158: Things Just Blow in Through the Window

John Cameron joins Jamon Bull and Charlie Thomson for a discussion on loads of recent news updates in the world of Michael Jackson, including a chat around John’s latest episode of his excellent podcast, #JCsMusicology, “Michael Jackson (1983-1988)”. The guys also talk about a range of fan-led projects, including the upcoming Kingvention, developments on Jin Chohan’s documentary, “Trial By Media” as well as a new YouTube documentary by Hannah Savage, “The Dark Side of Michael Jackson’s This Is It”, and Paul Dwyer’s podcast based on his book, “Humanitarian: The Real Michael Jackson”. Plus, they talk about the confirmation of the #Thriller40 documentary, a statement from Katherine Jackson, and a major update in Wade Robson’s legal case against Michael Jackson.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Discussion Topics
• Kingvention have announced special guests for their 2023 convention. 
• Jin Chohan has offered an update on his upcoming documentary, “Trial By Media”.
• Hannah Savage has released a teaser for her upcoming YouTube documentary, “The Dark Side of Michael Jackson’s This Is It”.
• Paul Dwyer has launched his podcast “Humanitarian: The Real Michael Jackson”.
• John Branca has confirmed that the #Thriller40 documentary is still coming this year. So… #Thriller41?
• Katherine Jackson has responded to the Estate over the ’deal’ saga. 
• La Toya Jackson is to be called as a witness in the legal battle between the Estate and Jeffré Phillips.
• Wade Robson’s case will most likely proceed to trial.
• John Cameron has released his latest episode of podcast #JCsMusicology, “Michael Jackson (1983 – 1988)”.

Support Us
• Please consider donating through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations.
• We also have an official official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch. 
• Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

157: Vindication Day Special with Geraldine Hughes

Geraldine Hughes first came to the world’s attention as an anonymous whistleblower. In 1994, the decorated investigative journalist Mary A Fischer published an article about the child molestation allegations levelled against Michael Jackson by Jordan Chandler and his father Evan. Fischer’s story included information attributed to a source inside the office of attorney Barry Rothman, suggesting that he and his client, Evan Chandler, had cooked up an extortion plot against Michael Jackson. The story was published in more than one major, glossy magazine and was covered by broadcast media – but the whistleblower’s identity was never revealed.

In 2003, however, Geraldine decided to out herself. In 1993, as the Michael Jackson scandal unfolded, she had been working as Barry Rothman’s personal legal secretary. She had unrivalled, insider access to the nerve centre of the celebrity scandal of the century, bearing witness to many meetings and discussions which took place just metres from her desk. Geraldine had been highly disturbed by what she witnessed, and she felt the public would too – but most of the media seemed to have adopted the position that Michael Jackson was guilty and in her view, the full story had never been told. Geraldine’s conscience demanded that she tell the wider public what she knew.

In 2003, as she began work on a tell-all memoir, news suddenly broke that Michael Jackson was being accused again. Her publishers fast-tracked a press release about the impending book, titled Redemption, and Geraldine found herself on a whirlwind media tour. But once again, the media overwhelmingly adopted an anti-Jackson position. While Geraldine’s book would become well-known within the Jackson fan community, her information was largely ignored. 

But in 2019, award-winning filmmaker Danny Wu interviewed Geraldine as he investigated the Chandler case for his feature documentary Square One. Upon its release, Square One became the number one Amazon Prime documentary in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, finally bringing Geraldine Hughes’s story to a much wider audience. But in Square One, Geraldine was one voice among many. For the MJCast’s 2023 Vindication Day episode, we decided to sit down with Geraldine.

Unfortunately, technical problems meant the interview ended abruptly and we were unable to reschedule with Geraldine to ask her several more questions. But this episode is nonetheless the most in-depth, one-on-one broadcast interview she had ever given. 

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter and Jamon Bull.

Additional Links
• Geraldine Hughes on Twitter.
• Geraldine’s website for music.
• Purchase Geraldine’s book, Redemption.
• Please consider donating through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

156: The Case for Innocence Special

Sheryl and June Valone join Elise Capron and Charlie Carter for a discussion about the origins and behind-the-scenes stories of their podcast series, “The Case for Innocence“.

