And that was my sentiment walking into Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverlanda conversation with Robson, Safechuck, and Leaving Neverland director Dan Reedwhich was taped in New York City before a live audience of sexual abuse survivors. TARABORELLI: Michael began to sort of surround himself with young boys, and much to, I remember, the chagrin of people who were working for him. Oprah : Michael Jackson is the seventh of nine brothers and sisters born in Gary, Indiana to steel mill worker Joseph and mother Katherine. She explained: "Here's the reason why I'm here. Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields at the 1993 Grammy Awards, a few days after the interview with Oprah Winfrey. I mean, everybody wants immortality. For him it was a world of betrayal. I had go-to lines about being able to separate the art from the man; about how Jackson was certainly an oddball with an affinity for children because of his own troubled upbringing, but that didn't make him a criminal; about how there was never any real proof that he had abused children. To me, she's perfection. This is a UK airing of the famous interview of Michael Jackson by Oprah Winfrey in 1993. Stay up to date with the latest trends that matter to you most. BRIAN OXMAN, ATTORNEY: I've talked to this family about it. He died three and a half months later. JERMAINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON'S BROTHER: You know, you have to say to yourself, who hasn't? "It was the most exciting interview I had ever done," Oprah says. 10 best Oprah celebrity interviews of all time 1. There wouldn't be BET. BROCKMAN: I recognized that, you know, this is Michael Jackson. BROCKMAN: We were alone in a room. But was damage done to his soul, to his spirit, to his gentle, kind way of looking at the world? He felt betrayed. It's a very complicated cultural dynamic with roots in slavery and beyond that would take me an entire separate article to unpack. And to be completely honest, I also had a little bit of that "let's not bring the Black man down" in my own mentality. Kelly's recent indictment for 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. But his face was expressionless. I sat in my seat struggling with how to fit together the harrowing depiction of a sick man I had just witnessed with the icon who had shaped so much of my life. LEMON: Legendary music producer Quincy Jones would produce Jackson's first adult solo album. This time, she wants to speak candidly about the intimate, personal details that made her relationship with Michael as complicated and misunderstood as it was. he looks soo mad wen the alarm goes offits soo cute. .css-ssumvd{display:block;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.0625rem;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.25;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-ssumvd:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-ssumvd{letter-spacing:0rem;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}Gayle King Interviews Angela Bassett, Gayle Says March Is a Good Month for TV Lovers, Sheryl Lee Ralphs Definition of True Love, What We Know About The Little Mermaid Remake, Oprah Congratulates Kimmel on 20 Years of His Show, Nikole Hannah-Jones on "The 1619 Project", Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Wakanda Forever Podcast, Oprah Is Acting in Tyler Perrys Next Netflix Film. She began by asking softball questions. And it would catch fire when Jackson unveiled an out of this world dance move on a television special for Motown's 25th anniversary. LEMON: Can you sing it a bit please? This is a moment in time that allows us to see this societal corruption that's like a scourge on humanity. In 1993, Oprah helmed what would become the most-watched TV interview of all time a title which the show still proudly holds. Thus, the most uncomfortable question was forgiven. And Oprah posed a lot of difficult questions. TOURE: So he's doing the moonwalk. Is it true that you sleep in an oxygen chamber to stay eternally young? Did you buy the Elephant Mans remains? Is it true that you wanted a white actor to play Michael Jackson as a child in a Pepsi commercial? Winfrey went through a litany of crazy headlines, all of which Jackson denied. The pop star's eccentric behavior hardly deterred the album's record-breaking five number ones. LEMON: That documentary triggered bombshell news that thrust the fated pop star back into the spotlight. When Oprah broached the subject, Michael wouldn't get into specifics but said he'd had less plastic surgery than people thought. And part of my concern about Michael was the fact that he always seemed to be suffering from some form of ailment or infirmity. Rick: Thank you so much. And there's kinda buttery smell and a fragrance. Tern notes that he believes that Michael thought the interview would clean up his image, but instead it showed the grandiloquence of his fame, of having no childhood, which knocks a person off kilter forever.. When I think about my childhood, some of my earliest memories are lying on my living room floor watching Michael Jackson's .css-9cezh6{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#E61957;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-9cezh6:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Moonwalker film over and over, and Sundays on the way to my grandparents' house, bellowing the lyrics to "Remember the Time" from the backseat of my Dad's cherry red Jeep. After more than two months of testimony, 135 witnesses, and seven days of deliberations, the jury reached a verdict. Then Oprah asked the question even she says was embarrassing: "Are you a virgin? And I would record for hours and hours until it was time to go to sleep. In 2002, he incited world-wide outrage when he dangled his newborn son, Prince Michael II, from the balcony of a Berlin hotel. On the weekends, I'm probably either having a margarita, adding new books I don't need to my TBR pile, or playing with my puppy, Leo. The weight, the gravity, the way he would sing. LEMON: On the last night of his life, Michael Jackson was rehearsing for his London show, due to open in just three weeks. At the end, he talked about his mortality. In 1994, Michael married Lisa Marie