Michael Jackson_ The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story, 1958-2009 Part 26

'They'll take her if I tell them they have to take her, or they don't get Michael,' Joseph said.

Katherine wasn't so sure about Joseph's logic, especially since she didn't know how they were even going to convince Michael to do the tour.

If Joseph couldn't represent LaToya, then he wanted to be sure no one else could, either. 'In other words, he was saying I'd never get anywhere on my own,' LaToya recalled, 'and he'd make certain of that.' When LaToya asked Katherine for a.s.sistance, Katherine said, 'I don't want to get in the middle of it. It's between you and your father.'

Hoping to placate their daughter into remaining with Joseph, he and Katherine hired an outsider, Jack Gordon, to manage LaToya, under Joseph's direction. Her parents hoped that she would no longer feel as trapped. Jack, who was in his mid-forties had served time in prison for trying to bribe the Nevada State Gaming Commission. He has also been linked to underworld dealings and allegedly ran a brothel in Nevada for four years. In a short time, Jack became more than LaToya's business a.s.sociate. Before anyone in the family knew what was happening, he and LaToya were plotting a way to extricate her from Joseph and Katherine's hold.

'When I questioned him about some major expenses he and LaToya were running up on Joseph's account, Jack threatened my life,' Jerome Howard recalled. 'The man was dangerous, but LaToya felt that Joseph was dangerous, too. "Do you know my father?" she asked me once. "No, you don't," she answered for me. "You don't know what he's like, Jerome. You don't know what I've been been through."' through."'

In March 1988 just three days after Michael moved out of the Encino home LaToya took off with Jack Gordon. She took just two suitcases, left her Mercedes in the driveway, and didn't look back. The family blamed Jack. They all hated him, and he returned the animus. 'I love Joseph like poison,' Jack said.

In order to boost LaToya's career, Jack made the deal with Hugh Hefner that she would strip for a photo lay-out. He reported that she would receive a million dollars for disrobing. She probably was paid half as much. LaToya explained her decision, to Hollywood columnist Frank Swertlow: 'It was a matter of my letting my family know I am an individual and I want my independence. That's very difficult when you come from a large family and you've been controlled all of your life.'

When Katherine heard about the photo essay, she couldn't believe her ears. Neither could anyone else who had known LaToya. 'LaToya was always the puritanical one,' said longtime friend Joyce McCrae.

'I used to always cover my body from head to toe,' LaToya told Playboy Playboy. 'I guess my shyness came from growing up the way I did, being so sheltered and having a strict father.'

Katherine telephoned LaToya and asked if it was true. 'Are you posing for a Playboy Playboy centrefold? Please, 'Toya, tell me it's not true.' One wonders why Katherine even bothered. Did her famous children centrefold? Please, 'Toya, tell me it's not true.' One wonders why Katherine even bothered. Did her famous children ever ever tell her the truth about their activities? tell her the truth about their activities?

'Oh, Mother,' LaToya said, 'where do you hear these things? Of course it's not true.' She then did what Michael always did she blamed the media for lying about her. 'Don't believe what you hear, Mother,' she said. 'You should know better.'

Later LaToya would explain why she lied to Katherine. 'Mother did ask me if I had posed for Playboy Playboy. She asked very specifically, "Did you pose for the Playboy Playboy centrefold?" I told her no, and that was the truth. I did pose for centrefold?" I told her no, and that was the truth. I did pose for Playboy Playboy but but not not for the centrefold. It was for elsewhere in the magazine.' for the centrefold. It was for elsewhere in the magazine.'

After speaking to LaToya, Katherine telephoned Michael and, with a sigh of relief, told him that everything the family had heard about her and Playboy Playboy was a lie manufactured by the media. However, Michael had already begun his own investigation into the matter and realized that there was more to the story. He decided to take matters into his own hands. was a lie manufactured by the media. However, Michael had already begun his own investigation into the matter and realized that there was more to the story. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

After making a few more telephone calls, Michael learned that a meeting at Hugh Hefner's mansion had been scheduled for the next day, regarding LaToya's pictorial. That day, he drove to the mansion and, under the guise of wanting to visit Hugh's menagerie of animals, snooped around the estate with one of his young friends. When he walked into one of the parlours, he found a group of men sitting around a table, nervously stuffing colour photographs into their briefcases. 'What's goin' on in here?' Michael asked with a 'caught ya' grin. Hugh walked over to Michael and shook his head. The two then had a discussion about LaToya, during which Hugh promised to send Michael the pictures by messenger later in the week, 'after they've been touched up.'

