Day 60: Michael Jackson Defense Rests

Chris Tucker Suspicious of Accuser and Family

Wednesday, 25 May 2005

On day 60, Wednesday May 25, 2005, and at approximately 11:00 am Pacific Time, the Defense in Michael Jackson's case rested. The Prosecution has now begun its rebuttal case. On the last day of testimony, movie star Chris Tucker described for jurors Wednesday how the family of Michael Jackson's accuser wormed their way into Mr. Tucker's life and said he suspected there was something "mentally not right" with the mother.

Mr. Tucker described the boy accusing Mr. Jackson of molestation as a "cunning" kid who pressured him for money and to give the family a $14,000 truck.

The defense rested without calling Mr. Jackson, setting the stage for prosecution and defense rebuttals before closing arguments, probably next week.

In stark contrast to Mr. Tucker's outrageous demeanor in the "Rush Hour" movies and other films, the actor and comedian was calm and serious on the witness stand.

His testimony attacked a part of the prosecution case that contends Mr. Jackson wanted the family to take a trip to Miami because he didn't want them to see the U.S. airing of a documentary in which the boy appeared with Mr. Jackson, who said he let children sleep in his bed but it was non-sexual.

The program had already aired in Great Britain and was generating controversy.

Mr. Tucker said the family convinced him to take them to Miami because "they were looking for Michael" and said that they were never forced to go, nor were they held there against their will.

Mr. Tucker met the boy through a comedy club where a benefit was held for the boy as he battled cancer. He said he gave the family at least $1,500 after the fundraiser because the boy came to his house and said the benefit hadn't raised any money.

"He was just real sad looking, saying they didn't raise any money and they needed some money," Mr. Tucker testified.

Mr. Jackson’s defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. asked Mr. Tucker if he became suspicious since he had seen many people at the benefit.

"Yes, but I was always thinking I was helping him so I just did it," Mr. Tucker said.

Mr. Tucker also said the boy repeatedly asked for gifts but that he forgave the boy's behavior because he knew he had battled cancer and had family problems.

"He would always say, 'Chris, let me have this ... I'm not feeling too good,'" Mr. Tucker said.

Mr. Tucker said his suspicions set in when the family came to the set of a movie he was filming in Las Vegas and refused to leave. He said he paid for their hotel and expenses but after several weeks they were still there.

"The mother was always frantically saying I was their brother and they loved me," he said. "I was getting nervous. ... I thought, 'I need to watch myself,' because I'm high-profile and sometimes when people see what you've got they try to take advantage of you. I had to pull back."

He said the family continued to come to his house and to make constant phone calls.

Mr. Tucker described the mother behaving strangely when he finally agreed to give her the truck.

"She started frantically crying ... I felt there was something mentally not right," he said. "... She started frantically crying, 'Chris, you're like a brother.' This brother thing again and again. I thought something's not right."

Mr. Tucker said the mother also said Mr. Jackson was like a father and that she was acting "like she was possessed."

When the family called and asked to go to Miami because they had found out Mr. Jackson was there, he said, he agreed to take them by private jet because they claimed they were being hounded by the media because of the documentary.

When they got to Mr. Jackson's hotel suite, he said, he tried to give Mr. Jackson a warning but the mother kept interrupting so he pulled the pop star into a room and warned him to "watch out" for her.

He indicated his concern was raised by the mother' effusive praise of Mr. Jackson during the trip.

"She was frantically saying Michael's the father and I'm the brother. That's when I took him in the room and I said, 'Michael, something ain't right.'

"She was saying 'father' and (the accuser) was saying 'brother' and it was all a little too much," Mr. Tucker said.

The defense called 50 witness in all, including Culkin and two other young men who disputed earlier prosecution testimony by insisting that Jackson never behaved inappropriately when they stayed at Neverland as boys.

According to testimony, the family received a $152,000 settlement from J.C. Penney after filing a lawsuit in which the mother accused department security guards of roughing up her and her children in 1998. The defense suggested that the woman's injuries were actually caused by the woman's then-husband.

Also, a paralegal testified for the defense that the mother admitted lying about the injuries and threatened to have the paralegal killed by the Mexican Mafia.

There was also testimony that the family had the run of Neverland while staying at the amusement-park estate's guest quarters. Witnesses told of the mother receiving spa treatments and the family racking up $7,000 in shopping, dining and other expenses during a week at a California hotel.

Without ever taking the stand, Jackson spoke to jurors through a nearly three-hour videotape that included scenes left out of the documentary "Living With Michael Jackson." In the video, Jackson said his feelings for children were innocent and loving.

"I haven't been betrayed or deceived by children," he said. "Adults have let me down."

The prosecution called several rebuttal witnesses before the jury was dismissed early to allow discussions about whether prosecutors may play a 2003 video of the accuser's initial interview with police. The defense said that if it is played they will want to call the accuser during their rebuttal. The judge had yet to decide the issue at day's end.

Source: MJJSource