Originally posted on December 29:
CBS '60 Minutes' Transcript of the Michael Jackson Interview

On December 25th 2003, CBS's Ed Bradley interviewed Michael Jackson.

The interview was broadcast in America on CBS at 7 p.m./ET, 6 p.m./Central on December 28.


click here to read the transcript of the interview

ED BRADLEY: What is your response to the allegations that were brought by the district attorney in Santa Barbara, that you molested this boy?

MICHAEL JACKSON: Totally false. Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists. I would never hurt a child. It's totally false. I was outraged. I could never do something like that.

EB: This is a kid you knew?

MJ: Yes.

EB: How would you characterize your relationship with this boy?

MJ: I've helped many, many, many children, thousands of children, cancer kids, leukemia kids. This is one of many.

EB: So, when he would come over, what would he do? What would you do?

MJ: I'll tell you exactly. When I first saw (BLEEP), he was total bald-headed, white as snow from the chemotherapy, very bony, looked anorexic, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. And he was so weak, I would have to carry him from the house to the game room, or push him in a wheelchair, to try to give him a childhood, a life. Cause I felt bad. Because I never had that chance, too, as a child. You know? That the-- and so, I know what it-- it felt like in that way. Not being sick, but not having had a childhood. So, my heart go out to those children I feel their pain.

Michael says he tried to help in the healing process by taking the boy around the grounds of Neverland to Jackson’s favorite places.

MJ: He had never really climbed a tree. So, I had this tree that I have at Neverland. I call it, "My Giving Tree." Cause I like to write songs up there. I've written many songs up there. So, I said, "You have to climb a tree. That's part of boyhood. You just gotta do it." And-- I helped him up. And once he went up-- up the tree, we looked down on the branches. And it was so beautiful. It was magical. And he loved it. To give him a chance to have a life, you know? Because he was told he was going to die. They told him. They told his-- his parents prepare for his funeral, that's how bad it was. And I put him on a program. I've helped many children doing this. I put him on a mental program.

EB: What was going through your mind when you're taken into a police station, in handcuffs, to have a mug shot taken, that you know is gonna be shown around the world?

MJ: They did it to try and belittle me, to try and to take away my pride. But I went through the whole system with them. And at the end, I-- I wanted the public to know that I was okay, even though I was hurting.

EB: What happened when they arrested you? What did they do to you?

MJ: They were supposed to go in, and just check fingerprints, and do the whole thing that they do when they take somebody in. They manhandled me very roughly. My shoulder is dislocated, literally. It's hurting me very badly. I'm in pain all the time. This is, see this arm? This is as far as I can reach it. Same with this side over here.

EB: Because of what happened at the police station?

MJ: Yeah. Yeah. At the police station. And what they did to me-- if you-- if you saw what they did to my arms-- it was very bad what they did. It's very swollen. I don't wanna say. You'll see. You'll see .

EB: How did they do it? I mean, what, physically, what did they do?

MJ: With the handcuffs, the way they tied 'em too tight behind my back--

EB: Behind your back?

MJ: Yeah. And putting it, they put it in a certain position, knowing that it's going to hurt, and affect my back. Now I can't move. I-- I-- it keeps me from sleeping at night. I can't sleep at night.

And Michael says there was more:

MJ: Then one time, I asked to use the restroom. And they said, "Sure, it's right around the corner there." Once I went in the restroom, they locked me in there for like 45 minutes. They was doo doo , feces thrown all over the walls, the floor, the ceiling. And it stunk so bad. Then one of the policemen came by the window. And he made a sarcastic remark. He said, "Smell-- does it smell good enough for you in there? How do you like the smell? Is it good?" And I just simply said, "It's alright. It's okay." So, I just sat there, and waited.

EB: For 45 minutes?

MJ: Yeah, for 45 minutes. About 45 minutes. And then-- then one cop would-- come by, and say, "Oh, you'll be out in-- in a second. You'll be out in a second." Then there would be another ten minutes added on, then another 15 minutes added on. They did this on purpose.

EB: How did you feel when they went into Neverland, I mean, with a search warrant? I mean, what were they looking for? What did they take?

MJ: My room is a complete wreck. My workers told me. They said, "Michael, don't go in your room." They were crying on the phone, my employees. They said, "If you saw your room, you would cry." I have stairs that go up to my bed. And they said, "You can't even get up the stairs. The room is totally trashed." And they had 80 policemen in this room, 80 policemen in one bedroom. That's really overdoing it//They took knives, and cut open my mattresses with knives. C-- just cut everything open.

EB: Did-- did they take anything from Neverland?

MJ: A-- I'm not sure what they took. They never gave me a list.

EB: But you're saying that they destroyed your property?

MJ: Yes, they did. And then they, what they did was they made everybody that work at the property (SIC), they locked everybody out of the house. They had the whole house to themselves to do whatever they wanted. And-- they totally took advantage. They went into areas they weren't supposed to go into-- like my office. They didn't have search warrants for those places. And they totally took advantage. And the room is a total, total wreck, they told me. I don't think I wanna see it. I'm not ready to see it yet.

EB: So, you haven't been back there?

MJ: I've been back there. But not in my bedroom. I won't live there ever again. I'll visit Neverland. It's a house now. It's not a home anymore. I'll only visit there.What time is it? Cause I'm hurting. You know what? I'm-- I'm hurting. I have to go pretty soon anyway. Yeah. Okay. I don't feel good.

Michael goes on to talk about how he thinks it's all about the money...

MJ: Somewhere greed got in there, and somebody-- I-- I can't quite say. But it has to do with money. It's Michael Jackson. Look what we have here. We can get money out of this//That's exactly what happened.

EB: You had helped him with his cancer.// What I don't understand is why today and I know you say it’s money, but//why would he turn around and say, "Michael Jackson sexually molested me," if it weren't true?

MJ: Because parents have power over children. They feel they have to do what their parents say //But//the love of money is the root of all evil. And this is a sweet child. And to see him turn like this, this isn't him. This is not him

EB: So, you don't think this comes from him? This--

MJ: No.

EB: --comes from his parents?

MJ: No. This is not him. No. I know his heart

(Interview continued on the next page)