A week later, Michael received the photographs. 'I can't believe this is my sister,' he told a person who still works for Michael today. 'This ruins the family image. That's it. There's nothing left.'

Michael's employee said, 'All he cared about after seeing the pictures was his mother and her blood pressure. "I'm afraid that when Kate sees these pictures, she'll have a heart attack," he told me. "I'm not even going to tell her I have them. Hopefully, they'll touch up 'Toya's, uh, her, uh, nipples, at least. I mean, do we have to see her nipples? nipples?"' Michael hoped that the photographs he received did not represent the actual lay-out. Perhaps all of them had not been utilized in it. Perhaps LaToya's nipples had had been camouflaged in some way. He telephoned LaToya. been camouflaged in some way. He telephoned LaToya.

She says he told her he thought the photos were lovely, which doesn't seem likely. When he asked if she had an advance of the final lay-out, she confessed that she did have it. Would she send it to him? No, she said.

A month later, the lay-out was published. Michael's worst fears about the spread of eleven photos were realized. Could that really be LaToya, posing nude with a sixty-pound boa constrictor slithering between her legs? 'Boas aren't dangerous unless they're hungry,' she observed in the accompanying text.

After the initial shock, there was shame and embarra.s.sment. Katherine and Rebbie were both humiliated; not only had Latoya disrobed, but she had clearly had some work done on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Whereas they had once been small, they were now... bountiful bountiful.

For Joseph, seeing his daughter sprawled out in Playboy Playboy with a snake was an agonizing experience. One of his friends claimed that he and Katherine sequestered themselves at Hayvenhurst for a month, not because they were afraid to be confronted but rather because they were heartsick over what LaToya had done to them. They also blamed Jack Gordon for convincing her that posing for with a snake was an agonizing experience. One of his friends claimed that he and Katherine sequestered themselves at Hayvenhurst for a month, not because they were afraid to be confronted but rather because they were heartsick over what LaToya had done to them. They also blamed Jack Gordon for convincing her that posing for Playboy Playboy would be a good career move. would be a good career move.

Michael, too, was irate with his sister, but not only for her career choice and the fact that she had further damaged the family's image. He certainly did not find artistic merit in the photographs and told one friend that, as far as he was concerned, they represented p.o.r.nography. However, Michael was more angry with LaToya because she publicly claimed that he had approved approved of the pictures, and was glad she had taken them. 'When he started hearing LaToya say on television that he was the only one in the family who approved, he went nuts,' said Steven Harris, a former a.s.sociate. 'He called his mother, and they had a long, painful conversation about it. "How can I talk to her about anything if she twists what I say for her own purposes?" he asked. Katherine and Michael decided it was best if Michael never spoke to LaToya. He changed his number and didn't give it to her. Of course, she couldn't get it from anyone else in the family. No one would dare give it to her once Michael made it known that he didn't want her to have it. It was a shame. They had been so close.' of the pictures, and was glad she had taken them. 'When he started hearing LaToya say on television that he was the only one in the family who approved, he went nuts,' said Steven Harris, a former a.s.sociate. 'He called his mother, and they had a long, painful conversation about it. "How can I talk to her about anything if she twists what I say for her own purposes?" he asked. Katherine and Michael decided it was best if Michael never spoke to LaToya. He changed his number and didn't give it to her. Of course, she couldn't get it from anyone else in the family. No one would dare give it to her once Michael made it known that he didn't want her to have it. It was a shame. They had been so close.'

'You know what?' he told his attorney, John Branca. 'I can't control her, just as they [presumably his family] can't control me. So, good for her, I guess. She did what she had to do and she didn't care about any of us, did she? When I do that kind of thing, they all come down on me, hard. So, good for her if she can take it. Good for her.' Michael then instructed the rest of his staff never to bring up the subject of LaToya's Playboy Playboy lay-out in his presence. 'I don't want to hear one more word about my sister's big b.r.e.a.s.t.s,' he concluded. 'I just want to forget the whole thing ever happened.' lay-out in his presence. 'I don't want to hear one more word about my sister's big b.r.e.a.s.t.s,' he concluded. 'I just want to forget the whole thing ever happened.'