Growing up as a young Michael Jackson fan, June was passionate about learning everything she could about the King of Pop and his music. But when “Leaving Neverland” was released in early 2019, her mother, Sheryl, was concerned about how to handle this information. Would she have to explain to her daughter that her icon was not the hero she thought he was? Believing in the power of due process, Sheryl chose to do her own research so that she could give her daughter the truth, whatever that might ultimately be. In the course of what became an extensive personal investigation over the course of many months, and which expanded into researching each set of allegations against Michael Jackson, Sheryl realized that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to Jackson’s innocence. She was also shocked by how many major media outlets and well-known figures had completely disregarded or manipulated the actual facts of the allegations. With a mission to share the truth, Sheryl and June decided to create a deep-dive podcast series which covers every detail of the Chandler allegations, the Arvizo allegations, the Robson allegations, and the Safechuck allegations. They leave no stone unturned, and give a fair and balanced perspective in their approach. They have also created an impressive website which documents, in detail, their sources, and provides a wealth of additional resources for listeners.

In this chat, the team talk about their original motivations for creating this podcast, what the process has been like for them, the reception from the fan community, their experience now that Season One is out in the world, their plans for continuing to reach new listeners, and what we can expect from Season Two.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional Links
• The Case for Innocence website and Twitter.
• Please consider donating through PayPal to help cover our costs. All proceeds go towards online running costs, upgrading equipment, and charity donations. Learn all about the various ways you can support The MJCast through visiting our website.
• We also have an official merchandise shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our fun merch.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Stay Bad!

149: Violet Gaitan Booker Special

Violet Gaitan Booker joins host Elise Capron, with guest co-host Velo Kristina, for an incredible discussion around her time working for the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Violet (known as Violet Gaitan Silva at the time) was a key staff member at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Valley Ranch from 1991-2005. Violet started at the Ranch as a security officer, eventually becoming Chief of Fire and Security, and finally oversaw Safety and Human Resources for twelve different departments, from Fire/Security, to Grounds-keeping, House-keeping, the Amusement Park, Zoo, and much more. Violet also gave testimony in the 2005 trial, in which Michael Jackson was found not guilty of all abuse allegations, and, after she left Neverland, she went to work as an investigator for Robert Sanger, defense attorney for Michael Jackson alongside Tom Mesereau.

In this discussion, the ladies discuss Violet’s amazing stories of working for Jackson for fourteen years, including how she began working at Neverland, what is was like working at the ranch on a day-to-day basis, the logistics of hosting large groups and VIP guests, interactions with staff, her memories of Michael Jackson as a boss and insights about him as a father and individual, and much more. They also talk about the time period around the allegations, clarify some statements made during the trial, and discuss in detail her unique feelings about this special place where she spent so much time.

This episode was edited by Jamon Bull and Charlie Carter. It was saved by John Cameron.

Additional Links
• Violet Gaitan Booker’s Facebook page
• TheMJCast 005: Kerry Anderson Special
• TheMJCast 097: Bill Whitfield Special

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Stay BAD!

147: The Big British Q&A

It’s been quite a while since the team’s last Q&A episode, and this round features three of our favorite Brits in the fan community: Charles Thomson, Samar Habib, and Charlie Carter. With nearly 100 questions received, the guys tackle a wide range of topics, from the allegations, to Taj Jackson’s documentary project, to favorite Michael Jackson books, insights on MJ’s lyrics and politics, and much more. A huge thank-you to all those listeners who submitted questions! We wish we could have gotten to them all. Grab yourself some tea and biscuits and enjoy this deep-dive fan chat.

Questions
Emma (Twitter) – South Wales, UK
1) Aside from the Brett Barnes episode (which I think everyone needs to listen to at least once), what would be your Top 3 episodes that a new listener (but lifelong MJ supporter) should listen when delving into previous MJCast podcasts? Emma.

GNTalk (Twitter)
2) Sorry – allegation question. Do the guys think there will ever be a day when one of the accusers, JC in particular, may come public and give their true account?

Dane Thomson (Twitter) – Brisbane, Australia
3) Are British tabloids worse than American tabloids? If so, why do you think this is?

Sydni Taylor (email)
4) Taj said on his Livestream earlier this year that he still believes Jordan Chandler will come forward, do you think Taj is saying this because he contacted Jordan or is it just wishful thinking. Do you believe Jordan will ever come forward. I personally don’t think he’ll ever tell his story.

