Jackson Trial Footage (Excerpts from video) – APTN

[b]EXCLUSIVE: JACKSON TRIAL FOOTAGE[/b] London: June 16, 2005: APTN Library has acquired exclusive footage which formed a central part of the case against Michael Jackson, and was a key factor in his acquittal. The hour-long video shows the Arvizo family at the centre of the accusations, including the alleged victim Gavin. It was taken to help Jackson deny the allegations against him. Janet Arvizo later claimed that they were forced to record the video and it became part of the conspiracy charge against Jackson. The video was never publicly released and has only been seen in court. Janet Arvizo’s appearance in the video where they enthusiastically praise Jackson, laughing and appearing relaxed, strongly contrasted with her attitude and testimony in the trial. Her credibility was cited as a major issue in the acquittal. The footage is a key part of the story about the Jackson trial and offers a unique opportunity to analyse the accusations and the people making them. As the footage has never been seen publicly APTN Library is considering offers for exclusive territorial licences for a limited period. APTN Library is the exclusive distributor of the video outside the US, on behalf of the copyright owner. Arvizo Family Interview GEN0629 N.B. This is a summary, not a verbatim transcript of the interview. W/S Janet (mother – front left) Gavin (accuser – front right) – Devlin (sister -back left) and David aka Star (brother and witness – back right) 4-shot Gavin talking about first diagnosis of cancer saying that’s when he first met Michael Jackson 4-shot Janet: “We met Michael Jackson out of something tragic when Gavin was diagnosed with cancer 2-shot Janet/Gavin Gavin: “It was a family friend that Gavin told he wanted to meet Michael Jackson” Single Gavin: “One day I was in my bed and the phone rang, I picked up the phone and it was Michael. We talked for a while about cancer and he told me that he wanted me to get better and come to Neverland (Janet laughing in the background) I got all ready, I was excited, I got packed, got stuff to take and a limousine pulled up and I thought cool. When I got to Neverland it was so beautiful, there was music playing and I went into the house. Michael was eating, he said hi, gave us all a hug then we started talking, we had dinner and hung out together and I think it was that night I asked if I could stay in his room. He said if its ok with your parents, its ok with me, my mom said yes so he laid out all these blankets then he told me to sleep on the bed and I said no, you sleep on the bed. Michael said if you love me, you sleep on the bed. So he slept on the floor (Janet laughs), the bed was so soft and my brother slept on the bed with me. 4-shot and zoom to 2-shot Gavin: He was a loving kind, humble man and all he wanted was to do good and give happiness, the man is so nice – talking to him for a while, you feel like you’ve known him for a long time, he asks questions about you, I took to him really quick. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: My first impression of Michael was an answer to my prayer for him (Gavin) and me, to be told that your son will die (talks about cancer) and then by God’s grace he elected to breathe life into Gavin. Michael said there is hope, when the Doctors said there was no chance, Michael said bring him to me. We may be broken, but Michael fixed us. 4-shot and zoom to 2-shot Janet and Gavin Gavin: Michael told me to come to Neverland when the chemotherapy was finished and that was all I could think of (talks about chemotherapy) 2-shot and zoom to single/Gavin Gavin: I was 95 pounds, a little bit chunky and I went down to 72 pounds because of the chemotherapy. Single Janet: I remember a fatherly act, Michael took it on himself to do this – Gavin has O Negative blood which is very rare, Michael took the fatherly duty to make sure Gavin has as much blood as he could ever need, like a father, he took him under his wing. 4-shot Star/David: My first impression of Michael was that he was like a father, more so than a biological father. That was my impression 4-shot Devlin: My first impression was that Michael was a very loving, caring man, he took us under his wing and gave my brother that extra spark (starts crying) he gave my little brother so much and for people to say those mean things about my brother hurts so much, seeing your baby brother cry hurts a lot more. Gavin: To see everyone say I didn’t have cancer, didn’t suffer for very long, to say I never had cancer, that it never happened, it’s like, what the heck. 4-shot and zoom to single on Janet Janet: My children and me know what being neglected is, spit on, talked about, to be made an outsider, because of our status. Michael said come to him, all of us and called us his family. Gavin said can I call you daddy, and he said yes, and the others did too. It was a beautiful relationship, all we wanted was a family. We were rejected solely because we weren’t in the right zip code. Michael said all my doors are open, my home is your home, I am like their father. 4-shot Gavin: Michael treats me like he’s my father Janet: He gives Gavin advice, helps him with female friends, teaches him to be a gentleman. As a father Michael gives them direction, teaches them things. I have very few friends and those that are are like family, they show trust, compassion and mercy and that is why we’re very thankful to Michael and he gives them direction. 