Boston Funbags
05-11-2005, 10:36 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/05/11/jackson.trial/index.html
Culkin: Jackson 'never' molested me
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 Posted: 3:13 PM EDT (1913 GMT)
SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- Taking the stand to defend a man he described as still "a friend," actor Macaulay Culkin said Wednesday that Michael Jackson "never" sexually molested him or touched him in an improper or offensive way when he was a boy.
Culkin also called the current molestation allegations against Jackson "absolutely ridiculous.
"I've never seen him do anything improper with anybody," Culkin told jurors, describing his stays at the entertainer's Neverland ranch as "good old fun."
"He never pressured me to do anything at all," he said.
Culkin's testimony was part of a bid by the defense to dispute earlier prosecution testimony that Jackson had a habit of grooming young boys for seduction. Culkin is one of the males prosecutors allege was singled out by the pop star while they were boys.
During cross-examination, prosecutor Ron Zonen pressed Culkin on whether Jackson might have molested him when he was asleep -- a scenario similar to the accusations in the current indictment against Jackson.
"As far as I know, he's never molested me," Culkin said. "I find that unlikely. I think I'd realize if something like that would be happening."
Culkin, 24, also disputed testimony earlier in the trial from two former Neverland employees who said they saw Jackson behaving inappropriately with him in the early 1990s, when he was a visitor at the ranch.
A former chef at Neverland, Phillip LeMarque, testified that in 1991, he was "shocked" to see Jackson's hand shoved up Culkin's shorts when he walked in on them playing a video game in the middle of the night, when Culkin was 10 or 11. At the time, LeMarque said he was delivering french fries Jackson had ordered.
A former maid, Adrian McManus, also testified she once saw Jackson put his hand on Culkin's leg and buttocks and kiss him on the cheek while they were sitting together in Neverland's library.
Culkin said he was troubled that those allegations were "out there, and people were thinking about it."
Culkin said he first learned of the testimony when a friend called to tell him, "You better check out CNN. They're saying something about you."
"I couldn't believe it," he said.
A grand jury indicted Jackson last year on charges of molesting a then-13-year-old boy, giving him alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive in 2003. Jackson pleaded not guilty to the charges.
'We had this understanding'
During his testimony Wednesday, Culkin said he slept in Jackson's bed a dozen or more times between the ages of 9 and 14, but he insisted nothing of a sexual nature happened between him and Jackson -- and that "we didn't share a bed on a regular basis."
"I've fallen asleep in the same bed with him," he said. "I'd just flop down."
Culkin also testified that his parents were aware that he was sharing Jackson's bed and did not object. He said his father would even come into the bedroom to wake him up.
"They never really saw it as an issue," he said. "I knew they knew I was in the room."
Culkin also said that during his visits to Neverland, he was almost always accompanied by "some kind of combination" of his parents, brothers and sisters, who also were friends with the pop star. He also said that Jackson had an "open door" policy, never locking his bedroom door, and when he slept with Jackson, Culkin said, he wore jeans, socks and a T-shirt.
Culkin testified that after a 13-year-old boy made child molestation allegations against Jackson in 1993, the pop star called him to let him know that the allegations were "absolutely false" and told him that he needed him "to be my friend right now."
Under questioning from the defense, Culkin also complained that police investigators never contacted him to ask him whether there was any improper behavior by Jackson. But Zonen took issue with that assertion, asking Culkin if he was aware that police had tried unsuccessfully to arrange an interview with him through his representatives, during both the current investigation and the previous one in 1993.
"Not to my knowledge," he said.
However, Culkin did admit that his attorney recently contacted both the prosecution and defense to tell them that he would not grant an interview to either side.
"I wasn't really planning on testifying," he said. Culkin did not explain in court what prompted him to change his mind.
Culkin, who was born in 1980, became friends with Jackson in the early 1990s, after he rocketed to fame in "Home Alone" and other movies. He told jurors that the two of them bonded because they were part of a "unique group" of people forced to deal with the complications of fame at an early age.
"We had a really close relationship," Culkin said. "We had this understanding of one another."
He told jurors Wednesday that Jackson had a childlike quality, playing arcade games with the children who were staying with him at the ranch.
"Although, he wasn't as good as us," Culkin said, as he looked in Jackson's direction.
Pressed by Zonen about the propriety of a 35-year-old man having such a close friendship with a 10- or 11-year-old boy, he replied, "I wasn't friends with a lot of 35-year-old men who understood me."