Rob Seymour (Facebook) – Watford (Near London), UK
5) I’d be interested to know how things worked with regards to the 93 Chandler extortion attempt, if it was actually reported to the Police and whether they actually investigated it? Also Was it part of the settlement that the extortion charge was dropped? And how would that work as you cannot pay someone off to stop them testifying so how would it be legal to drop the extortion charges?

Dr. Andrew Greene (Twitter) – United States
6) My question is for Samar. Samar, I follow you on social media and admire the fact that you aren’t afraid to get a little political. Michael Jackson transcended a lot of barriers, one of those barriers was politics as is evident by his fans from around the world and people around him. From rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ronald Reagan and George H. Bush, to performing for Bill Clinton at his inauguration and later the Democratic Party, to being beloved by those in countries like communist Russia. What is it about Michael Jackson that you believe attracts people from all political spectrums to Michael Jackson? Also, do you believe that Jackson’s music reveals an evolution of his own [political] beliefs as he got older?

Kris (Twitter) – Kansas, USA
7) Yes, if a gun was at your head, what do you guys think are the top 3 MJ songs that never had videos that absolutely HAVE to be turned into videos? Kris from the US.

Andrew Gray (email) – Chicago, USA
8) What are your favorite MJ books?

MJUnreleasedMix (Twitter)
9) How different do you think the last decade of Michael’s life would have been if the bridge collapse in Munich ’99 at MJ & Friends never happened? If he isn’t on painkillers, does the Bashir documentary still happen? The trial? This Is It? Might he still be here today?

Eva (email) – Amsterdam
10) Hey MJ friends! This is Eva from Amsterdam. I have a very specific question but it’s been on my mind for a while and I’m curious to hear your thoughts about it. Do you believe that the song Morphine was a cry for help? And are you aware if anyone responded to that at the time? I remember when the Blood on the Dance Floor album came out I thought “oh, that’s a cool and interesting song,” but I thought nothing else of it (granted, I was only 12 years old at the time). Also throughout my later years as a fan I never looked for a deeper meaning behind it. After Michael’s death, the song suddenly seemed like an ominous foreboding. The extent of MJs addiction to pain killers was widely exposed after he died and some of the lyrics in the song sounded like he predicted his own death and also talked about his own struggle with addiction during his lifetime. “A heart attack, baby”, “Demerol, oh god he’s taking Demerol”; “He’s tried / Hard to convince her / To be over what he had / Today he wants it twice as bad / Don’t cry / I won’t resent you / Yesterday you had his trust / Today he’s taking twice as much / Demerol”, “Relax / This won’t hurt you / Before I put it in / Close your eyes and count to ten /Don’t cry / I won’t convert you / There’s no need to dismay / Close your eyes and drift away”. Those last lines could even be the soundtrack to the scene between ‘doctor’ Murray and MJ in the moments before he died. Looking back, it feels like Michael may have written this song with great self-awareness and consciousness of his addiction. Could this have been a way for him to ask for help? As far as I am aware he never spoke publicly about the extent of his addiction and from what I’ve learned he also kept people who were close to him away from it. And then suddenly he releases this song, which in retrospect seems to be fully autobiographical. Do you know if after he wrote and released this song, there was anyone reaching out to him about it or asking about it? Or was everyone just like me, “hey that’s a cool song bro” and that’s it. When I imagine the loneliness he must have felt if that was indeed the case, it breaks my heart. Imagine sharing your darkest problems in a song (and how desperate you must be to do so, especially as such a public figure) and no one responds to it. Curious to hear your thoughts! I’m also sending this question to Brad Sundberg btw because he may have a perspective on whether anyone in the studio heard any alarm bells when they recorded this song. Warm regards and thank you so much for all the great episodes, Eva.

