Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5889 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-13
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 296 pages

Customer Reviews

Innocence is not always a good quality
I don't know if you're like me, but ever since Michael Jackson passed away, I have been really curious to know the truth.

I don't think there has ever been anyone more misrepresented in human history than Michael Jackson. He said in an interview that '99.9% of what's written about me is not true.' He said this long before he ever went on trial.

After he was found 'not guilty' of the 10 charges, he was still treated as if he was guilty by the media. Forced to leave the country, to go to Bahrain, like a bird tossed out of its nest, never to return to Neverland again.

I wondered: 'well if he's innocent of the trial charges, what about the 1993 case where there was a settlement..'

When Aphrodite Jones went to numerous publishers, nobody wanted to publish a pro Jackson book, a book that would tell the truth about the trial. She actually had to self publish.

"In this world there are facts, and there are opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, not to their own facts." Senator Patrick Moynihan.

I cannot tell you what a relief it is to read a truthful book about Michael Jackson. The further you get into this book, the more you realise how Michael was not only not guilty but truly had the innocence and nature of a 10 year old child.

This naivete made him easy prey for a predatory reporter such as Bashir, who got a career making opportunity to film a documentary for free only to taint it with his own duplicity, sinister interpretation and innuendo. He reputedly sold the documentary to ABC for $7 million, and got a job as anchor, destroying MJ in the process without a second thought. After all, would a pedophile invite a camera crew into his home, and admit to sharing a bedroom with 10 year old kids. If children were abused, would there not be an immediate change in their behavior. Would their parents also staying at the house not notice this?

No.. Pedophiles act out of compulsion, cannot control themselves, and usually have hundreds of victims.

This naivete made him easy prey for the Arvizos who did the round of other celebrities such as Chris Tucker, George Lopez, and even Jay Leno looking for a handout. These guys got wiser sooner.

Among the many revelations in this book: The Arvizos deny on four separate occasions after the Bashir documentary that any molestation ever took place, on audio tape, on a rebuttal video, to DCFS workers, and to Gavin Arvizo's school principal.

Only after visiting the same civil attorney used in the 1993 case, after all this did Arvizo make a final return to Neverland. It is then he alleges the incident happened. Under cross examination, it is established that if Arvizo got a criminal conviction, he could sue MJ in a civil action until he was 18.

In the trial, the 1993 evidence was introduced. Jordan Chandler refused to testify against Michael Jackson. His mother did appear as a witness and surprisingly said she never had any qualms about her son being around Michael Jackson.

Janet Arvizo gave wild and wacky testimony, alleging that MJ conspired to keep her family captive at Neverland, and that he planned to abduct her son. Meanwhile she charges thousands of dollars for beauty treatments on the Neverland account in a local town, gets dental treatment for her soon paid by Jackson, alleges MJ made her fly to Miami to give a rebuttal interview. The truth is she found out MJ was in Miami and had Chris Tucker charter a jet for her to fly out with her children.

What will amaze you as you read this book, is how many viewed Michael Jackson as a meal ticket for life. Disgruntled former employees who had lost multi million dollar lawsuits made the most outrageous allegations, which were skilfully dismantled and disproven by the incisive cross examination of Tom Mesereau.

About the 1993 agreement, Jackson said on the Prime Time Diane Sawyer interview, that the only reason he was sitting there giving the interview was that the photographs taken of his parts did not match up with the description of the accuser. There are many more surprises waiting between the covers of this book.

If you are filled with a burning curiosity to know the truth, you can feel confident that this book is true. If you are curious to explore even further I may post some links in the comment section below.

I hope you find this review helpful.

A brave book that deserves to become a bestseller.
This is a fascinating read, not just because of its subject matter but because the author herself was, like most other members of the media, predisposed to think that Jackson was guilty of at least some of the charges brought against him. She admits to being prejudiced and reveals just how she came to realise that this time the media - including herself - got it very wrong indeed.
Ms Jones has thoroughly researched the book examining witnesses' testimonies, court transcripts, etc, and she reveals how the jury, onlookers and Jackson himself reacted throughout. Yes, you do feel that you are in the courtroom.
The disparity between what actually went on in there and what the media reported is astonishing. And there's some interesting information about journalist/interviewer Martin Bashir too.
The background information about Neverland itself was all new to me. For example, it is only through reading this book that I realised that Michael Jackson's bedroom was not at all like the type of bedroom you and I probably have - just one room. Jackson's was a huge two storey, mezzanine construction - more like a flat than a room. I'm not saying Jackson was wise to have boys staying in his room (nor in his bed) but once you realise just how big this space was it kind puts a different perspective on these sleepovers.
Aphrodite Jones also reveals that jackson himself was not at Neverland for much of the time; it was his home but it was more a social experiment, an escape for children who were sick or poor. It's such a shame it didn't work out. If he had lived elsewhere but just run the place as a separate entity/charity things might have turned out differently. Or if only he'd only Have stuck to surrounding himself with animals rather than other people's children he'd be viewed by the majority as eccentric rather than potentially dangerous or evil.
I found the photographs of Neverland are quite startling. Everywhere is so cluttered - like a teenage boy's room. In fact, Jackson comes across as naive, vulnerable, lonely, somewhat deluded and while extraordianrily generous, lacking in emotional intelligence and 'street' savvy when it came to handling people who had their own agendas.
My only criticisms of the book are that Ms Jones' text concentrates on people's appearances a little too much; sort of implyling that beauty equals truth, and I'd like to have seen more indepth analysis by Aphrodite Jones on the whole affair and its aftermath.
But a brave book. Buy it!

The Truth at Last
This is one of those books you really cannot put down. From the first page you feel that you are in the courtroom, in the jury box and making your own decision, rather than relying on what was obviously a very dishonest media overview of what actually took place.

The author demonstrates the difference between what was reported and what actually happened by examining witness testimony, using extract from court transcripts, and describing both the jury's and Michael Jackson's reactions to what was being said.

We were led to believe that the main accusers were credible, yet over and over again under cross examination they were caught out in lies, and on many occasions actually had to admit that they were lying. Not only did their story keep changing but they even contradicted each other, and their reaction when faced with this was never reported by the media.

The photographs entered into evidence show Michael Jackson's most private living areas, not grand but could belong to any teenager and the account of what he actually did for this family, show him indeed as a naive, childlike character who was no match for the very streetwise family with a long history of scams including making false allegations. The witnessess from the '93 era according to the media had the jury rivetted, the truth is that their stories disintegrated under cross examination and the jury were rolling their eyes in disbelief.

Whatever your feelings about Michael Jackson, this book should be read by anyone intested in justice and human rights. The media were not only dishonest in what they did report, but their main dishonesty is in what they didn't report.

The US cable news outlets distorted this for their own gain and it is quite shocking to realise the lenghths that they were prepared to go to. This dishonesty needs to be exposed in the interests of fairness and civil rights.

Well done to Aphrodite Jones, not only is the book compulsive reading, but it is not written in a way that tries to persuade the reader to believe one thing or another, you are just given the facts which the media did not report and you draw your own conclusion as to how mislead and manipulated our opinions were. The behind the scenes story shows that fact is indeed stranger and in this case far more interesting than the fiction.

I have completely changed my view of Michael Jackson and understand why the jury reached their verdict, from the moment the accusers finished testifying there was no going back for the prosecution in a case which should never have happened. And for me those reporting dishonestly have no credibility for the future.