Previously unseen Michael Jackson footage has emerged, showing the late King of Pop spraying his crotch with perfume and joking about "dirty pictures" in his childhood home.
The Billie Jean singer, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, is seen touring his former home in Gary, Indiana, and in the old footage, he points to the bunk beds he and his brothers used to sleep in. In the clip, he said: "Take all the dirty pictures out."
Footage from Failed Documentary
The footage was captured between 2000 and 2003, and at the time, Marc Schaffel was working on a three-part documentary about the musician. However, the documentary never made it to the air after police officers raided Jackson's ranch, Neverland, following allegations of sex abuse. TV networks lost interest in the documentary. He was later acquitted of the allegations made against him.
Marc said: "The material was originally shot to be a reality show I was making about Michael. It is the last material from Michael in the later part of his life."
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, he added: "My long personal friendship with Michael had made filming this series possible. He fully trusted me. I own and have shot and paid for the footage and production." Pictures obtained by the outlet also show Michael spraying his crotch.
Hope for Wider Release
Schaffer hopes that the film he made with Michael will eventually reach a wider audience after the success of the biopic Michael, which starred the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role. He added: "This footage is a perfect real-life account of his life. I've made a rough sample cut from the footage, but I'm open to collaborating on how to put the material together."
Earlier this year a four-part documentary, titled The Trial, aired on Channel 4 and featured a clip of the pop singer saying he would rather "kill himself" than be prohibited from seeing children ever again as new information about his infamous 2005 child molestation trial was disclosed for the first time.
Context from Previous Documentary
Jackson said that children often gravitate towards him and "fall in love" with his child-like personality. He added that this could often get him into trouble. The musician died aged 50 in June 2009 from acute propofol intoxication, administered by his doctor, Dr Conrad Murray. His death was ruled a homicide.
In the clip from the documentary, Jackson said: "There's nothing more spiritual to me than children, I think it's the most golden thing we have. I can be myself and jump into their magical world."
He adds: "If you tell me right now, that 'Michael, you could never see another child'… I would kill myself." The Thriller hitmaker went on to add: "I swear to you, I would, because I have nothing else to live for." Another recording hears the musician, described as the King of Pop say: "Children want to just touch me and hug me," adding: "Kids end up falling in love with my personality – sometimes it gets me into trouble."
The audio tapes released in the documentary were believed to shed more light on Jackson's relationship with Gavin Arvizo. Gavin accused Jackson of sexual molestation in 2005, claiming the musician showed him pornography and gave him alcohol.
The indictment included four counts of child molestation, four counts of getting a child drunk with the purpose of molestation and of conspiring to hold a boy and his family at his Neverland ranch. After a four-month trial, Jackson was acquitted of all 14 charges.
A source told the New York Post of the audio recordings: "There is something extremely unusual and eerie about Michael Jackson's infatuation with children. To hear his voice discuss children in this manner, given he had been accused of molestation, raises many questions about his mental health, mindset and sadly, intentions."
This is Michael at his most open, giving us an insight into how he was in love with children... infatuated with wanting to be around them." In his 2003 documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, he admitted that he allowed children into his home – and his bed, without parental supervision.
Jackson's estate has strongly denied all child molestation allegations made against the singer.
