Show Notes
Join Ogborn and Crook as they explore the hall of mirrors that was Michael Jackson’s life and then as they painstakingly, sometimes painfully, reconstruct the complex narrative of an iconic and troubled performer haunted by allegations of criminal perversion. Listen back to this 2019 docseries now.
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More from Telephone Stories
If you like Telephone Stories, you'll probably enjoy this one, too: Pull the Thread: The Wild Life takes an unprecedented look at the corrupt, dangerous, and fascinating world of wildlife trade. Undercover recordings, a surburban house stuffed with ivory, and socks bulging with cash: this story is a wild ride. A Kingpin has his downfall as investigative reporter Runako Celina unpacks the complex systems surrounding illegal animal products, including the criminalization of poverty as well as the motivations driving demand. In this tale, nothing is as it initially seems. Listen to episode 1, Untouchable, now.
The season finale of Telephone Stories picks up after the trial, as Michael Jackson wanders the world in crippling debt and agrees to a concert series to rebuild both his finances and reputation. The comeback plans are cut short by Jackson’s sudden death from a drug overdose in 2009. Within months, tragedy also strikes the Chandler family, and FBI files on the singer are released to confusing results. And nearly a decade later, Leaving Neverland causes a cultural stir, compelling Brandon to speak with lawyers from the powerful Jackson Estate on their legal strategies, their logic in fighting Jackson’s current accusers and how they handle the diehard Jackson fans. Omar and Brandon wrap up with final thoughts on the singer’s innocence, complicated by the discovery of an interview in which acting legend Marlon Brando describes a tear-filled conversation with the music icon.
With the prosecution’s case in shambles, Mesereau swings for the fences and presents a full blown defense for Michael Jackson – calling up celebrities to vouch for the singer and smear the Arvizo Family. The result is 14 acquittals and a celebration for die-hard Jackson fans around the world. Reporters, the prosecuting attorneys, and Jackson’s defense attorneys weigh in on the impact of Jackson going free. Meanwhile, over 2,000 accredited media personnel pack up and go home, and a key source reveals how an original prosecution strategy could have upended the verdict.
Prosecuting DA Tom Sneddon uses California's "prior bad acts" statute in order to delve into Jackson's past. Former employees testify to witnessing inappropriate behavior between Jackson and other children from Jordie Chandler to Macaulay Culkin but Jackson's defense attorney Thomas Mesereau methodically picks apart each witness's credibility. After a disastrous appearance by the accuser’s mother, the prosecution rests its case on shaky ground and Mesereau gears up to mount his defense.
The People v. Jackson commences on the world stage and the singer arrives late to court - dazed and in pajamas, nearly forfeiting his bail. The tone soon shifts as defense lawyer Thomas Mesereau prods at inconsistencies in the Arvizo children’s testimony and calls into question the credibility of expert witnesses in both forensics and child abuse. A ruling by Judge Melville prevents the amount of Jackson’s 1994 settlement from being admitted in the trial, leading Brandon to get to the bottom of a burning question: who really paid off Jordan Chandler – Jackson or his insurance company?