Story here:
Sources of mine say that Jackson, who seems disconnected from the world, understands one thing: There will be people who won't be so happy to see him moonwalk out of the Santa Maria courthouse a free man. What will he do?
Those who are in the know tell me that Jackson is already planning an almost instant move to Europe or Africa.
Whether it's temporary or permanent is up in the air, but the pop star knows he has to take a breather from the United States if he wants to rehabilitate his career.
This isn't just some wild speculation. Jackson is serious, and so is everyone around him.
Of course, such a move would be expensive, and there are already reports that he's secretly sold Neverland for $35 million. (My sources deny this is true, but you never know.)
At the rate things are going, Neverland will have to be sold anyway. Jackson can no longer afford the 100-person staff, the zoo, the carnival, the groundskeeping or the exposure.
Such a sale would certainly free him up to go find solitude and solace elsewhere, at least for the time being.
An acquitted Jackson would also raise the question of the future of his recording career. Many people say he has no reasonable expectation of selling records here.
For the moment, they are probably right. But Americans love a comeback, and in five years Jackson's child molestation scandal will be a distant blip on the radar.
In the meantime, Jackson will have to be educated about the realities of the record business circa 2005.
He currently has no recording contract. His insiders agree with my thesis that he still thinks someone, somewhere will offer him "the biggest contract in history."
Those days are over, I'm afraid. If Jackson wises up, he'll start his own record label and get independent distribution.
But where will he go in Europe? There's talk of Paris, and some have said Africa is being mentioned a lot.
Brother Jermaine Jackson spends a lot of time in Saudi Arabia, but Michael a) doesn't like the hot sun and b) doesn't much care for Jermaine.
My money is on Paris or London, where he has legions of fans.
Good riddance.
Perhaps MJ has done a Google search on age-of-consent laws in different countries. If so, he would have found that most European and African countries are much more lenient when it comes to "relationships" between youths and full-grown adults...
Will Jackson become a citizen of France? Is a "Euro-Neverland" far away?
Stay tuned...
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - rob
Sadly, you're comments about age-of-consent laws are very true. The Netherlands is now down to 12. So, MJ could actually have had a fully legal relationship with his victims.
Of course, in Africa, there are tougher laws on paper, but MJ could bribe officials to do what he wishes.
The one hitch in such a plan, is that the US has "extra-territorial" laws against it's citizens doing this very thing. So, if MJ ever returned to the US (for say a concert) he could be charged with a crime if he had sex with a person under the age of 18. MJ would have no way of knowing if he faced charges upon a return.
2 - salmoncatchingbear
he'd best not move to london... our laws are not so leniant. just realised, that sounds like a threat, which it isnt (from me).
however, it seems that paedophiles get released from prison far too early (ie they get released full stop) unless they have killed someone.
even if he came here, had an an inappropriate relationship with a minor and was sent to prison for a short sentance, he would certainly face a hefty punishment upon release... our wonderful tabloids name and shame these offenders and hate mobs torch their houses (isnt it great to live in england? we dont petition for a new bill to be passed, we form a witch hunt and make a mockery of our own intelligence!)
these mobs have often attacked the wrong person, or managed to cook someones grandmother as the offender is down the pub at the time.
this whole thing is a sorry mess isnt it?
3 - Eric Olsen
thanks RJ, saw this but couldn't get to it - a lot of "pundits" are coming out of the woodwork to declare the prosecution hasn't made its case, which I am afraid may be true
4 - Sam Jinks
funny thing is, they havnt proved him guilty at all so take your made up sources and stick em up your ass! The fact is, hes innocdnt and if you look at polls, as the trial has gone on, the opinion polls have gone so much in hios favour that at one time over 90% of americans felt he was innocent!
5 - Eric Olsen
I don't know what polls you're looking at Sam, but the majority of Americans still think he is guilty, though the percentage has gone down. And how do you know he's "innocent," other than in the abstract? Were you there?
6 - bhw
90% of Americans are creeped out and disgusted by what MJ has become -- even if he has kept his hands on his own dick -- especially those old enough to remember him as a boy.
The other 10% are fucked up, celebrity-obsessed, shit-for-brained nimrods.
7 - JR
It needed to be said.
8 - Eric Olsen
indeed
9 - jarboy
mj need move no further than the state of new mexico, where the legal age of consent for male-on-male is 13!
10 - HW Saxton
Just going by gut level instinct & what
I've gleaned from the trial analysis, I
think MJ is gonna (moon)walk out of this
unconvicted of all charges.Which,I find
disappointing because the same gut-level
instinct also tells me that this freak
of nature is guilty as all great give a
f***. Oh,well.
I'm sure somewhere will welcome him and
his $$$. Personally, I'd suggest maybe
Tierra Del Fuego would be as good of a
place as any for him.
11 - jarboy
Tierra Del Fuego is perfect! he loves dem latin boys.
12 - nicolas
MJ is very welcome to come to Europe !
There is no KKK here !
13 - James Williams
If he moves to a country that enjoys competing with or just hating on the United States he’ll be a legitimate superstar no matter what our press does or says.
