Jacko, His Rise and Fall: The Social and Sexual History of Michael Jackson (69 page)

Although a darling of the media, because she made "hot copy," La Toya
came in for her share of attacks. One reporter wrote, "Michael may have
earned the moniker `Wacko Jacko,' but La Toya is as crazy as any of her siblings. With a modicum of talent and a lot of nerve,
she has parlayed her name into a career. She has
received more publicity for her antics than for any of
her recordings."

Harry Reid

In 1987 La Toya had electrified her fans by posing nude for Playboy. Some eight million copies of
the magazine sold within one month. It was the most
sensational issue since nude pictures of Marilyn
Monroe were published. When Playboy came out,
La Toya's brothers responded in horror, Jermaine
calling to denounce her as "a piece of shit."

Michael was more sympathetic, telling her that he knew why she'd posed: To strike back at her parents
and at the Jehovah's Witnesses who had brainwashed
her for years. He claimed that he grabbed his crotch on
the stage for the same reason. "I want them to know I'll
do what I want to do. They no longer control who I
am."

Sexy Janet

As two-faced as ever, Michael called Katherine and
expressed his "moral disgust and total outrage" at La
Toya's photographs in Playboy. He informed Katherine
that he'd changed his private phone number and vowed
never to speak to La Toya again.

Michael had visited Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion
and had seen the photographs that La Toya had posed
for-"that ruins the family image. That's it! There's
nothing left."

The magazine came out with eleven pictures of La
Toya. In one she posed naked with a sixty-two pound
boa constrictor-not "Muscles"-slithering between
her shapely legs, suggesting a massive phallus. La Toya
received $1 million from Playboy for the photo session.

Madonna, who was also fond of her own big breasts, seemed jealous of
La Toya when Madonna appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show. She claimed that
La Toya had undergone breast implants. "I know because people have told
me," Madonna charged. "It's obvious that La Toya's bosom has grown in just
a week."

La Toya countered, "Madonna is the one who's undergone breast surgery.
It was her only chance to look anything like a woman. I saw a photograph of
her where she showed one of her new breasts. I've gotta tell you, they're still
not as good as mine."

Gordon called Arsenio Hall and offered "my wife for a night," so that the
talk show host could determine for himself if La Toya's breasts were real.

Jack Gordon, throughout most of the 1990s, managed not only La Toya
but John Wayne Bobbitt, Paula Jones, and even the so-called illegitimate son
of Elvis Presley.

On the night of June 23, 1993, Lorena Bobbitt, a manicurist from Ecuador,
cut off the penis of her husband, John Wayne Bobbin, as he lay sleeping in
their Manassas, Virginia, home. Realizing that her husband's penis might be
surgically re-attached, she grabbed the severed appendage and raced off in the
family car, flinging it out the window. After a diligent search, the local police
located the part and Bobbitt had his manhood restored, after grueling surgery in a nearby hospital.

Gordon sensed there was money to be made in theatrically exploiting
Bobbitt. In the main, feminist political activists were against John Wayne
Bobbitt and pro Lorena Bobbitt, but millions of American men stood behind
him, especially when Lorena later testified that she severed the penis "because
he was selfish and wouldn't give me an orgasm."

When Gordon informed Michael of his new client, he was fascinated.
Michael was never known for reading newspapers, and he misunderstood the
situation. He seemed to think that the penis was discovered but never reattached to its rightful owner.

According to Gordon, Michael made an offer to purchase the penis and to
add it to his collection of carefully preserved medical oddities, one of which
included a human brain. Gordon never revealed the amount of money Michael
was willing to pay for the severed penis, but jokingly said: "It was such a generous offer that I had a good mind to get Bobbitt to agree to have his prick cut
off again for Michael."

Bookings were forthcoming for John Wayne Bobbitt, as Gordon managed
his career, getting him an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. On the air,
the controversial TV host offered Bobbitt $10,000 if he'd whip out his penis
and show it to TV land. Bobbitt refused, but he eventually agreed not only to
reveal his penis but to show it fully erect, seducing women in a number of
XXX-rated films, which were eagerly bought by male collectors.

Bobbitt also played himself in a shameless hardcore docudrama, John
Wayne Bobbitt Uncut. Directed by veteran adult film star, Ron Jeremy, the
film was delivered to Michael for his viewing pleasure. He reportedly viewed it several
times, although critics noted that Bobbitt,
after his slicing, "seems to have lost an inch
or two." One reviewer wrote, "John Wayne
Bobbitt exploits himself to the nth degree, by
selling everything he has-all 4'/z inches of
it."

