Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson (42 page)

The darkest point of the tour came in August, 1984, when the Knoxville
News-Sentinel published anonymous letters threatening to kill Michael and
assassinate many of his fans. Three concerts had been scheduled in that
Tennessee city, but because of those letters, they were abruptly canceled.
Hours later, the telecast of the Olympics was interrupted to announce that the
"tour was back on again." Under tightened security, the concerts were presented without incident. Michael was delivered to Neyland Stadium in an armored
Wells Fargo truck.

Rumors that Michael was gay rose to a crescendo during the "Victory"
tour. There was even wide speculation that Michael had been castrated to
maintain his falsetto voice. In a new CBS comedy album, Eddie Murphy had
a line, claiming-and accurately so-that Michael was "not the most masculine guy in the world."

Joan Rivers was at the peak of her fame in 1984, when she often hosted the Johnny Carson show. Her two favorite subjects of ridicule were an overweight Elizabeth Taylor and Michael's sex life. "Is Michael Jackson gay?"
she'd ask her audiences. "Please, he's as queer as a three-dollar bill." One
night she claimed, "Michael Jackson is gay. He makes Liberace look like a
Green Beret." Her audiences burst into hysterical laughter.

Entering the fray was Louis Farrakhan, "National Representative of the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad and The Nation of Islam," who did not find
anything amusing about Michael. He urged his devoted followers "not to practice Michael Jackson's sissified ways." Many of Farrakhan's disciples felt that
Michael was transgendered and was deliberately blurring the dividing line
between male and female.

One black writer claimed: "The white man has always feared the black
man's superior sexual power. As we know, black men are superior to white
men in both the bedroom and in the boardroom. Along comes Michael
Jackson portraying the black man as a faggot! He has set back AfricanAmerican advancement twenty years. He is trying to take our power from us.
Slave owners in the 19th century used to castrate their unruly black male
slaves. By castrating himself and singing in falsetto, Jackson is playing into
whitie's game plan for us: To rob us of our manhood and remove the black
sexual threat."

Of course, charges that Michael Jackson had been castrated are ridiculous,
as photographs taken by Santa Barbara police authorities-today resting in a
bank vault-can prove.

The outspoken Joan Rivers continued her attack. One night she asked her
audience, "Ever wonder what happened to Michael Jackson's other glove? It's
in Boy George's pocket!"

Rivers was reacting to a story that had run in a late summer edition of the
National Enquirer. In bold headlines, Michael and Boy George, the selfadmitted "queen" and lead singer of Culture Club, were alleged to be
immersed in a hot affair. In less bold headlines, Michael was also rumored to
be having simultaneous affairs with Wham's George Michael and Queen's
Freddie Mercury. It appears, however, that he was having affairs with none of
those homosexual entertainers.

Michael was so upset by the headlines linking him with Boy George that
he called his publicist, Norman Winter, and burst into tears. The publicist had
seen stacks of mail pouring in from young men and girls from around the
world.

A typical letter from an impressionable young girl read: "Michael,
Michael, tell me it's not true. You and Boy George! How could you! That's
disgusting! My great dream has been to grow up and marry you and have
many beautiful children with you. Now the news about you and that horrible creature from Britain has destroyed my dream. I want to die!"

Another letter from a young gay man read: "Michael, I am so happy to
learn you are gay. My greatest dream is to fuck you all night. My former lover
said that I'm the best top he has ever had. I can go for hours. I know from the
faggy way you move around the stage that you are a bottom. My goal in life
is to become the dream-man of all bottoms and all size queens. I'm enclosing
a nude picture of myself so you can see how impressive I am. It's all yours,
baby. I'm ready and willing and able to send you to Paradise!"

In the middle of the "Victory" tour, and in a startling development in
September of 1984, Michael, enraged and fed up with the gay rumors, called
a press conference. But he didn't show up. However, his manager, macho,
cigar-smoking Frank DiLeo did. He shocked reporters when he read from a
two-page document.

For some time now, I have been searching my conscience as to whether or
not I should publicly react to the many falsehoods that have been spread about
me. I have decided to make this statement based on the injustice of these allegations and the far-reaching trauma those who feel close to me are suffering.

I feel very fortunate to have been blessed with recognition for my efforts.
This recognition also brings with it a responsibility to ones admirers throughout the world. Performers should always serve as role models who set an
example for young people. It saddens me that many may actually believe the
present flurry of false accusations:

No! I've never taken hormones to maintain my high voice.

No! I've never had cosmetic surgery on my eyes.

Yes! One day in the future I plan to get married and have a family.

Any statements to the contrary are simply untrue.

I have advised my attorneys ofmy willingness to institute legal action and
subsequently prosecute all guilty to the fullest extent of the law.

As noted earlier, I love children. We all know that kids are very impressionable and therefore susceptible to such stories. I'm certain that some have
already been hurt by this terrible slander. In addition to their admiration, I
would like to keep their respect.

While reacting to all these gay rumors, Michael also received some disturbing news from a couple of a more heterosexual nature.

His youngest sister, Janet, had eloped with James DeBarge. She was only
eighteen at the time, her groom twenty-one. Michael was adamantly opposed
to the marriage and told family and associates that "Janet betrayed me." He
never explained just how her marriage had betrayed him.