If he comes up with really good material (songs, videos, etc.), his status as a "comeback kid" to his fans will provide huge gratification and spark at least some curiosity to those who are undecided.
By self-financing an independent project there would be no one to pay back. He will certainly get a great distribution deal for an already completed album. By selling them at $15 per unit he could pocket at least $12 or $13 per unit… maybe more.
If only the 10 percent of Americans who are “obsessed” as was mentioned above, buy his album, he’ll still make millions.
14 - nicolas
It is still a shame that I come across comments of people here who will not say that they will recognise the verdict of the jury !
I have a question now : Who is ready to accept the verdict of the jury. And those of you who are not, please explain to us why ?
Isn't the American justice system wonderful ? Isn't the justice system of a country that sends people to the death row irreproachable ?
15 - HW Saxton
Mr. Nicholas,please listen closely. Race
has never,or did it,or will it ever have
anything to do with MJ's trial.You can't
play that homie.
What you as a European know about the
American Justice system has all been
learned second hand from many sources
which are no doubt highly biased against
it in many cases.In other words you do
not have the full picture of how things
really work over here.For you to assume
that you do shows your lack of depth and
knowledge on the subject.
It isn't perfect like I'm supposing that
the judicial process in the EU is,but it
is functional.
And,of course there is no KKK in Europe.
All of the ultra right wing fascists and
Nazi supporters have scared them off.
They can't compete with the swiftly and
steadily growing rise of anti-semitism
over on your side of the pond.
As far as the death penalty is concerned
over here,it is not found acceptable by
many,many people. In most states it has
been abolished.But there are many forms
of punishment which are worse. Such as
having to listen to some linguistically
challenged European spew out some tired,
incorrect and quite easily refutable
propaganda about something of which he
knows very little. If you take a look
around you will find that the majority
of Americans do not presume to know more
about E.U politics than Europeans do. As
you continue to look around you'll find
that most experts on American policy,
politics and culture in general all seem
to be from somewhere other than the USA.
Do you see anything that is wrong with
this picture?
16 - James Williams
I definately support the jury. They have had to listen to some very compelling testimony on both sides of the issue. They are instructed to be fair minded as they actually have some one's future directly in their hands. In a case that is for the most part, one person's word versus another, a jury must decide who is "more likely" to be lying. It's that simple. There is no direct physical or biological evidence to support the accusation so a jury can only rely on secondary information. When you have so many witnesses with possible ulterior motives it is really difficult to to do. So you have to listen to other witnesses who are called to shed light on prior witnesses. We who are not responsible for carrying out justice can sit back and choose sides like teams in a sporting event. Jurist must try their best not to send innocent people to jail. That is why I respect what they do. It's bad to let a guilty man go free. But can you imagine someone putting you in prison for a crime you did not do? It would be similiar to being kidnapped. Only difference would be that no one is trying to find you and rescue you. So that horror must be avoided. We can through people in jail cause they look strange. We have to be sure beyond a reasonable doubt.
With the way the press chooses to present things into the consciousness of the public there may be no way for Michael to stay here even after an aquittal.
17 - nicolas
Will you recognise the verdict of the jury ?
18 - salmoncatchingbear
as far as i can see from the initial wording of james' response, he will suopport the jury.
19 - rob
To the person who suggested Americans think MJ is innocent, Gallup did a poll and found 70% of Americans think MJ is probably or certainly guilty. Only 2% think he is "certainly" innocent. The poll's margin of error is 3%.
Also, that 70% is just for this particular cases. Many people who don't trust the current accuser, and think they just want money, still think MJ is pedophile, who has been with countless other boys.
I personally find it far easier to beleive Brett Barnes, who slept 365 times with MJ, was molested than Gavin Arvizo, who slept with MJ for only a small fraction of that time.
20 - jarboy
nicky, i was recently on a jury where all 12 of us beleived in our hearts that the guy was guilty as hell, but we had to find him "not guilty" (notice, we don't find defendants "innoncent" in the usa) because the prosecution did not adequately prove their case. i know other peole who have had the same experience. so no, i will not believe mj is innocent if the jury finds him "not guilty" because it will only mean the prosecution did not adequately prove their case. get it, dude? i will always beleive him to be a kiddie diddler. it is just wrong for a grown man to use young boys for satisfy his physical needs, even if it is just to have them by his side in the night.
21 - alienboy
My opinion is that MJ, if innocent, will be welcome in Europe, the new land of the free.
As for America, you can keep your Republicans, your lunatic religionists and your player haters like the author of this post and most of the comments too. What a hateful, hate-filled place the USA is becoming these days. Good riddance to you all!
22 - jarboy
on what loving, hate-free planet do you reside, mr. alien?
23 - salmoncatchingbear
i dont know where he's from jar, but i want to move there! maybe he's in holland and he's completely trashed or something...
i'm thinking jackson wont be very welcome in the UK, see previous post as cant be arsed to type it all out again.
24 - jarboy
yeah, as i understand it, the uk has plenty of its own kiddie-diddlers, don't need to import any from the us of a.
25 - jarboy
oh, i know where mr alienboy is from -- as eric would say, uranus!