Presley. Presley filed for divorce in 1996. You can count them on two fingers. It doesnt take a surgeon to know that Michael was lying; he maintained that falsehood in 2003, in his interview with Martin Bashir, when he responded sardonically to the same question: Ive had two operationsthat I can remember., But Oprah pressed the point, Youve had a nose job, thats obvious. Yes, like a lot of people I know, Michael responded But Ive never had my cheeks, eyes or lips done. Do you like the way you look now? Oprah probed further. JOANN SAMS, SECRETARY, ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL: Oh, it was just unbelievable, because they were so young, but yet they were so talented. The show received a 39.3 rating, just below the Jan. 22, 1987, episode of "The Cosby Show," which received a 41.3. Michael Jackson was adamant that he was a "gentleman" first and foremost while talking to Oprah Winfrey. He's a 12-year-old superstar with thousands of people shrieking and screaming. So you worked really hard perfecting your dance moves, and you became a big superstar. Michael Jackson talks to Oprah (1993) by Harpo Productions Publication date 1993 Topics Michael Jackson, Oprah, Oprah Winfrey, The Oprah Winfrey Show This is a UK airing of the famous interview of Michael Jackson by Oprah Winfrey in 1993. Jacksons album Dangerous, which had been falling down the charts in the two years after its release, became a top-10 bestseller again. ), I shared the same mindset of many of the folks Oprah was talking about. LEMON (on camera): If someone asked you to sing a tribute to Michael Jackson at a service or whatever, what do you think he'd sing? JACKSON: Yes. NORRIS: And of course, it paid off for all of us, because, I mean, the idea of MTV without Michael Jackson's videos from "Thriller" is almost inconceivable. "Anybody who knew Michael Jackson will tell you that when you are up close to himhe had absolutely no pigmentation in his skinyou are looking at his veins when you look at his hand. Jackson Interview Transcript By Ellen Crean December 28, 2003 / 12:38 PM / CBS For most of his life, Michael Jackson has been in the spotlight, most recently because of what has been. He wasn't making new records. You heard things from him that you've never heard before. There's a flash behind him, and his hair catches on fire. And no one wanted it more than Michael. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Winfrey . I'm Don Lemon. #MichaelJackson #OprahWinfrey #MichaelJacksonInterviewThis is the Making of "Michael Jackson Talks . BRIAN HIATT, "ROLLING STONE": Michael Jackson all but disappeared. I have loved Michael Jackson the artist for several decades. They are mourning in Gary, Indiana, too, Michael's hometown. And the lead singer, Michael, was just so incredible. And we were so excited. "You said on my show, 'Yes, this was a real marriage,'" Oprah says, referring to her 2005 interview with Lisa Marie. It is much bigger than any one person. He had the discipline at such a young age, originality, willing to try everything, a work ethic, all of it. Watching the two interviews back to back reveals an undeniable and astonishing fact: the biggest pop star the world had ever seen had become a completely different person in the intervening 14 years. At the beginning, Oprah asked both men if they were prepared to "get it" for speaking out about Jackson's alleged crimes. LEMON: Bahrain and back again. After all, much of my aforementioned childhood also included walking by the TV and seeing headlines with accusations against my favorite pop star, first in 1993 and later, a much-publicized trial in 2004. Disfruta de nuestras lecciones personalizadas, breves y divertidas. So it'd be nighttime. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, and he's not conscious either -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he's not conscious, sir. It just made me very, very, very sad. Michael went from reacting to Oprahs questions with some trepidation to carrying most of the conversation. Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. LEMON: It was a triumph for Jackson as a musician and as a humanitarian. They don't sound dated. According to Winfrey, the conversation was unscripted and uncensored. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Resuelve los ltimos Crucigramas de Mambrino, Juega a nuestros Sudoku para Expertos y mejora da a da tu nivel, Juega a las nuevas Sopas de letras clsicas y temticas de EL PAS. LEMON: But Jackson was born to perform, and the show must go on. Beginning at a place called Motown------ WINFREY: And that was difficult to take, getting beaten and going on stage and performing? This man was a universal pop icon. Michael, a fiercely private entertainer, had refused to give an interview for 14 years. And Michael was happy to play along with that, because he understood at a very early age that image-making and public relations was very important. After the second half airs on Monday, March 4, Oprah Winfrey Presents: After Neverland" will air simultaneously on HBO and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on at 10:00 PM EST. It was just very difficult to imagine this is a guy who's ready to come back and do an amazing series of 50 concerts, and then more across the world, which was the plan. LEMON: Brian Monroe sat down with Michael Jackson in September 2007 for "Ebony Magazine." Diane: Glad you're here. We're going to sleep. With Michael Jackson, you never know what the truth is. And Michael just stared at me. Of course, in all other meetings there were a whole entourage present. THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. But Reed cleared up one important thing: Neither Robson nor Safechuck were paid to be a part of Leaving Neverland. Its a magnetic, phantasmagoric ending. It's happening in familieswe know it's happening in churches, and in schools, and sports teams everywhere. One of the first venues, the auditorium of Roosevelt High. The unprecedented live event drew a worldwide audience of 90 million people. TOURE: It was quite obvious to all of us from the beginning that it was a sham, that it was a publicity stunt. me with them and I will put them on here. Michael showed Oprah his Neverland Ranch, and once they