Posted on 04/28/2005 2:47:04 PM PDT by CHARLITE
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's former wife wiped away tears on Wednesday as she testified that the pop icon called her for help after the broadcast of a damaging British documentary in 2003 and that she agreed in the hope of seeing their family reunited. But Debbie Rowe said that contrary to prosecution assertions she was not bullied into giving an interview about her famous ex-husband and refused to follow a script.
Rowe, the mother of two of Jackson's three children, smiled at the singer as she took the witness stand and identified herself as "Deborah Rowe-Jackson."
Prosecutors called Rowe to the witness stand as evidence that Jackson and his camp panicked after the broadcast of the documentary, which showed him holding hands with a 13-year-old boy who would later accuse him of molestation, and began a heavy-handed campaign to salvage the singer's reputation.
It was during that time, they claim, that Jackson and associates held his young accuser's family prisoner at his Neverland Valley Ranch and forced them to participate in a so-called rebuttal tape.
Prosecutors say Rowe, who was married to Jackson from 1997 to 1999, was similarly coerced into defending the entertainer.
Rowe, a former nurse for Jackson's dermatologist, bore Jackson's two oldest children, son Prince Michael and daughter Paris. She surrendered her parental rights in 2001 but prosecutors say she recovered them last year after filing suit.
Jackson has a third child, Prince Michael II.
Rowe, who came to court in a black pinstriped suit with shoulder-length blond hair, said that prior to the broadcast of "Living with Michael Jackson" in February 2003 she had not seen the superstar since their divorce four years earlier.
"(Jackson) told me there was a video coming out and it was full of lies and would I help. And I said, as always, yes," Rowe told a packed courtroom, her voice breaking with emotion. She said she asked to visit their two children, whom she had not seen in about two years, and Jackson agreed.
'HE'S MY FRIEND'
Jackson, 46, is charged with molesting a boy, then 13, at Neverland, plying the youth with alcohol in order to abuse him and conspiring to commit false imprisonment, child abduction and extortion. He faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors have said that Rowe was promised visitation rights with her children in exchange for defending Jackson, but she stopped short of making that claim. Rowe said that when Jackson called, she hoped "to be reintroduced to them and to be reacquainted with their dad." Asked why by Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen, Rowe dabbed at a tear and said: "He's my friend."
Rowe said she was not paid for the nine-hour interview and could not take part until her divorce lawyer obtained a waiver of a confidentiality agreement with the pop star.
Though prosecutors have said that taped interviews with Rowe and the family of Jackson's accuser were "highly scripted," Rowe denied that she was coached, saying she did not want to be later accused of giving rehearsed answers.
"As Mr. Jackson knows, no-one can tell me what to say," Rowe said. "I tend to speak my own mind."
But Rowe said she lied throughout the interview, specifically when praising Jackson's parenting skills. Court adjourned for the day before she could elaborate.
Though Rowe's testimony, which will resume on Thursday, appeared at times to fall short of what prosecutors had promised, she was the strongest witness so far to link Jackson directly to the efforts to repair his image -- which is crucial to proving the conspiracy charges against him.
Rowe also painted a strange portrait of her marriage to Jackson, saying that the two never shared a home and that when their union dissolved she was granted only 8 hours every 45 days with her children.
She said she eventually gave up those visits because they were so tightly controlled by Jackson's nannies that "it wasn't a quality relationship."
I can only wonder how much her testimony is costing Michael. I really home the prosecution can have her declared hostile so the can cross examine her.
The media wants to bury Jacko. For his ex-wife to testify in such a positive manner for the king of pop means she won't be getting an invitation to any of the morning shows or Oprah anytime soon.
I'm probably wrong here, but this prosecutor seems to be shooting himself on the foot.
Why did he call Ms. Rowe as a prosecution witness if he knew that she was going to help the defense?
It's all over. Jacko walks.
Somehow it will all be Bush's fault!
That's a classic that cartoon.
I can only wonder how much her testimony is costing Michael.
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The Freak has so much leverage over this "woman", I don't understand why the prosecution, knowing how Jacko buys everyone around him, took the chance with this "easy touch" of a witness...
Until now, I didn't think any prosecution could be more inept than OJ Simpson's...
The witnesses in this case fall into two categories: those who stand to gain from trashing him, and those who stand to gain from defending him.
If you remember Rowe was starting up her own lawsuit against Jackson, trying to get custody of the kids in case Jackson goes to jail. She was very vocal about it with the press and I can only imagine what she was saying to the prosecutor. Jackson then filed papers arranging to give his father custody in case he goes to jail and here we are with Rowe testifying for Jackson.
My interpretation is that the Rowe lawsuit was a set up. She never wanted the kids, she wants what she wanted all along, money, lots of money.
Tom Sneddon is a veteran prosecutor. I believe that he has only lost a few cases in 25+ years as DA there. Of course, this could be another of the few that he loses, but I'm with Yogi Berra on this one: ("ain't over 'til it's over").....With talk of this plastic creep taking the stand, all bets are off until that happens, or until it doesn't. Furthermore, Sneddon is going to bring on a killer witness next week. The guy kept a diary of everything that he witnessed during his time as a guard at the ranch; especially during the time in question for this trial. If I were Jackson, I wouldn't be counting my chickens quite yet.
I remember very well how the talking heads ("legal analysts") on the main cable shows were predicting that Scott Peterson would walk, because the prosecutors were "doing such a poor job" and were "blowing it." Look where Peterson is now.
I'm anxiously awaiting the sight of Michael Jackson as he does his moon-y perp walk, in "too tight" cuffs, right out of the courtroom and into the holding cell in the Santa Maria jail on his way to wherever he'll spend......oh, say.......the next 20 years.
The only legal analyst on any cable show whom I have always trusted, because he's always right......is Geoff Feiger. He said that Peterson would be convicted. He is saying the same about Michael Jackson. I'm with Feiger.
The only one more incompetent in this case than the prosecutor is Court TV "reporter" Diane Dimond. She must've used a magic eight ball for her predictions about Rowe's testimony.
Geoff Feiger. He said that Peterson would be convicted. He is saying the same about Michael Jackson. I'm with Feiger.
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Well, let us hope you (and Geoff) are right. Whacko bought his way out of a conviction before, lets hope it does not happen again...
I have a hard time finding any honorable person in this circus...
A 'surrogate' mother who sold her children to a freak. Another mother pimping her minor child to an alleged child molester in order to reap a windfall. A weirdo who pays off children's families after being accused of being a child molester.
A bunch of disgruntled employees looking for money. A group of scummy attorneys looking for a big payday. Thieves, cheaters, liars, wife-beaters, sexual deviants, and fraudsters fighting each other.
Any father rapers in that bunch?
Guess the check cleared.
Money talks and BS walks. Ask Debbie and that little creep that took a few million and walked away.
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