4-shot Gavin: He (Michael Jackson) tells me I can call him anytime for help or advice. 4-shot Star/David: He makes me feel like I’m his son, we call him father, he calls me son, he helps me with anything I ask about. 4-shot Devlin: When I was crying one day he hugged me and said everything is fine, everything is going to be alright and the fact that he stood up and defended us, that’s a father Cutaway: Janet and Gavin holding hands 4-shot Janet touches Gavin’s nose affectionately… Gavin: when we get to Neverland, we usually go inside, find Michael, hug him, he tells us where he’ll be and says go have fun, we watch videos and play on the rides, he goes to do stuff, when he has free time, we just hang out in his room, we do so much stuff. 2-shot Janet and Gavin, and zoom to single Janet: In observance, it’s a wish come true to see my son interact with a perfect role model, he plays, laughs, shows them the basic foundation of what it is having a loving family, all he wants them to be is grow up to be a lady and two gentlemen, it breaks my heart into a million pieces. Their biological father is credited for who they are, but he’s on probation for crimes and harms, domestic violence, there’s a restraining order against him right now to keep him away from us. He’s on probation. I am the most vigilant, the most sensitive to making sure my kids are in no harm. I had to endure that for 17 years and it’s my responsibility as a mother to make sure they’re in a safe environment. When my kids are with Michael he makes sure they are in a safe, happy environment. He took us all in as a family unit and I appreciate him with all my heart. 4-shot Gavin: Honestly, when I read all the stuff about him, when I was little, I was 3 years old in 1993 and I was hearing stuff about MJ, but I wouldn’t really listen, I would just listen to his music. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Gavin: When I was little I would pray that I would meet MJ and I always thought he was a good person, charitable, I knew he was a loving man. 2-shot Janet and Gavin/zoom to single Janet: Yes, it confirmed it, my quality that people know me for is that I can tell when people have a good heart, and he has a great heart. Michael called us, and claimed these three little munchkins as his kids. 4-shot (each of them describing Michael Jackson) A father, caring funny, unselfish, honest, humble, trustworthy, very attentive Gavin: my father 4-shot and zoom to single Janet: What is happening now, it breaks my heart because they’re missing out on something very beautiful, that they tainted and it stems from jealousy, lack of happiness in their life, it disturbs me because I am there, it’s just a father sons and father daughter, loving, kind, trustworthy, relationship and the most important thing to Michael is being a father to them. Single: Gavin: Michael wants me to be happy, he says to me, smile, so there’s no stress, because stress can make me sick, and he makes me smile. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Gavin: Michael would give me faith, help me to look to the future, he would say, come to Neverland, be happy. I remember one time he said I need you to get better, listen to me I need you to get better, eat up those cancer cells like Pacman, I never forgot that, every time I would go to therapy I would remember that. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: Gavin being in remission is a celebration to Michael, me and the children, and he never let’s us forget that we’re a family. We wanted a family and that’s what we have with MJ. They want to be in movies (the kids) and Michael said ok, you’ll be in the movies (gets upset) but with all this turmoil, we know what it is to be poor, and with MJ we don’t know that anymore. 4-shot and zoom to Janet Janet: You know how Bashir zoomed in on Michael holding hands with Gavin, do that with us, they tried to make it look dirty, that’s a father/son and mother/son thing. 4-shot Gavin: I didn’t like Martin Bashir. Janet: Because MJ has taken on the natural father role, as if these kids are his own. When I saw it on camera it was natural, like I’m holding his hand now, it disturbed me that he made it look like something dirty and wrong. I have full access to the whole house (Neverland) all the time. Gavin: They’re the ones that stirred this up. Janet: They took a beautiful relationship and spun it out of control, don’t people see that these children had a hard life. The whole world needs to see what fathers and sons do, tell me fathers out there didn’t you want your father to hold your hand, that’s how we feel we’ve united as a family. He shows affection to my kids. My kids have full access to him 24 hours a day. MJ works hard for his family, he’s an ideal family man and I appreciate him with all my heart. 4-shot Devlin: Gavin couldn’t walk during chemotherapy, we had to wheel him around, and to see him get up, have fun, walk, smile, have fun, having joy, gave me joy, gave my mum joy. 4-shot Star/David: Before he went to the ranch, Gavin was always sad and crying, he was down all the time. But at the ranch he was happy again, cheerful, it gave him something to look forward to. 4-shot Devlin: It took his mind off the cancer. 4-shot Janet: The Doctor said to me plan for a funeral, and MJ would say, I will not have that, he’ll live. He was instrumental in Gavin’s recovery. 