A Million-dollar Bounty on Michael's Head.

'We need Michael Jackson.'

'We must have Michael Jackson.'

'How do we get Michael Jackson?"

In February 1989, faxed communications from Kenneth Choi flooded into Jerome Howard's office regarding the 'Jackson Moonie Project'. Still, no one wanted to approach Michael just yet; they were afraid he would give them an instant 'no,' and that would be the end of it. 'Finally, in desperation, the Koreans came up with an idea,' Jerome recalled, 'a reward. A bounty was placed on Michael's head. The price: one million dollars. Anyone family member or business a.s.sociate who could get Michael's signature on the contract would get a million dollars, money which would come straight from the Moonies. Now, everyone everyone wanted to approach Michael,' Jerome concluded with a chuckle, 'and right away.' wanted to approach Michael,' Jerome concluded with a chuckle, 'and right away.'

Katherine decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and telephone Michael at Neverland to give it her best shot. As she gently tried to explain the proposed tour, feeding him information about it as gingerly as possible, Joseph stood nearby, pacing. Finally, he was about to burst. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the phone from her hand. 'Michael, now you listen here,' he declared. 'You said you wanted us to be a family again,' he said, referring to their last telephone conversation from j.a.pan. 'Now, look. I got these rich Koreans and they got this big deal and I want you to do this thing, Michael, 'cause we're gonna make a lot of money and we need need this money and you this money and you know know we do and ' we do and '

'Joseph, put Mother back on the phone.'

Michael then told Katherine to forget about it. He wouldn't even consider another family venture, especially if Joseph was involved in it. He reminded Katherine of the time (in 1985) when Joseph aligned with a Hollywood producer to develop a film based on 'Beat It' which was to star Michael and Michael didn't know anything about it. He later had to disavow the project which, he said, was embarra.s.sing. 'He's always doing things to get me involved in projects with him, and I'm not going along with it,' Michael said. He didn't want to tour with the brothers again, either. 'That's over,' he told his mother. 'I mean it,' he concluded. 'Forget it, Kat. [Michael often calls his mother 'Kat'.] I won't do it and I want you to please just drop it. Do you understand?'

The good ol' days when Katherine was able to convince Michael to do anything she asked of him were clearly in the past.

By February 1989, financial matters had gotten so desperate for Joseph and Katherine that they could no longer afford to pay Jerome Howard his salary; he had settled for $3,000 a month, even though they had originally agreed to pay him $10,000, and now he wasn't getting anything. Therefore, he became even more interested in concluding the Jackson Moonie Project not only to generate revenue for the family, but for himself, as well. He decided to go directly to Frank Dileo for a.s.sistance. Unfortunately, no one in the family knew how to get to Frank. The brothers barely knew him, and Katherine and Joseph never liked meeting with him about anything because, they claimed, he would then go back to Michael and misrepresent what they had said. Katherine, in particular, didn't like Frank especially after he said she was 'crazy' for thinking Michael could do a better show with his brothers.

Jerome finally had to pay an a.s.sociate of Frank's $2,000 for an introduction to Frank, who, as it turned out, was at a weight-reduction centre run by Duke University in North Carolina. Jerome called Frank and arranged a meeting for them with Kenneth Choi. It took place in a North Carolina hotel room at the end of February 1989. Frank told Kenneth that if Katherine was involved in the deal, he would talk to Michael about it. 'He loves his mother,' said Frank. 'I don't know. I ain't promisin' nothin'. But, maybe...' At that point, Kenneth opened his briefcase and took out two cashier's cheques made out for $500,000.

'These are for you,' he declared. 'A million dollars.'

Frank laughed in his face. 'I can't take a million bucks from you. What, are you crazy?' he said. 'I can't guarantee Michael Jackson will do anything for you. Michael is a smart man. He makes up his own mind. No one tells tells him to do anything. Do you understand that?' him to do anything. Do you understand that?'

As promised, Frank then discussed the situation with Michael. Michael said he didn't want to be involved. Frank told him to think it over, 'and maybe you'll change your mind, maybe you won't. It's your decision.'

'It was business as usual,' Frank recalled. 'Everything was hunky-dory.'