settled in the theater, he talked about his social work and his interest in helping children. This content is imported from poll. Oprah is the queen of this format (her 2021 conversation with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is the most recent great example of the show-interview). Jackson would turn to Quincy Jones, then musical director for "The Wiz," now a multi Grammy winning producer, arranger, and composer. The interview went on to become the most watched in television history, thanks in part to the Thriller star's unusual openness, which saw him discuss everything from his relationship with his father to his skin condition, vitiligo. (I should note that for the record, Leaving Neverland was in production long before Surviving R. Kelly aired.). Would you trade it in for a normal childhood with the celebrity? I try not to look in the mirror too much, Im never happy with what I see., The interview was visually powerful; one could almost enjoy watching it on mute. Michael Jackson Talks . She asked the unthinkable in an hour-long television special, which portrayed an eccentric but vulnerable star. An aerial view of Jackson's Neverland theme park taken in 2011. that interview Jackson did with Martin Bashir, a study by the Census Bureau and Stanford University, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Why? LEMON: From his fans, an outpouring of love, grief, and fond remembrance. BRAFMAN: He went through a horrible accident filming a video. . Never had a celebrity provoked so much fascination or so many utterly bizarre headlines. In the most awkward part of the interview, Oprah took up the topic of the singers love life and asked him a strange, nave question that seemed more suited for a child than a 34-year-old man. And is aid to him, take that stupid thing off! In 1993, Winfrey was personally invited to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch for an interview with the notoriously private star. LEMON: An audition seen in this video from a documentary produced by Michael Jackson. It was in the same league as David Frosts interview with Richard Nixon in 1977, Barbara Walters interview with Monica Lewinsky in 1999 and, outside the United States, Martin Bashirs interview with Princess Diana in 1995. You know? HIATT: It's hard looking at the guy being pushed around in a wheelchair, looking so thin and fragile. You look like a monkey. In 1993, Ms. Winfrey's prime-time interview of Michael Jackson at his Neverland Ranch, . OPRAH IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF HARPO, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2023 HARPO PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. He's not breathing and we need -- we're trying to pump him but he's not -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, OK. How old is he? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My brother, the legendary king of pop, Michael Jackson, passed away on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. Download the Watch OWN app and access OWN anytime, anywhere. But a lot of people think that he has bleached his skin. JACKSON: Yes. JACKSON: Let's face it. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. I put little like music on into a little story time, I read a book. And, as unconventional as it is, if you really look at it, it's sort of surrogate motherhood. LEMON: In July, 1984, the Jackson 5 reunited in a flurry of publicity. Then moved back. MICHAEL JACKSON: I would do my schooling for three hours with the tutor, and right after that I'd go to the recording studio and record. I was like, "What do you mean?" Highlights From Harry and Meghan's Interview With Oprah . LEMON: Fans wanted their last good-bye. There is not a single thing or person in popular culture that is worth not protecting and believing our children. Or at least that was how it went until February 10, 1993, when, sitting across from Oprah Winfrey in an ABC live special, he responded. My father was too strict, he was too much of a disciplinarian. Instead, it is about the millions of people in this world who never got to have a childhood because of the sexual abuse they experienced before their young brains were even developed enough to know what was occurring. URI GELLER, AUTHOR: I was the only person who had the chutzpah to scream at him and tell him that this business of inviting children to his bedroom is wrong. JACKSON: It's not sexual. Spawning iconic music videos and a sold-out world tour, "Bad" went on to sell 8 million copies, and Jackson went on to change his image once again. Oprah's interview with Michael Jackson in February 1993 is the most-watched television interview in television history, with a staggering 90 million viewers. That right there, that will never be replaced. Pop icon Michael Jackson sat down for an intimate chat with. One of the last photographs that was taken of Michael Jackson while he was alive. Jackson told Oprah he suffered from a rare skin disease. Sometimes I do get angry. LEMON: Even though Jackson couldn't replace his earlier success, he never stops innovating. "I love my father, but I don't know him. TARABORELLI: Nothing was the same after "Thriller." (END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: Coming up, Michael Jackson, from riches to rags. JACKSON: This one, this one -- CASTRO: Almost pathological in his spending ways. ", Michael's relationship with his father, Joe Jackson, has made plenty of headlines throughout the years. For more stories from OprahMag.com, sign up for our newsletter. to Oprah" February 10, 1993: ABC: 2 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Oprah Winfrey 49 . LEMON: It is Chopra's belief that prescription drug abuse was Jackson's downfall. Just nine months after the show aired, the 13-year-old cancer patient featured in the documentary accused Jackson of sexual abuse. Also, two moving vans showed up today at the rented L.A. home where Jackson apparently collapsed. Im going to ask you something and its embarrassing for me, but Im going to ask it anyway. Because of that you became a great performer, and maybe even because you were not given enough love as a child, you wanted the world's love. LEMON: It worked. "You can count them on two fingers," he said.