Rachel Doosti (email) – Dubai
11) Hi Jamon, You and Elise are doing a phenomenal job, love love love the direction of the podcast. Thank you so much to both of you for taking the time and providing great episodes with small children, full-time jobs, and family life. Bless you, both. I recall in one of the episodes Charles went to US and was helping Taj for his doc and reviewing materials and he shared da story of a video of Michael dancing with Jermaine while having a bandage on his nose but he did not share anything else with us. If it is not an intrusion, I love to have more insights on what he saw and reviewed in that trip and share more insights with us. Best Rachel Doosti

David Edwards (email)
12) Here’s my question for Charles Thomson: Are you still involved with Taj Jackson’s documentary “Re-Righting HIStory”, and if so, can you give any updates on its status? Thanks, David Edwards.

Anonymous (email) – Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
13) Why do you think it is that fans invest so heavily in the reporting of Roger Friedman around certain subjects (like the allegations) given that Michael publicly denounced his journalistic integrity while accusing Friedman of writing what Michael described as “vicious and untrue stories in an attempt to destroy my image” throughout the last decade of Michael’s life? Moreover, since Michael’s death Friedman has spent 12 years relentlessly perpetuating the lies of Eddie Cascio, James Porte, Sony and the estate regarding their fake songs, during which he has used his platform to call fans “deranged, bitter, stupid, nuisances” and Michael’s family “greedy and jealous.” Why do fans hold this man up so highly regarding some topics given his egregious conduct on others?

Emmet (email) – Ireland
14) Hi lads, I’ve always been fascinated with the cancelled HBO December 1995 show that MJ had planned but obviously didn’t happen. We always had the visual of MJ performing in stadiums to a sea of people, but I’m sure there is a large proportion of MJ’s fanbase that would’ve loved to have seen a more intimate, less pomp and circumstance concert that focused on his singing ability rather than the usual MJ style that we got from the Bad to History world tours. From what I understand, this concert was going to be just that, and it’s always been a sore spot for me that we never got to see it. Does any of the panel know if any footage exists of MJ rehearsing for that show? We all know he recorded nearly everything relating to his performances, so perhaps there is something in a vault somewhere? Why was the show never rescheduled? Was he unhappy with the production of it? I always wished he’d done a stripped down show, but unfortunately it was never to be. Long-time listener and love the show, keep up the great work! Emmet, Ireland

Jamon Bull – Brisbane, Australia
15) Charlie and Samar. You’ve both spoken about Invincible before, with Charlie being critical of the album and Samar being supportive of it. Is there some common ground that could be reached?

Jamon Bull – Brisbane, Australia
16) Charlie and Samar. Similarly to my Invincible question, you’ve both got very different opinions on Janet Jackson as an artist. Again, could some common ground be reached?

Seány (Twitter) – Russia
17) I felt the discussion reg #MJtheMusical on a past ep was rather unfair & I disagreed with almost 100% of the guests review (I had seen the show 3 times by the time that particular ep had aired) Since its continued successes & accolades, are you more inclined to now want to see it?

Jamon Bull – Brisbane, Australia
18) Charlie, you told me once that you wish you’d had a chance to speak on the episode Elise, Q and Björn did together about whether Michael was a gay icon. Tell me your thoughts.

Jamon Bull – Brisbane, Australia
19) Carter. What was it like looking down on Neverland while flying over it? How much would you like to walk the grounds of Neverland one day?

Mookie864 (Instagram)
20) My question is for CET. Charles, after finishing your Podcast, ‘Unfinished’, last year, I was left feeling like there may be more coming in the future. Can you reveal if you are still investigating the Shoebury topic and if there will be a season 2?

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Additional Links
• TheMJCast 063: Q Q&A
• TheMJCast 069: C Q&A
• TheMJCast 074: J Q&A
• TheMJCast 099: Leaving Neverland Q&A
• TheMJCast130: An Evening With Charlie and Jamon

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If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on the show, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!

137: He Is Not Committed to the Lean

In this regular episode, host Jamon Bull is joined by returning guests Rickey Alexander and Velo Kristina for a big update on news in the world of Michael Jackson. They discuss a restored version of the HIStory album teaser, several upcoming films related to Jackson, including Marcos Cabotá’s greatly anticipated “Sonic Fantasy”, updates on James Safechuck’s lawsuit, a newly released photo of MJ, a new article on Jackson’s time in Bahrain, and much more.

This episode was edited by Charlie Carter.