Michael and Frank were inseparable. He was prominently featured on the Bad Bad record jacket, a picture of him and Michael which was captioned 'another great team'. Michael also devoted a full page to photos of him and Frank in his lavish concert tour booklet. In fact, Frank had often said that he thought of Michael as a son, 'and he referred to me as a second dad.' record jacket, a picture of him and Michael which was captioned 'another great team'. Michael also devoted a full page to photos of him and Frank in his lavish concert tour booklet. In fact, Frank had often said that he thought of Michael as a son, 'and he referred to me as a second dad.'

'I was with the kid every day,' he recalled. 'Some days you could have a decent conversation with him. Some days he was on another planet. But I got closer to him than anybody else in his life,' Frank had even advised Michael about the taboo subject of plastic surgery, telling him that when he was a youngster he, too, had wanted a cleft in his chin like Kirk Douglas. 'But that's enough,' he told Michael. 'No more surgery.'

After five years of working for him, Frank Dileo may have thought he was in good standing with Michael Jackson, that their relationship was, as he put it, 'hunky-dory'. He would have been wrong.

Michael Fires Frank Dileo.

Three days after the brief telephone conversation about the Jackson Moonie Project, Frank Dileo was fired. Michael's publicist, Lee Solters, issued a terse statement: 'Michael Jackson and Frank Dileo have announced an amicable parting. Jackson said, "I thank Frank for his contribution on my behalf during the past several years."'

Perhaps Michael felt he had valid reasons for firing Frank, but he did it in a cowardly way: he had John Branca do it.

'Look, man, I hate to have to be the one to tell you this,' John said, 'but Michael doesn't want to work with you any more.'

'What? No s.h.i.t? You're kiddin' me, right?'

'Sorry, Frank,' John told him. 'It's no joke.'

After some more discussion about the matter, Frank said, 'Okay, fine with me, then. I just want to get paid whatever is owed me, and then I'll be on my way.'

'Are you p.i.s.sed off, Frank?' John asked. He felt badly about it. He liked Frank and knew that Frank truly cared about Michael.

'h.e.l.l no,' Frank said, trying to be the tough guy. 'Look, Johnny, if the kid doesn't want me, I don't want to be around. See you later.' With that, Frank hung up. He then left the weight-reduction centre, 'because I had to get to work,' he recalled. 'I was out of a job.'

The next day, Frank telephoned Kenneth Choi, who was in San Francisco. 'I just wanted to tell you that Michael and I broke up,' he said.

'What? What's that mean, "broke up"?' Kenneth asked. 'I don't understand.'

'The kid fired me, I'm tellin' ya. I'm finished. Ka-put Ka-put.'

'Oh,' Kenneth said. 'That I understand.' I understand.'

Immediately, word circulated within Michael Jackson's camp that Frank had taken the million-dollar reward money, that Michael found out about it, that this was why he fired him. Of course, this was not true. Kenneth Choi later recalled, 'That impressed me a great deal. Frank said that if Michael did end up going to Korea, then then he might take some money as a bonus, but not before.' he might take some money as a bonus, but not before.'

'Frank could have had one million bucks that day, but he didn't take it,' Jerome Howard confirmed. 'He could have accepted the money, never gotten Michael's signature, and it would have taken a lifetime in court before he'd ever have to return it, if ever. But he's an honourable man. Later, Frank told me that he very gently talked to Michael about the Korea plan. He said, "You can't just ask Michael straight out to do something, like Joseph did on the phone. Michael has to be stroked. His ego has to be ma.s.saged thoroughly before he will agree to do anything." I wondered if he had ma.s.saged it maybe one time too many...'

Actually, Michael was upset with Frank for a number of reasons.

First of all, Michael felt that Frank had taken too much credit for his success. He was tired of other people taking credit for what he felt was his own destiny. Because Michael refused to be interviewed, Frank had developed a high media profile as his spokesman. Many celebrities and Michael is one of them do not like it when their representatives also become celebrities. Michael's ego is fragile. Frank was becoming too well known for Michael's taste, giving interviews to the press touting his accomplishments for Michael. Every time he did so, Michael cringed.

'Frank isn't even creative,' Michael told an a.s.sociate. 'Let's face it. I come up with all of the ideas.'

Michael felt that Frank had also become too dictatorial. For instance, when the Bad tour played Pittsburgh, Frank's hometown, he arranged a gathering so that he could introduce Michael to his close friends and relatives. 'Michael, I expect you to be there at eight sharp,' he said. 'Do you understand?' He knew Michael well enough to know that he might show up, or he might not. He hoped not to be embarra.s.sed in front of people who mattered to him. 'So I will expect you there, right?'