When she was just sixteen, Janet had met DeBarge, and they'd become
close friends. Tall, dark, and handsome, he seemed like an ideal candidate for
marriage, except for the fact that each of the Jacksons knew some dark secrets about him. There had been reports of drug and alcohol abuse. Katharine insisted that "the boy is completely wrong for my Janet."

In a touch of irony, the singing DeBarge brothers had been groomed by
Motown during the early 80s as heirs to the departed Jackson 5. Originally
formed in 1978 and hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, the quintet was
comprised of four brothers and one sister, "Bunny." Before he married into
pop royalty in 1984, DeBarge had recorded such 1980s classics as "Who's
Holding Donna Now?" and "All This Love."

In a terrible case of bad judgment, the newlyweds moved into the
Jackson's Encino mansion. DeBarge would later call it "The House of Fear."
Living with the Jacksons put a severe strain on the marriage, and DeBarge and
Papa Joe often engaged in denunciations of each other that sometimes evolved
into physical violence. At one point, or so it was rumored, Papa Joe threatened
to kill his son-in-law.

When DeBarge was in residence at the Encino house, he reported that
"Michael was a sad, lonely figure, wandering around looking for love, which
he seems to find only in Bubbles."

Bubbles was not a stripper, as the name suggests, but Michael's pet chimp.
As such, he became the most famous-and the most controversial-chimp in
the world.

Michael might not have actually found love, but DeBarge reported that
during his stay at Hayvenhurst he saw a number of boys coming in and out of
Michael's bedroom. These boys, or so the Encino bodyguards reported,
ranged in age from nine to fourteen. Michael's excuse to DeBarge was that he
was auditioning the boys for future videos. Many of DeBarge's charges were
later dismissed as "nonsense" or "fantasies" by loyal members of Michael's
camp.

Nonsense or not, DeBarge, along with bodyguards at Neverland, were
called to testify against Michael in 1993
when young Jordie Chandler brought
charges of child molestation against his
former friend.

Joan Rivers

In anticipation of his trial, when
Michael heard that DeBarge was going to
testify against him, he was furious.
Michael recalled going into the newlyweds' bedroom late one night and slipping under the covers with Janet and
DeBarge to discuss deep, personal
secrets. He viewed DeBarge going public
with those secrets as "a betrayal."

As Michael had predicted, his sister's marriage was doomed from the
start. There were rumors that they'd had a child together, but this was never
confirmed, and there was also much speculation about an abortion.

On January 7, 1985, after a tumultuous marriage, Janet's link to DeBarge
was annulled. Over the years she has said little, at least publicly, about her
brief, unsuccessful marriage. "You don't have to hold onto the pain to hold
onto the memory."

On those nights alone with Janet and DeBarge, Michael would sometimes
discuss how painful it was to have the tabloids publish their accusations of
homosexuality.

"Michael Jackson made charges of being gay sound like a case of leprosy," said gay activist Kevin Macmillan. "He alienated the entire gay community the way that Tom Cruise would do in years to come. The signal that
both Cruise and Jackson gave out was that to be gay was the most scandalous
and horrible thing that could happen to a guy. Thanks a lot, fellows."

In contrast to Michael's petulant response to gay charges, his sister, Janet,
would handle future gay rumors about herself with far more style and sophistication. Unlike Michael, Janet was far more savvy, knowing how to retain,
and not alienate, large segments of her fans.

In 2001, she was asked by a reporter from Ehony, "There have been questions about your sexuality. Some have asked if you're gay or bisexual."

"I don't mind people thinking that I'm gay or calling me gay," she said
candidly. "People are going to believe whatever they want. Yes, I hang out at
gay clubs, but other clubs too. I go where the music is good. I love people
regardless of sexual preference, regardless of race. No, I am not bisexual. I
have been linked to dancers in our group because we grow close. I grew up in
a big family. I love being affectionate. I love intimacy and I am not afraid to
show it. We fall asleep in each other's arms. We hug, we kiss, but there is nothing beyond that. Because Rene and I broke up, it's like people need some sort
of drama, some sort of gossip."

She was referring to her long-time Mexican companion, Rene Elizondo.
It has been whispered that Rene was really her husband. Reporter Joal Ryan
once claimed that Rebbie, Janet's older sister, said that Janet and Rene had
"eloped years ago."

Rene often worked with Janet, co-writing songs for her 1997 release The
Velvet Rope.

Rebbie's remarks, broadcast over an Atlanta radio station, exploded into a
national issue. But a spokesperson issued a quick denial. Janet claimed,
"We're not married, only in spirit."

Janet achieved notoriety when the 1993 cover of Rolling Stone came out.
Rene is standing behind her covering her bare breasts with his hands. In 1997 she made another startling quote, this time to Ebony.
"It was Rene's idea that I get my nipple pierced. I
gave him a choice of two areas, and he chose the
nipple."

During their thirteen-year relationship, some
reporters referred to the duo as "Yin and Yang."

Boy George

After what could hardly be called a restful interlude at Encino, it was time for Michael to hit the
road again with the continuation of the ill-fated
"Victory" tour.

In Philadelphia, Michael met Bruce
Springsteen, who had come to see "what in hell is
this Jacko shit all about?" Michael was awkward and tongue-tied around the
American rock and folk singer, who was competing in world markets with
rival tours and albums. Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. was a big hit, selling
15 million copies in America alone. The album became one of the best-selling
in music history, with seven singles hitting the top ten.