Discussion Topics
• A restored version of the HIStory album teaser is coming.
• A new Netflix documentary on Michael Jackson is imminent.
• The second trailer is out for Jin Chohan’s “Trial By Media” has been released.
• Marcos Cabotá’s has released a trailer for his documentary “Sonic Fantasy”.
• James Safechuck’s lawyer has filed a late appeal.
• Billy Porter and Lang Lang have paid tribute to Michael Jackson at the Global Citizen concerts.
• Glen Ballard is interviewed on working with Michael Jackson.
• A new photo of Michael Jackson, shot by Greg Gorman has surfaced.
• Moonwalkers documentary, now titled The Three Michaels, finally has a theatrical screening date coming up soon.
• A Tokyo baseball team is collaborating with the Estate on merchandise featuring MJ and their team mascot.
• A new article has been released on MJ’s post-trial year in Bahrain.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

117: Howard Bloom Special

Howard Bloom joins host Elise Capron for her first solo episode to discuss his time working as Michael Jackson’s publicist in the 1980’s, during the Victory era. Though Bloom grew up as full-blown science nerd who knew nothing about popular music, he fell into the music world through magazine publishing, and, in 1976, founded what would become one of the biggest PR firms in the music industry during the ’70s and ’80s. He helped build or sustain the careers of more than 100 rock and roll icons, including Prince, Bob Marley, Joan Jett, ZZ Top, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, and, of course, Michael Jackson.

Howard and Elise discuss his fascinating and unusual journey into music, how he came to work with the Jackson family, and dig deep into Howard’s philosophies around what made Michael Jackson so seemingly magical—a concept Howard describes as “finding the gods within”. They also chat about Howard’s new book, which goes even further into his many great stories, Einstein, Michael Jackson, & Me: A Search for Soul in the Power Pits of Rock and Roll.

Additional Links
• Howard Bloom’s website, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channel.
• Buy Howard’s new book here.

Ad Breaks
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• The MJCast’s official shop. Support The MJCast and Michael Jackson all at the same time by buying some of our merchandise.

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If you have feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.com. Keep Michaeling!

Film Review: Danny Wu Goes Back to Square One with a Crucial Michael Jackson Allegations Documentary

“Square One” is the Michael Jackson documentary we need now.

It has been a tough year for the worldwide Michael Jackson fan community in the wake of “Leaving Neverland”. With celebrities like Oprah Winfrey hopping onto Dan Reed’s bandwagon, and almost all mainstream media purposely stifling any voice in protest of the film, or even any voice of reason, many fans have been left feeling hopeless. A select few podcasters, YouTubers, and media personalities have created great content countering “Leaving Neverland” but, as of yet, nothing has truly managed to get mainstream, lasting attention. And while the fan community awaits Taj Jackson’s docuseries (you can donate here), that project is still a long ways off.

But the tide may be changing. Just this month, three documentaries have been released in support of Michael Jackson (all of which The MJCast team discuss in #TheMJCastEp108): “Chase the Truth”, “Lies of Leaving Neverland”, and most importantly, in my view, “Square One”, by Danny Wu. After viewing the film at its premiere in Hollywood on September 28, 2019, I believe that Wu’s film has the potential to be a game-changer. It is the film we need in these times.

To give you some background on Danny Wu: Based in Vancouver, Canada, Wu is a YouTuber and up-and-coming filmmaker who grew up as an MJ fan, but who watched “Leaving Neverland” and was convinced of Jackson’s guilt. He decided to create a YouTube video presented as a compelling “Did he or didn’t he?” investigation. However, in the course of Wu’s extensive research, he realized that the facts didn’t add up, and that there could be no way that Michael Jackson was guilty of his accused crimes. Over this time, he interviewed Taj and Brandi Jackson and developed close ties with content creator Liam McEwen (who produced one of the first “Leaving Neverland” rebuttal videos, “Neverland Firsthand”). These relationships would solidify Wu’s support of Jackson’s innocence as well as his dedication to getting out the truth about the allegations. I want to emphasize that Wu “walks the walk”. His efforts are not motivated by money or attention-seeking. In fact, he has donated all of his YouTube revenue from his Jackson-related videos to Taj Jackson’s docuseries, and he self-funded “Square One”. When we interviewed him on The MJCast, he specifically recommended that anyone who wants to donate to him should give their money to Taj Jackson instead.