Michael didn't say anything. Later, he complained, 'Who is he he to tell me what to do? Screw that, to tell me what to do? Screw that, I I tell tell him him what to do.' what to do.'

Michael showed up, but an hour late, no doubt on purpose. Afterwards, Frank let him have it. 'You embarra.s.sed me,' he screamed at him. 'What's wrong with you? How could you do that to me?'

Michael seethed as Frank laid into him. Finally, Bill Bray began shouting at Frank to leave Michael alone. 'f.u.c.k you, man,' Bill said. 'He don't work for you. You work for him. You better check yourself.' It was an unpleasant scene.

Another matter had to do with a deal that some thought Frank had bungled on Michael's behalf: a multimillion-dollar contract for domestic theatrical release of Michael's ninety-minute video Moonwalker Moonwalker (which is part clip compilation and part musical autobiography). (which is part clip compilation and part musical autobiography).

The film features Michael's innovative video of 'Leave Me Alone', in which he spoofed his image by showing a shrine to Elizabeth Taylor, a newspaper headline that read 'Michael Confides in Chimp' and a discomforting segment in which he dances with the Elephant Man's skeleton. In the video, Michael moves through a surreal world of floating chairs, huge chomping teeth and amus.e.m.e.nt park rides. It took twenty-five people six months to make the four-minute-and-forty-five-second video.

The project cost Michael Jackson about twenty-seven million dollars. Moonwalker Moonwalker was released theatrically in j.a.pan, but not in the United States because of numerous disagreements. It had been reported that Frank was behind the decision not to release was released theatrically in j.a.pan, but not in the United States because of numerous disagreements. It had been reported that Frank was behind the decision not to release Moonwalker Moonwalker domestically, angering international distributors who had bought the film for theatrical releases. When the announcement was made that there would be no domestic deal, many overseas theatres pulled the film, or scaled down its promotion and publicity. This decision cost Michael many millions of dollars in lost box office revenue. domestically, angering international distributors who had bought the film for theatrical releases. When the announcement was made that there would be no domestic deal, many overseas theatres pulled the film, or scaled down its promotion and publicity. This decision cost Michael many millions of dollars in lost box office revenue.

Frank eventually did come up with a multimillion-dollar offer to distribute the film domestically, but someone else in Michael's organization talked him out of it. Therefore, while Michael may have been angry at the way distribution of Moonwalker Moonwalker was handled, he didn't blame Frank for it not entirely, anyway. was handled, he didn't blame Frank for it not entirely, anyway.

Most of Michael's a.s.sociates felt that Michael should should have been angry at Frank, however, for allowing him to spend twenty-seven million on have been angry at Frank, however, for allowing him to spend twenty-seven million on Moonwalker Moonwalker, a video project whose budget should not have exceeded five million dollars. In the end, the video made approximately thirty million dollars in over-the-counter sales and other deals, another tribute to John Branca's negotiating savvy and Walter Yetnikoff's persistence (CBS Music Video Enterprises distributed the tape). No home music video had ever come close to generating that much money for its artist. Still, after Moonwalker Moonwalker, Michael would say that he felt 'poor' and didn't want to spend any more money on major projects 'for a long, long time'.

Another problem with Frank was that Michael had become disgusted with the tabloid image of himself that he believed Frank was continuing to propagate. But the hyperbaric chamber and Elephant Man's bones stories were Michael's ideas not Frank's.

One story that appeared in the Star Star (on 2 August 1988), was particularly disturbing to Michael: M (on 2 August 1988), was particularly disturbing to Michael: MICHAEL J JACKSON B BANS 4 P 4 PALS FROM T TOUR AFTER T THEY F FLUNK AIDS T AIDS TEST. The article said that Michael fired four employees because they had tested positive for HIV. 'I'm really afraid of AIDS,' Michael was quoted as having said. 'I think about having lunch with these guys and shaking hands and spending so much time together.' The article also said that Michael was spending a fortune having his own frozen blood moved around with him wherever he goes. 'You never know when you may need blood, and the only blood I can be sure of is my own,' Michael supposedly said.