La Toya (right) with Patti
Labelle 2004

When American men were no longer
interested in Bobbin's saga, he broke with
Gordon and moved to Nevada where he
found work in a brothel. At the same time,
and with a certain irony, this staunch
Republican also became the minister of a
Las Vegas church.

In 1999 he was convicted of grand
larceny. He was sentenced to five years pro bation for his role in the theft of more than
$150,000 in clothing from a Fallon,
Nevada, store. Archie Blake, the district
judge, ordered him to pay $5,000 restitution
and serve 100 hours of community service.
On February 28, 2003, his probation was
revoked, and this underground celebrity
was sent to prison.

Sexy La Toya, centerfold

Gordon took on another controversial
client, and informed Michael that he did not
only "plan to make big bucks off of her, but
I may topple the U. S. government as well."
At first Michael seemed to treat this as an
idle boast, until he discovered a news program or two when flipping channels on TV
for the next cartoon.

Paula Corbin Jones was born in
Lonoke, Arkansas, on September 17, 1966. A former state employee, she
would sue President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, claiming that on May
8, 1991, she was escorted to his hotel room, where Governor Clinton crudely
propositioned her. She claimed she'd kept quiet about the incident until 1994.

Fascinated by the case, Michael followed the developing story on TV. He
advised Gordon that Jones should undergo rhinoplasty as he himself had done.
He also suggested that he was willing to fly Jones to Los Angeles for a possible meeting with Elizabeth Taylor. Michael promised that Elizabeth would get
rid of Jones's "big hair" and make up her face in "more subtle shades." The
meeting never came off, and Elizabeth may have been completely unaware
that her services were being offered to Jones.

Gordon's plans for Paula Jones, including a multi-million dollar book
deal, never came off. Clinton eventually paid $850,000 to Jones but issued no
apology, in exchange for her agreement to drop her appeal.

Gordon did get Jones in print, securing a deal with Penthouse for her to
pose nude. She appeared in the December issue: "PAULA JONES UNCOVERED! She Shows All and Tells All: How the Far Right Used and Abused Her
to Destroy Clinton." Michael compared Jones's nude spread with that of La
Toya. "La Toya wins," he told some of his brothers. "Clinton chose the wrong
girl."

As if Jones and Bobbitt weren't bizarre enough clients, Gordon took on
another job to promote the career of "Elvis Presley Jr." His original name was
Phillip Stanic, and he was born in the same town as Michael-Gary, Indiana.
Phillip entered the world the day before Christmas in 1961.

He later had his name legally changed to Elvis Presley Jr., claiming that
his birth mother was Angelique Delores Pettyjohn, a walk-on for Elvis in his
movie Blue Hawaii.

Elvis Jr. was short and stocky. He is not handsome and bears little resemblance to the King, but he learned the Elvis moves and transformed himself.
In the words of one critic, "He got the look down pat."

Gordon promoted Elvis Jr. as a singer in night clubs, proposing a multimillion dollar deal for Michael to sign a contract for an extravaganza in Vegas,
with Elvis Jr. as his opening act. Elvis Jr. said he believed that "my father gave
me up for adoption because having a child out of wedlock in that era could
have had an adverse affect on his career."

Although Michael refused Gordon's offer, he was intrigued by Elvis
Presley Jr. and wanted Gordon to provide him with all the details about the
young man's life. Michael was especially intrigued to learn that Elvis Jr. started his career as a clown in the circus at the age of five. By the time he was
twelve years old, he was training lions, tigers, and other animals. When only
sixteen, he began singing in the lesser-known lounges in Vegas.

Gordon claimed that Michael, in disguise and at his invitation, slipped in
to a lounge one night to hear Elvis Jr. sing. "He is not the son of Elvis
Presley!" Michael later told Gordon.

Gordon wanted to keep Elvis Jr. impersonating Elvis Sr. as he was in his
"Hound Dog" years, complete with jumpsuits and sideburns. But eventually
Elvis Jr. pulled the plug. "It wasn't me," he said. "I can't live my life as him."

Unlike Lorena Bobbitt, La Toya didn't cut off Gordon's penis, but their marriage was frequently violent.

On one occasion, in their luxurious New York apartment, Gordon plowed
his fist into La Toya's face. Blood splattered on the white marble floor of the
couple's bathroom. Before she could escape from his attack, he picked up a
heavy oak dining room chair and crashed it into her
back. An ambulance carried her to Lenox Hill Hospital
where Michael called her the next day, urging her to
"dump him." Although she told her brother that she
would, she was back with Gordon a few days later.

John Wayne Bobbitt