One might have assumed that Wu would create a film examining the lies in “Leaving Neverland”, since that has been the big focus of this year. But he took a different approach. Wu saw a video of Jackson’s 2005 defense lawyer, Tom Mesereau, in which he spoke about how, if Jordan Chandler had been called to speak in that trial, there would have been a line-up of Chandler’s friends ready to tell the opposite story. Inspired by this idea, Wu decided that he needed to find one of these friends who would be willing to speak publicly. And, in doing so, he could potentially take every allegation “back to square one”, where it all started. By focusing on the 1993 allegations and the Chandler family, he could expose the lies at their root.

With this context in mind, it was with great hope that I attended the film’s premiere on September 28, held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It was hard to know what to expect for this event. Would the fans turn out? Would the film succeed in its goals? Wonderfully, Danny Wu’s “Square One” premiere was a night to remember, when the fan community came together to support a superb film that I believe will make a real difference. In attendance were all the stars of the film, including Danny Wu, Taj Jackson, Charles Thomson (investigative journalist and Legal Correspondent for The MJCast), Jenny Winings, Geraldine Hughes, and Josephine Zohny, who knew Jordan Chandler in college, had been on the 2005 trial witness list, and whose experiences with Chandler frame the film’s narrative. (More on that later.) The rest of the attendees represented a “who’s who” of the MJ community. It was an exciting, inspiring, and dynamic evening. Guest highlights included Tom Mesereau, Liam McEwan, John Ziegler, Tommy Organ, Thayana Sco Jackson, Edwin Costa (of @edwinsgeneration), filmmaker and podcaster Adam Green, actress Lori Petty, and many more. Fans had come from far and wide, with a few attendees flying from China for the event. There was a great energy, buzz, and a lot of love in the room in anticipation of the screening.

Now, onto the part you’re waiting for: So, how was the film?

“Square One” is a brilliant, professional, and entirely convincing film which will, in my view, speak both to fans and to a mainstream audience. When non-fans, or even casual fans, have asked me this year how to address the questions brought up by “Leaving Neverland”, I have found myself pointing to a lot of different resources, but they are typically overflowing with far more information than the average person is willing to sort through. Enter “Square One”, which is now the film to which I will direct people to understand the 1993 allegations and everything that would come after. The way in which it walks the viewer through a complex set of circumstances is impeccable: easy to absorb, concise, grounded in facts, and it lays the groundwork for precisely why things happened as they did, and how the 1993 allegations would set the stage for the Arvizo trial, Robson, Safechuck, and more. As Josephine Zohny says in the film, “Every allegation is built on the ’93 allegations”. By understanding the chain of events involving the Chandler family, the spider web of misfortunes that plagued Michael Jackson throughout the rest of his life are illuminated.

The structure of the film: First, I want to make clear that there are no surprise bombshells in this film. Serious fans will know this information already. (Though, for casual fans or non-fans, most of the facts presented in this film will be new and, I imagine, revelatory.) Its value is not in making new claims, but in presenting the information in the clearest way imaginable, and in doing so with authority. The film is framed by Zohny’s experiences with Jordan Chandler, with powerful interviews with Taj Jackson, Jenny Winings (who, like Zohny, was on the 2005 trial witness list), and Geraldine Hughes woven throughout the narrative. Caroline Fristedt also appears a few times, if briefly, and some archival audio from “Big Al” Scanlan is included. Danny Wu appears in the film to move the story along at certain points, though it is really Charles Thomson who serves as the film’s primary narrator. (It is worth noting that Thomson did not go into this project realizing that his interview would become so key to the film, and it is a testament to his encyclopedic mastery of this chronology that he can provide such a perfect explanation of the chain of events in two unscripted interviews.) Thomson essentially walks us through every step of the 1993 allegations, with the other interviewees highlighting key moments. The rest of the film is primarily made up of archival audio, video, articles and legal documents, which are all well-presented and well-edited. There is no feeling of a passionate “fan-made defense video” here. The information is serious, journalistic, grounded and credible. I particularly appreciate that the film immediately opens by clarifying a few major questions which seem to eternally emerge up in the Jackson allegation conversation: No child pornography was ever found at Neverland, and nothing was ever discovered during the extended, off-and-on investigation of Jackson by the FBI. The actual chronology of the film walks us through the history of the Chandler family, with a particular focus, of course, on Evan Chandler, and his growing rage. It establishes perfectly the sequence of events leading to Chandler’s extortion of Jackson and why Chandler filed a criminal report, when he clearly had had no intention of alerting authorities regarding the supposed abuse of his child. The film makes very clear, as well, why Jackson settled, and how this settlement never voided the possibility of a criminal trial if there had been any evidence to do so. Wu also addresses and clarifies La Toya Jackson’s support (at the time) of the allegations, Victor Gutierrez and Rodney Allen’s role in the fiasco, and concludes with a short section touching on the Arvizo case. The film’s greatest accomplishment is to put all these puzzle pieces together in a way that any viewer can comprehend. Once set in place, there is a sense of crystal-clear understanding that, as Geraldine Hughes says, “Michael Jackson was the victim of an elaborate extortion scheme which launched the allegations.”