Apparently, Michael was paying the price for the idea he had had years ago to have a Plexiglas shield constructed between him and his audiences to protect him from germs during the 1984 Victory tour. He realized at the time that the plan was absurd, and dropped it. Someone on his team remembered it, though, and after embellishing it with an HIV twist, then sold it to the tabloid.

The peculiar idea came to Michael during the time, after his burn accident, when he had become fascinated with medicine. He'd become a ravenous reader of medical books and enjoyed reading and hearing about dreadful diseases. For a while, he also became obsessed with learning about different surgeries, going so far as to witness operations at UCLA Medical Center.

'Michael's curious about surgery,' said one former a.s.sociate. 'He gets off on it. He can watch for hours. He especially likes to watch plastic surgeries tummy tucks, liposuctions, he's into all of that. He has even witnessed brain surgeries.'

While he was interested in medicine, he was not obsessed with catching AIDS and had only empathetic feelings about the disease. 'When Michael read that report, he became upset,' said Michael Tucker, a friend of the Jackson family (not the actor). 'Of all diseases, AIDS is one that Michael is most sensitive about. "Why would they write this about me?" he said. "That isn't me at all. What if people believe this of me? What are they going to think of me?"

'He became furious and wanted to know where the report originated. "If I find out that anyone in my organization planted these hurtful stories, that person will be fired. I mean it," he said.'

It's not known if Michael fired Frank Dileo because he wanted to end his wacky image in the tabloids. After Frank was gone, though, the stories continued. It wasn't necessary for anyone on Michael's staff to plant them; writers just made them up as they went along...

The primary reason Michael dismissed Frank was because he was disappointed that Bad Bad was not as successful as was not as successful as Thriller Thriller. It had 'only' sold about twenty million copies worldwide, roughly one-fifth of what Michael had hoped for it. Thriller Thriller sold twenty-four million in the United States; sold twenty-four million in the United States; Bad Bad sold six million. sold six million.

'Michael was p.i.s.sed off,' said one friend of Frank Dileo's. 'He had his heart set on another huge alb.u.m. When he didn't get what he wanted, he acted like a spoiled, little kid. He threw temper tantrums. He cried. He can be very dramatic. Frank had his hands full. He had a lot to deal with.'

'But we did the best we could,' Frank said of Bad Bad. 'We made the best alb.u.m and the best videos we could. We don't have anything to be ashamed of.' While that may be true, some were whispering in Michael's ear that Frank should have done a better job. Doubt began to creep into Michael's mind. He had to blame someone for what he thought was a weak showing for Bad Bad. Therefore, he blamed Frank Dileo.

About a year later, Frank would say there was 'No warning. Did it anger me? Yes. The way it was done was an insult. He took away my faith in people. For a long time, I've not been as trusting.'

Frank felt that the least Michael could have done was fire him personally. However, Michael is not a sentimental person, and never has been one. To Michael, Frank was not 'a second father'. Rather, he was a capable businessman who had, in Michael's view, exhausted his usefulness.

Michael's Mother Gets the Reward Money.

After Frank Dileo's firing, Katherine Jackson's campaign to get Michael Jackson to go to Korea with his brothers continued, but Michael could not be swayed.

Now that Frank was out of the picture, Jerome Howard telephoned Michael's accountant, Marshall Gelfand, to ask for help in getting Michael to commit to the Korean venture. 'By all means,' Marshall told Jerome. 'We're always looking for ways to make extra money for Michael. Call John Branca, tell him I told you to call, and he'll he'll convince Michael. Michael convince Michael. Michael loves loves to work, so sure, he'll go.' to work, so sure, he'll go.'

'At this time, the Koreans said, "But what if he won't go?" They were panicking,' Jerome recalled. '"Fine, then offer him ten ten million to come," they said. That's ten million million to come," they said. That's ten million above above the seven point five million the brothers would get and split among themselves. And they said they were going to give him an airplane from Korean Airlines to travel in, and another plane for the brothers. This way, Michael wouldn't have to even see his brothers, except onstage. I faxed all of this to John Branca, who got back to me right away and said, "No, Michael doesn't want to go." So, then the Koreans sent a gold bust statue of Michael over to him to try to convince him. Still, Michael wouldn't budge. He didn't want to go, but no one was listening to the guy. the seven point five million the brothers would get and split among themselves. And they said they were going to give him an airplane from Korean Airlines to travel in, and another plane for the brothers. This way, Michael wouldn't have to even see his brothers, except onstage. I faxed all of this to John Branca, who got back to me right away and said, "No, Michael doesn't want to go." So, then the Koreans sent a gold bust statue of Michael over to him to try to convince him. Still, Michael wouldn't budge. He didn't want to go, but no one was listening to the guy.

