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By now, many have probably read or heard about the recurring media reports spawned by author/journalist Ian Halperin, in which he makes some very serious allegations about the physical health and well-being of Michael Jackson. Although Ian quietly posted these allegations approximately two weeks ago on his own personal site, it only recently garnered widespread media attention after it came to light that he was also penning a book on the singer. Within the past couple of days, Ian's story has become so popular that even Associated Press is now reporting on it. MJJR.net will be glad to spread some light on these falsehoods, but first some background information.
More than two weeks ago, Ian first made these outlandish Jackson-related allegations on his site while plugging In Touch Weekly magazine, in which a lengthier article subsequently appeared. Ian claims that Michael Jackson suffers from Antitrypsin Deficiency (a.k.a. Alpha-1) amongst other illnesses (including that he is "95% blind in his left eye"). Ian quoted an unnamed "close friend" of Michael Jackson as saying that "Michael wants to have the lung transplant but because of other illnesses he's fighting he's too weak to undergo such a major procedure. He's taking one painkiller after another. I've known him over 20 years and have never seen him in such a frail state. It's very sad," amongst other grossly sensational claims.
Today, Ian wrote a second entry about this so-called "exclusive" in which he quoted an unnamed female allegedly from Michael Jackson's camp as saying: "We're deeply worried about Michael's health. It has taken a huge toll on his family and everyone around him." Ian, in an attempt of saving face, also posted a public picture of Michael Jackson taken several days after these claims were first made (where Michael was shopping in Zorro-like attire), while erroneously claiming that he was "being supported by an aide because he was having trouble walking," and adding that according to the unnamed female, "Michael was urged by his people to make a public appearance to let the world know he's still alive." Finally, Ian made a blatantly false claim about an alleged quote by Jermaine Jackson.
Fact: In the picture depicted on Ian's site, the only "support" being given to Michael is that of security as fans gather around him (with one arm of security hastily placed behind Michael at the time the picture was snapped). What Ian didn't post was the half-dozen or so other pictures from that same day in which Michael is freely standing, shopping, greeting fans, accepting gifts, and walking on his own while carrying his own umbrella just as he has throughout the years. Michael Jackson was again photographed in public a couple days ago, and again he was walking on his own with no "support" in sight.
Fact: In Ian's latest blog entry, and in many of the new media reports he has provided information to, he states: "When Fox News contacted the singer's older brother, Jermaine, to confirm my report, he refused to deny it. Instead, Jackson told the reporter, 'he's not doing well right now. This isn't a good time.'" This claim is categorically false on all fronts. First, the alleged quote that he is referencing is actually from JULY 2007 and originates from gossip columnist Roger Friedman--who spread a similar story to Ian's more than a year ago. Thus, Ian is taking an 18-month old, unconfirmed quote from a gossip columnist and using it as new information to somehow substantiate his own claims--this is a testament to Ian's credibility (or lack-thereof).
Ian is no stranger to writing questionable and unsubstantiated material, and has been doing so since the 1980s when he was still a student reporter. In 1984, an athletic director at his college filed a $100,000 libel suit against him and another writer for making multiple allegations of improper conduct within the university's athletic department. Ian was later criminally charged with providing false testimony and lying under oath in the civil case after three different sources denied providing him with any of the information he claimed they had. Ian fled Canada to avoid criminal prosecution and remained in Great Britain for 2.5 years before returning to face the court. In 1990, the judge in the case said he was forced to close it due to a lack of corroborating evidence presented by the prosecution, although Ian did serve time in jail for fleeing the country.
Ian again stirred up controversy in 1994 when he helped co-author a book that alleged Kurt Cobain's death was homicide rather than suicide. The story Ian and his partner told, and the allegations they made changed significantly as their publicity tour continued, and their sources for the allegations were likewise heavily scrutinized by the media at the time. When the book was published years later, both of these authors admitted they weren't able to offer any solid evidence to implicate anyone in the alleged murder of Cobain, despite writing a book full of insinuations.
Likewise, when Ian published a book about singer-songwriter James Taylor in 2000, professional reviewers and others in the press questioned many of the quotes and statements he made throughout the book while also pointing out how he failed to provide sources for most of the far-fetched quotes--and how the book seemed shallow and offered very little new information about Taylor.
As mentioned earlier, in 2007 various tabloid outlets and gossip columnists including Roger Friedman and National Enquirer wrote similar claims about Michael Jackson--that he was severely ill with one or more failing organs and on his final days. In late-2005 into 2006, tabloid reports surfaced that he was in critical condition after a drug overdose and that his family was planning an emergency intervention to save his life. In 2004-2005 there were still other reports of suicide and overdoses; a widespread e-mail chain and virus at the time helped fuel such rumors. In fact, if you dig deep enough you will find similar stories dating back to the 1980s and beyond; none of which hold any more merit than the next. All of these earlier claims were slammed by Michael Jackson's family and representatives, and Michael Jackson's subsequent public appearances seemed to confirm that these "bed-ridden" stories were categorically false.
In this case, we have an author who is trying hard to come up with a sensational new angle for yet another unauthorized Michael Jackson book--as if the market isn't saturated enough as it is. We have an author who was sued for libel (and then for perjury) while still a student for printing information that his own sources refuted under oath. We have an author who enjoys the widespread publicity that comes with writing books about tragic events and major celebrities. Diane Dimond secretly worked on a sensational Michael Jackson book throughout the 2003-2005 trial and was shopping the material to publishers as early as late-2003. A major publisher ultimately released her book in late-2005 alongside a large media tour--and even then it only sold a mere 5,000 copies worldwide after 1-2 months of release. I predict that this book will sell even less than that, despite the heavy media attention Ian is enjoying at this time.
Source: MJJR.net
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