Why Josephine Zohny? Zohny has been unfairly criticized by some people online, saying that she is not a credible source. I completely disagree with this. She, along with Jenny Winings, were on the 2005 trial witness list, and would have been part of that trial if Chandler had been brought into the case. Also, Zohny is not motivated by anything but telling the truth: She gave one statement when she was put on the 2005 witness list, but has never spoken publicly about her experiences otherwise. She has never sold her story, nor has she told conflicting or exaggerated tales. And, while it’s true that she was not a close friend of Chandler’s, just an acquaintance, she had interactions with him on multiple occasions when they were classmates together at NYU, and heard him make statements specifically related to Jackson. According to her, Chandler surrounded himself with MJ memorabilia and fan friends, and, upon the release of Martin Bashir’s “Living with Michael Jackson”, Chandler stated, in front of multiple witnesses, that Jackson was “not capable of the things he was being accused of”. In sum, Zohny has put herself in the spotlight at personal risk (she has had to deal with internet trolls and her professional website being hacked) in order to defend Michael Jackson, and I have absolutely no doubt that viewers will find her story compelling and credible.

The minuses: I have very few critiques of this film, which I hope will be widely shared across the global MJ fan community and far beyond, except to point out that it could have benefited from a bit more editing. Wu created “Square One” in just a couple of months, which is deeply impressive, so I am perfectly willing to excuse any slight imperfections. I personally wish that Charles Thomson’s narration wasn’t via a sometimes-crackly speakerphone, for example, but that is a small complaint. So many long-time fans have spent years exploring the issues around the Jackson allegations, but no one has managed to create anything quite like this, and I encourage every Jackson fan to come together to support this film in whatever way we can.

I’ll conclude with a few words from Tom Mesereau, who was interviewed by John Ziegler immediately after the film premiere:

“It’s a fabulous film. It is high quality. It was carefully investigated. It was condensed in a very professional attempt to find the truth, and it tells the truth. Michael Jackson was not a pedophile. He never should have been put through what he was put through, starting with the case in ’92-’93. And I commend Danny Wu and all of his people for the fabulous job they did, and I can’t wait to hear this circulating through society, because we live in very, very biased, troubled times. Michael Jackson was never a pedophile, never should have been accused as such, and his life was destroyed by greed, by people without integrity, by people without a conscience. This film starts the road back from some of the recent developments, which have been very troubling. [Wu] did a tremendous job in showing the truth.”

Let’s gather as a community to support this film and other quality content being released in Michael Jackson’s defense. This is our moment.

How to watch “Square One”:

October 5, 2019: Worldwide debut of “Square One” on YouTube.

London premiere: UK residents can attend a screening of the film on October 5th in London. Danny Wu will be in attendance, and possibly other stars of the film. Information here.

Learn more:

The MJCast’s interview with Danny Wu.

Danny Wu’s TwitterInstagram and Facebook pages.

Other episodes from The MJCast related to the allegations:

Episode 108 – Back to Square One

Episode 103 – Vindication Day Special with Larry Nimmer

Episode 099 – Leaving Neverland Q&A

Episode 095 – Leaving Neverland Roundtable

Episode 081 – Vindication Day Special with Aphrodite Jones

Episode 058 – Vindication Day Special (Pirates in Neverland: The Michael Jackson Allegations)

Episode 033 – Vindication Day Special with Scott Ross

Article by Elise Capron.