'Then the Koreans offered me me a gift, a car, because they thought I might have some influence on Michael, which I did not have,' Jerome continued. 'I already had three cars; I didn't need another. But they wanted to buy me a seventy-thousand-dollar Mercedes. I told Katherine and Joseph, and Joseph said, "They're not gonna buy you no car." Well, the Jacksons weren't paying me any more, so I accepted the Mercedes. When I drove that Mercedes on to the Jacksons' property, Katherine was happy for me. I told her I was going to sell the car and use the money to cover my expenses until she and Joseph could pay me again. She said, "No, you need that car for business. They gave you that car. You keep it and don't you ever sell it." But Joseph was p.i.s.sed off, because they gave me a car but didn't give him one. "Those are a gift, a car, because they thought I might have some influence on Michael, which I did not have,' Jerome continued. 'I already had three cars; I didn't need another. But they wanted to buy me a seventy-thousand-dollar Mercedes. I told Katherine and Joseph, and Joseph said, "They're not gonna buy you no car." Well, the Jacksons weren't paying me any more, so I accepted the Mercedes. When I drove that Mercedes on to the Jacksons' property, Katherine was happy for me. I told her I was going to sell the car and use the money to cover my expenses until she and Joseph could pay me again. She said, "No, you need that car for business. They gave you that car. You keep it and don't you ever sell it." But Joseph was p.i.s.sed off, because they gave me a car but didn't give him one. "Those are our our kids, Katherine. Why should Jerome get a car, but we get no car?" he wanted to know. From that time on, Joseph's att.i.tude about me began to change. I began to feel I was about to get cut out of the deal.' kids, Katherine. Why should Jerome get a car, but we get no car?" he wanted to know. From that time on, Joseph's att.i.tude about me began to change. I began to feel I was about to get cut out of the deal.'

The Koreans still felt that if anyone could talk Michael into going on this tour, Katherine could. Therefore, they upped the ante and actually gave her the million-dollar bounty on condition that she get her son's signature on the contract within fourteen days. Jerome Howard handed Katherine the two $500,000 cashier's cheques.

'I don't want that money, Jerome,' Katherine insisted. 'Don't give it to me.'

'If I don't give it to you, then I have to give it to Joseph,' Jerome warned her. Katherine took the money.

'Do you think you can convince Michael?' he asked.

'Well, I can only try,' Katherine said. 'Michael has a mind of his own, you know.' She shook her head in disbelief. 'A million dollars, I guess we have have come a long way.' come a long way.'

Joseph never imagined that Katherine had a million dollars stashed away somewhere in Hayvenhurst. Jerome Howard feared that if Joseph knew about it, he would have cashed the cheques immediately, signature or no signature from his son. Katherine apparently agreed, because she did not tell him she was in possession of the reward money. If she got Michael's signature on the contract, she said, she fully intended to give Joseph half of the reward.

In the last year, Michael had made over sixty-five million dollars. According to Forbes Forbes magazine, he had been one the highest-paid entertainers in the world in 1988. He could be generous when he wanted to be, but when it came to his family, he had reservations. However, his family needed his help and believed that Michael should come to their rescue. magazine, he had been one the highest-paid entertainers in the world in 1988. He could be generous when he wanted to be, but when it came to his family, he had reservations. However, his family needed his help and believed that Michael should come to their rescue.

It's true that the brothers did feel that Michael owed them. 'Michael is very popular right now,' Jermaine said at the time, 'and I feel I've contributed a major part to it. Not just me, but my brothers too. What's happened to Michael has a lot a lot to do with what we to do with what we all all did as The Jackson 5.' did as The Jackson 5.'

In March 1989, Jerome Howard and Kenneth Choi were at the Jacksons' estate in Encino with Katherine, Joseph and Jermaine, discussing the problem at hand. 'I think the best thing would be for him to get closer to his family,' Jermaine said. 'Once you make so much money, it's just another dollar. At some point, you have to start looking at the important things, like love, family and health.'