Culkin: Jackson 'never' molested me
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 Posted: 3:13 PM EDT (1913 GMT)
SANTA MARIA, California (CNN) -- Taking the stand to defend a man he described as still "a friend," actor Macaulay Culkin said Wednesday that Michael Jackson "never" sexually molested him or touched him in an improper or offensive way when he was a boy.
Culkin also called the current molestation allegations against Jackson "absolutely ridiculous.
"I've never seen him do anything improper with anybody," Culkin told jurors, describing his stays at the entertainer's Neverland ranch as "good old fun."
"He never pressured me to do anything at all," he said.
Culkin's testimony was part of a bid by the defense to dispute earlier prosecution testimony that Jackson had a habit of grooming young boys for seduction. Culkin is one of the males prosecutors allege was singled out by the pop star while they were boys.
During cross-examination, prosecutor Ron Zonen pressed Culkin on whether Jackson might have molested him when he was asleep -- a scenario similar to the accusations in the current indictment against Jackson.
"As far as I know, he's never molested me," Culkin said. "I find that unlikely. I think I'd realize if something like that would be happening."
Culkin, 24, also disputed testimony earlier in the trial from two former Neverland employees who said they saw Jackson behaving inappropriately with him in the early 1990s, when he was a visitor at the ranch.
A former chef at Neverland, Phillip LeMarque, testified that in 1991, he was "shocked" to see Jackson's hand shoved up Culkin's shorts when he walked in on them playing a video game in the middle of the night, when Culkin was 10 or 11. At the time, LeMarque said he was delivering french fries Jackson had ordered.
A former maid, Adrian McManus, also testified she once saw Jackson put his hand on Culkin's leg and buttocks and kiss him on the cheek while they were sitting together in Neverland's library.
Culkin said he was troubled that those allegations were "out there, and people were thinking about it."
Culkin said he first learned of the testimony when a friend called to tell him, "You better check out CNN. They're saying something about you."
"I couldn't believe it," he said.
A grand jury indicted Jackson last year on charges of molesting a then-13-year-old boy, giving him alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive in 2003. Jackson pleaded not guilty to the charges.
'We had this understanding'
During his testimony Wednesday, Culkin said he slept in Jackson's bed a dozen or more times between the ages of 9 and 14, but he insisted nothing of a sexual nature happened between him and Jackson -- and that "we didn't share a bed on a regular basis."
"I've fallen asleep in the same bed with him," he said. "I'd just flop down."
Culkin also testified that his parents were aware that he was sharing Jackson's bed and did not object. He said his father would even come into the bedroom to wake him up.
"They never really saw it as an issue," he said. "I knew they knew I was in the room."
Culkin also said that during his visits to Neverland, he was almost always accompanied by "some kind of combination" of his parents, brothers and sisters, who also were friends with the pop star. He also said that Jackson had an "open door" policy, never locking his bedroom door, and when he slept with Jackson, Culkin said, he wore jeans, socks and a T-shirt.
Culkin testified that after a 13-year-old boy made child molestation allegations against Jackson in 1993, the pop star called him to let him know that the allegations were "absolutely false" and told him that he needed him "to be my friend right now."
Under questioning from the defense, Culkin also complained that police investigators never contacted him to ask him whether there was any improper behavior by Jackson. But Zonen took issue with that assertion, asking Culkin if he was aware that police had tried unsuccessfully to arrange an interview with him through his representatives, during both the current investigation and the previous one in 1993.
"Not to my knowledge," he said.
However, Culkin did admit that his attorney recently contacted both the prosecution and defense to tell them that he would not grant an interview to either side.
"I wasn't really planning on testifying," he said. Culkin did not explain in court what prompted him to change his mind.
Culkin, who was born in 1980, became friends with Jackson in the early 1990s, after he rocketed to fame in "Home Alone" and other movies. He told jurors that the two of them bonded because they were part of a "unique group" of people forced to deal with the complications of fame at an early age.
"We had a really close relationship," Culkin said. "We had this understanding of one another."
He told jurors Wednesday that Jackson had a childlike quality, playing arcade games with the children who were staying with him at the ranch.
"Although, he wasn't as good as us," Culkin said, as he looked in Jackson's direction.
Pressed by Zonen about the propriety of a 35-year-old man having such a close friendship with a 10- or 11-year-old boy, he replied, "I wasn't friends with a lot of 35-year-old men who understood me."