108: Back to Square One

In this regular episode, Jamon and Q catch up on lots of big news in the world of Michael Jackson and the Jackson family. They discuss museum exhibitions at the Smithsonian and in Finland, an updated edition of Joe Vogel’s Man in the Music, Raymone Bain’s much-hyped press conference, new videos from Michael Trapson, and great new music from TJ Jackson. For their main topic, they discuss three (yes, three!) new Michael Jackson documentaries: Chase the Truth, The Lies of Leaving Neverland, and Square One. Plus, special guest Danny Wu, YouTuber and creator of Square One, joins the guys for a chat about his film.

Follow Up
• Michael Jackson birthday events roundup.
• The MJCast Legal Correspondent Charlie Thomson is now working for Taj Jackson as the writer of his allegations documentary.
• 50 Cent and Sheryl Crowe.
• Thanks for giving me a heart attack, Janet!
• Rotterdam Walk of Fame.

News
• An iconic Michael Jackson photograph is featured in the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth.
• The Michael Jackson – On the Wall official Estate and National Portrait Gallery exhibition is now showing at the EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art in Helsinki, Finland.
• Raymone Bain’s press conference.
• Michael Trapson drops full 36-minute Trapson EO tribute film, as well as the Michael Trapson New Vibration 2019 Pepsi remake.
• Joe Vogel’s updated, revised and expanded edition of Man In the Music has now been released and is available for purchase. Published by Vintage Anchor Books, links for purchase are available here, or with free shipping via Book Depository.
• TJ Jackson releases his first solo single, Insomnia, available now across streaming services: Spotify, Apple Music.

Main Discussion Topic
• Chase the Truth
• Lies of Leaving Neverland
• Square One, premiering in Los Angeles on September 28, and releasing worldwide on YouTube on October 5.

Finds of the Week
• Jamon – Disney Channel’s The Making of Captain EO
• Q – Legends Never Die video tribute to MJ and his fans, made by the world’s best MJ YouTube video mixer, Malc Jennings/Smooth EmJay.
• Danny – Amateur footage of MJ Live in Brunei 1996 and Billie Jean Live In Munich, Germany 1997.

Additional Links
• Danny Wu’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.

Ad & Music Breaks
• Michael Jackson – Remember the Time (Nick* Deep Mix)
• The Jacksons – Lovely One (Groovefunkel Remix)
• Michael Jackson – Smile (Piano Version) [Alternate Vocal]

Connect with Us
• 
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• 
YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comStay BAD!

103: Vindication Day Special with Larry Nimmer

The MJCast present their fifth annual special episode recognising Michael Jackson’s acquittal from false child molestation allegations on June 13th, 2005. On each of these annual episodes, the team brings a very special guest onto the show to discuss their experience with the trial that so deeply affected Jackson’s life. This is a time for reflection, education, and bringing together our community.

In this year’s show, Jamon and Q welcome Emmy-nominated filmmaker Larry Nimmer, who was a key component of the defense team in Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial. When Judge Melville decided against allowing the jury to physically visit Neverland, Nimmer was hired by Jackson to film, document and narrate almost every area of the ranch so that the jury could experience it with as much detail as possible in the courtroom. The extensive documentation Nimmer collected feels even more poignant this year, in the shadow of the film “Leaving Neverland”, when the Ranch has been maliciously and incorrectly depicted as an attraction to lure young boys.

In this chat, the guys discuss Nimmer’s early life and career in film, how he ended up being hired by Jackson and his team, and his thoughts going into the trial. He goes into detail about Neverland itself, working with the staff there, and addresses many of the big misperceptions and myths that have lingered since the mid-2000s. Nimmer also discusses the trial itself, as well as his thoughts on the Arizo family, and reflects on the current accusations made by Robson and Safechuck.

Additional Links
• Larry Nimmer’s website, Twitter, and YouTube channel.
• His documentaries are available for purchase here.
• “Michael Jackson: A Case for Innocence” on Facebook.
• Larry Nimmer’s interview with Reflections on the Dance interview.

Connect with Us
TheMJCast.com
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YouTube

If you have any thoughts, opinions, or feedback on this Michael Jackson podcast episode, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at themjcast@icloud.com or find the links to our many social networks on www.themjcast.comKeep Michaeling!