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CNN AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN

Michael Jackson's Secrets

Aired February 4, 2003 - 07:51   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Michael Jackson is offering a rare glimpse into his -- I guess I can say this -- wacko world. Do you all agree with that? The 44-year-old pop star says he has sleepovers with young boys at his Neverland ranch. The revelations came to light during a documentary aired last night in Britain.
Richard Quest joins us now live from London with more.

Good morning -- Richard.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, you know that phrase, it was like watching a car wreck in slow motion?

ZAHN: Oh, I know that phrase well. Is that what it was like last night?

QUEST: This was two hours in absolute agony. It -- look, compulsive viewing I do not doubt, and I'm telling you it was extraordinary. But this was Michael Jackson -- I want to say warts and all, but the fact is with the amount of plastic surgery he's had, I was not sure there are any there (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The fact is -- although he denies he's had any plastic surgery.

This is a man -- I mean, let me just show you something of the national newspapers that we have in Britain this morning. This is "The Times," a very austere paper. "Jackson faces ruin after admitting 'I sleep with boys'."

From the "Daily Mirror": "I have slept in a bed with many children. It's not sexual. It's fun." It's what one person is calling "the longest professional suicide note in history."

What Michael Jackson did for nearly two hours, Martin Bashir, who is the interviewer -- he's the man, by the way, who interviewed the princess of Wales when Diana made the famous line about three in the marriage and it was too crowded. Bashir had eight months with Jackson filming at the Neverland ranch, filming in Las Vegas when he went on a $3 million shopping spree.

And finally, of course, in the last 15 minutes, these extraordinary quotes, Paula, talking about when he has these people sleeping over at his house. "It's not sexual. We're going to sleep. I tuck them in, and I put a little music on, and when it's story time, I read a book." When asked, it's not normal for a 44-year-old man to share his bed with teenagers and children. It's not normal. "Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone." And, Paula, do you remember those pictures when he dangled the baby, Prince Michael II, a blanket -- as he's nicknamed -- outside the window?

ZAHN: Absolutely.

QUEST: I think (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ZAHN: We were horrified by that.

QUEST: We may have been horrified. Jackson said he was merely responding to the love and the will of the fans outside who wanted to see the baby.

And then, the question of the mother of the children. Jackson says, "She does not know me. I do not know her. I used a surrogate mother."

It was the most extraordinary television.

Incidentally by the way, it has been bought for $5 million by a U.S. television network.

ZAHN: Which will air it going into the weekend, and I'm sure it will rate very well as prurient as you describe it to be. Richard Quest, thank you so much.

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