4-shot and zoom to single Janet: Gavin said at 10 years old, I don’t want to live anymore…. they’re crediting his biological father for his recovery, everything he says is lies, he couldn’t be a father, he doesn’t even pay child support. Single Janet: Where were social services when we had no food, no bus fare to go to the clinic for treatment, we had to walk three miles to get there, now they say they care and are concerned just because Michael Jackson is involved, where were those people when I needed them (gets upset) Michael is there for them, all three of them. Close-up cutaway of Janet and Gavin holding hands Close-up cutaway of Gavin Midshot cutaway of Gavin 2-shot Gavin and Janet Janet: Why my little boy, what did he ever do wrong, there’s something very special about Gavin, all three kids have seen harm on me from their biological father. Gavin was the one that huddled over me and when I wept at night would say mum don’t worry, and so out of all three kids, he’s the most affectionate and after seeing him with MJ, he told us, all you need is faith, he prays with them, God comes first with Michael and I appreciate that about Michael. 4-shot and zoom to 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: When he (Gavin) first met MJ, his kidney, spleen, pancreas, a tumour and his lymph nodes had been extracted. He was in desperate need of O Negative blood, that’s how he met Michael Jackson. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: the doctors said plan for a funeral, but because MJ believed, we all believed and it made us closer, and for someone to taint it and spin it out of control I could only say reach inside your heart and pull out the love, that’s what all three of these kids have with MJ. 2-shot Janet and Gavin and zoom to single Janet: I realise that a lot of people are motivated by greed, envy and jealousy, and I know that Michael interacting with my kids is innocent, little by little the relationship grew, it started with a seed and they can see an honest man, a good man, a trustworthy man, people are judging by gossip fuelled by anger and jealousy. we know what violence and rejection is (gets emotional) we know that the most important thing is to have a family and that’s what MJ gave us, a family filled with love and innocence. Janet kisses Gavin on the cheek 2-shot wide, Gavin and Janet Gavin: (the biggest misconception about MJ is) they don’t understand MJ, because they just don’t understand, they could, but they don’t know MJ, they say things, the biggest misconception is because they could take a word and change it up and stuff like that, they make it a misconception and some people believe it and some don’t Single: Janet: Everybody is being fuelled by gossip and what MJ is, is a hard working family man who labours for his family, that’s what he is. Single: Gavin: Don’t believe what they say, if you hear something bad it’s probably not true. 2-shot Janet: He’s an honest man, he’s approachable, if you have a question, ask him, he’ll tell you that truth, that’s one of the things I admire about him, that’s an attribute, a virtue that a family man has. 2-shot Gavin and Janet Gavin: I was healed by God, I was healed. Janet: By God’s grace, Gavin is healed, he’s in remission and MJ was instrumental in this because he gave them what they desire, he was a real father, their hearts desire was to have a real father. 2-shot: Janet: His cancer went from no hope to hope for tomorrow, by God’s grace pulling us together via Michael, as a tight knit family, filled with love, kindness and trust, and most of all compassion, even when these kids misbehave, he gives them another chance, it’s a miracle. Gavin: You know how doctors always want a scientific explanation, they said to me, usually we can’t say, this is a miracle, but it is, I’m not supposed to be talking. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: Michael Jackson is so joyful to us, he’s very proud of Gavin, and he was a little warrior. Yes, we believe in miracles, and so does MJ. Single: Janet: I have a very close relationship with my kids. One thing I know about MJ is that he’s a special parent, these three kids are not a part of him but he cares about them, loves them every second, it’s such an unselfish act, he has so much responsibility, but he gives time to these three rascals, and I’m very grateful, because I need help. Single: Gavin: My relationship with my mum is that I love her to death, she brought me into this world and I love her to death. Of course I think MJ is a great father, the way he treats his own kids, spends as much time with them and with me, always trying his best to be a good father, he made perfect kids, they come and ask him for stuff, he’s so loving to his kids, he hates to see them cry. When he tells them its time to go to bed they cry so he lets tem stay up 10 minutes longer because he loves them and doesn’t want them to cry. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: a father gives their kids room to grow, when they do something wrong he gives them room to grow, freedom to love that’s what he gives them. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: Every father wants to give the best of himself, it’s not spoiling the kids, it’s giving what he can. With his own kids and mine, Michael gives the best he can, he give them things according to his income, as any father would. 2-shot Janet and Gavin Janet: MJ gives them direction, teaches them what’s right and what’s wrong, how to be gentlemen and ladies, and boy they need instruction. C/U hands W/S of Janet sitting in chair and Gavin getting up and leaving at end of interview. Source: http://www.aptnlibrary.com/cent_m_jackson_arvizo_int.html