Martin Bashir ‘has Michael Jackson’s blood on his hands’ after controversial documentary
EXCLUSIVE: Martin Bashir has been accused of having ‘blood on his hands’ over Michael Jackson’s death
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Under-fire Martin Bashir is today accused of having “blood on his hands” over the death of Michael Jackson as a new row broke out over the TV presenter’s practices.
The King of Pop’s former confidant and lawyer Brian Oxman claims Bashir “set up” Jackson and wanted him “brought down” on TV like Princess Diana – sparking a chain of events that led to the star’s 2009 overdose death.
It comes after police said they may probe Bashir’s 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, if a complaint is made.
Her brother Earl Spencer has alleged Bashir showed him fake financial papers and lied about the royals to get access.
Oxman also claims Bashir misled the Thriller star while making 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson.
He says Bashir “induced” the singer into making admissions after praising his “parenting skills”. Jackson admitted to Bashir he let kids sleep in his bed at his Neverland Ranch and the show led California police to charge Jackson with molesting and intoxicating children.
Jackson was cleared in 2005 and unearthed legal papers show his lawyers had tried to make Bashir take the stand.
They accused Bashir of continuous misrepresentation and lying “over and over again”, promising it would be a “positive film”.
But Bashir ducked cross-examination about his methods to gain interviews by using an obscure local law that essentially protects journalists from divulging details of unaired interactions.
We can reveal Bashir would have been shown footage of him praising Jackson’s closeness to kids as “spiritually kind”.
Oxman says Jackson had all interviews with Bashir filmed separately and foot-age shows “a completely different story”.
On the ITV show, watched by over 500 million worldwide, the host called Neverland a “dangerous place for a vulnerable child” – but Oxman says Jackson’s footage has Bashir saying “it was a privilege” to film him helping sick kids and that misrepresentation of that would be “disgusting”. In unaired scenes he said: “It almost makes me weep. Your interaction is just so natural, loving.”
Oxman believes the molestation trial “tormented Jackson until the day he passed”. He said: “Some of the family feel Martin Bashir has blood on his hands.
“He brought down Princess Diana on TV. He wanted to do the same with the biggest entertainer in the world.
“Michael was cleared on all counts, but these false accusations meant whatever he did, a cloud hung over him.”
Oxman revealed how on day one of the star’s trial Bashir, a prosecution witness, “strolled up to him and apologetically said: ‘Nothing personal, Michael’”.
Oxman said: “Michael was fuming. Bashir had many questions to answer.”
Jackson’s lawyers wanted Bashir to be questioned and “held in contempt” but the judge never ruled on the matter.
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