossip Web sites (perezhilton.com, popcrunch.com, and gossipjacker.net had the nastiest ones); I’m sure they’re buried beneath many others by now. Address published, tracking blogs: floacist.wordpress.com, mjkit.forumotion.net. Tabloid/$300,000 for a photo of Jordie: Ray Chandler, another source; also, reported at the time.

  It will disappoint and possibly infuriate some MJ fans when I write that Jordan Chandler most definitely did not write a letter Katherine Jackson received, confessing that he made up the story that MJ molested him. Jordie has not written any letters or made any public statements about his relationship with MJ since 1994. The story got traction mainly because Jermaine took it to starpulse.com. He may believe it’s true. Katherine Jackson does, or at least says she does; she said it to me in April of 2011.

  I described at the beginning of these notes the circumstances under which I heard the story of the producer who ate Thanksgiving dinner with Jordie’s family. This is someone who had no agenda himself, and who knew I was pretty much convinced at that point that the abuse allegations against MJ were false. As noted, he asked me some time after that conversation not to quote him; I agreed only not to quote him by name. Obviously the family will know who it is.

  Zonen demeanor during presentation at “Frozen in Time”: “Frozen in Time” DVD; I’m pretty certain Mesereau will agree with my assessment. I’m paraphrasing Zonen’s remarks, obviously, but this is almost exactly what he said, in a compressed form.

  COURT FILES

  Criminal

  SBSC 1133603.

  LASC SA073164.

  Civil

  LASC SC026226.

  LASC BC445597.

  2:11-bk-12718-RN.

  2:11-ap-02407-RN, 6/27/11.

  2:11-ap-02407-RN, 8/3/11.

  DOCUMENTS

  Mann to Sullivan, 4/9/11.

  “RE: Oxman.” E-mail from Howard Mann to Randall Sullivan, May 2, 2011.

  ESTATE/AEG

  “Katherine Jackson to Manage Wrongful Death Case Filed by Her Husband Joe.” Beverly Hills Courier, May 3, 2011.

  “Michael Jackson Estate to Distribute $30 Million to Katherine Jackson and the Children.” Huffingtonpost.com, September 14, 2011 (I).

  Morgan, “Branca and Weitzman.”

  Yoshino, Kimi. “Katherine Jackson, Kids to Get $30 Million from the Michael Jackson Estate.” LATimes.com, September 14, 2011.

  FRANK DILEO

  “Frank Dileo, Michael Jackson’s Manager, Touts Tell-All Book About the Pop Star, Controversial Album.” New York Daily News, January 5, 2011.

  “Michael Jackson’s Ex-Manager Frank Dileo Hospitalized, Fighting for His Life.” RadarOnline, March 30, 2011 (I).

  Morris, Christopher. “Frank Dileo Dies at 64.” Variety, August 24, 2011.

  KLEIN/PFEIFFER/BANKRUPTCY/CHARGES/HOEFFLIN

  “Arnold Klein: I Did Not Betray Michael Jackson.” TMZ, May 1, 2010.

  Dimond, Diane. “Even Weirder.”

  ———. “Secret World.”

  “The Dramatic Fall of Michael Jackson’s Dermatologist.” Daily Mail, January 3, 2012.

  “Jacko’s Secret Lover.”

  “Jason Pfeiffer Alleges Gay Affair with Michael Jackson; Dr. Arnold Klein Backs Him Up.” thehollywoodgossip.com, May 3rd, 2010 (I).

  “King of Pop’s Secret Lover: ‘I Was Michael Jackson’s Boyfriend.” Extra, April 29, 2010.

  “Michael Jac
kson Was Not Gay—Arnold Klein.” lipstickalley.com, April 20, 2011 (I).

  “More Lawsuits Surface Regarding Michael Jackson’s Death.” ourweekly.com, June 25, 2010 (I).

  Seal, “The Doctor Will Sue.”

  Willets. David. “Michael Jackson ‘Dead 47 Minutes’ as Doc Made 3 Phone Calls.” Sun, August 27, 2009.

  MJ BONANZA

  Bly, Laura. “Neverland: Michael Jackson’s Former Ranch Keeps Grip on Ffans.” USAtoday.com, June 21, 2011 (I).

  Chawkins, Steve. “Neverland Ranch as a State Park?” Los Angeles Times, July 14, 2010.

  Christman, Ed. “U.S. Album Sales Dropped 12.8% Last Year, Digital Tracks Post Small Gain.” billboard.biz, January 5, 2011 (I).

  Christman, Donahue, Mitchell, Peoples, and Waddell.

  Mitchell, “Album Sales.”