Mark, how did you hear that Michael had died?I was lying in bed watching TV when my mobile rang and a friend broke the news. I still find it surreal and am trying with difficulty to come to terms with it. I've spoken with his brothers and will be attending the private funeral.
Have you spoken to Michael's children since their father's death?
Yes two days afterwards on the Saturday, I spoke with Paris who told me, Mark, don't worry, Daddy has gone to live with the angels now. Can we still come and stay with you? If anything, she was comforting me. Paris was incredibly strong and consoling and pleased to known that all of them are welcome to stay with us at any time.
There have been reports that Michael is not their biological father. What do you believe?
As Michael would say, "More rubbish, Applehead". I've steered clear of reading most of the tabloids because much of their information is incorrect and ghoulish, although I realise as much as Michael did that it sells newspapers.
What kind of friend was Michael?
Extremely loving, kind and generous. In the last few months he called me every Sunday - he asked if my daughter Harriet could join him on stage for Dirty Diana at the O2 because, he said, she reminded him of Princess Diana whom he had been extremely fond of, and who told him that, that was her favourite Michael Jackson song. He was also annoyed that I bought Lucy a car for her 17th Birthday because he wanted to do that himself and he made me promise that he could buy cars for Harriet and Olivia when they were old enough. We made plans for our families to spend the summer together at a rented house and had already looked at propeties in Berkshire and Kent on the internet.
Were his children aware of their dad's work and fame?
Very much so. Our clildren would often sit together and watch Michael's videos - Prince loved Thriller, Paris likes Smooth Criminal best and Blanket adored them all. He could easily be the next Michael Jackson. He loved to dance with his dad and Michael taught him how to do the moonwalk.
How well do you know the children?
We spent many family holidays together and always managed to evade the press thanks to Michael insisting that his children should be protected from the media. That's why they wore masks; they didn't walk around in them at home, it was purely to avoid them being photographed. It meant that when they came to stay with us, we could go out without anyone knowing who they were and frequently did so. When they came over in March, we took them with my children shopping for clothes in the West End and visited a circus nobody batted an eye because no body knew who they were. They loved it.
Do you worry about the children's exposure now?
The children have lead a sheltered life from the media but that's all. Otherwise, they have been bought up like ordinary kids. They squabble and bicker, usually Blanket giving Prince a thump, and have a great sense of mischief which Michael encouraged. I remember when we were all staying in the Presidentual suite at the Beverley Wilshire in Los Angeles a few years ago and Michael and the kids filled about 40 balloons with water and were chucking them over the balcony. One landed on a man who'd gone to get the ported and who was pointing up. Michael leant over and lobbed a water bomb which landed straight on him.
What kind of father was Michael?
I always felt he put me to shame a bit because he was such a hands-on dad. He often dismissed that the nannies when we were all together and changed nappies, cut up the children's food and fed them himself. He was also hot on manners and the kids were taken to task if they forgot to say please or thank you. As they got older he'd play computer games with them, although he was a right technophobe! He could use a playstation but didn't know how to turn on a computer and only just managed his mobile phone - he called me once to ask me how to turn it off! He was always excited by Christmas and anniverseries and liked to make a big deal of them because he had been brought up as a Jehovah's Witness where such things aren't celebrated. He over compensated really by being extremely generous and lavishing gifts on his friends, including my family, but he was also a firm father with his kids. If they squabled, he'd intervene and if they were very naughty he'd ground them.
How did Michael react to child abuse allogations against him in 2003 and the resulting Court case?
He was devestated. If he was going to die of anything it would have been a broken heart over that. I spoke to him regularly throught the ordeal and sent him pictures of my family to keep his spirits up. I believe he was very depressed over those allogations because he became withdrawn and reclusive. We spent Christmas together aftewards and he told me he was extremely hurt and confused by the whole thing, particularly since he'd been so kind to the boy, Gavin Arvitzo, and his family. I was at Neverland while they were staying there and the staff hated them because they had no respect, breaking one of Michael's golf buggies, for example, turning it over after racing it and then just leaving it there with no word of apology. Michael couldn't have been kinder to them and I could never understand how that case made it to trial. I never saw Michael be anything but gentle, understanding and playful with children, including mine.
Did Michael worry about the effects of his fame on the children?
Yes, in the sense that he wanted them to be able to enjoy a childhood free of hassle from the media. You have to remember he grew up with that kind of publicity glare so wanted to protect his children from it and let them enjoy an ordinary childhood. He often held barbeques while we were at Neverland to which the families of his friends were invited. Marlon Brando's son has children who are close to Blanket, Prince and Paris. The children are also very bright and well educated by private tutours - Blanket could read and write by the age of 4 - but not brattish or snobbish.
Was Michael difficult to please?
No, he was down to earth. His favourite meal was fish, chips and mushy peas which we'd often eat in the back of the car on the way from the airport when he came to England. We've stayed in some of the worlds finest hotels with Michael but he'd never eat the fancy food - if he couldn't have fish and chips he'd have pizza. We were recently at London's Dorchester where there's a michelin-starred restaurant...and Michael ordered a takeaway pizza from Domminos, his favourite. And a few years ago, while we were all spending the summer together at Cliveden in Berkshire, Michael did venture down to the extremely posh restaurant with us and insisted on ordering chicken nuggets and chips from the children's menu. I never saw him drink alcohol either. It was always difficult to know what gift to buy him but those he liked most came from joke shops - I bought him a face mask with sideburns and Elvis glasses which he wore for a while instead of his surgical mask. He thought it was hilarious.
Did you ever discuss Michael's plastic surgery?
No, it didn't bother me although I do believe Michael was conned into a lot of it. I remember, a few years ago, when Blanket needed a tooth filling, the nanny, Grace, took him to the dentist and the practitioner advised that he needed $40,000 worth of work. I spoke to Grace and told her to get a second opinion and take him to a dentist under a false name. She did and all he needed was a $200 filling.
Did Michael visit your home?
He visted while we were staying at Cliveden. Michael walked straight in and sat down to play with the kids and we all ate fish and chips from the local takeaway. Towards the end of the day, 2 fans did turn up on my doorstep. Michael respected the fans - I remember a time when we were staying in Berlin and he ordered 30 pizzas for the fans outside the hotel because they had waited so long in the freezing cold.
How generous was Michael?
Goodness, it never stopped. Whenever we spent holidays together Michael would insist on paying. Sometimes, I'd say, you know Michael, you don't have to pay. We're here for you, not your money, and he'd respond by booking the whole floor of a hotel and say, It makes no difference if your here because i've got all the rooms anyway. He flew us everywhere first class and when we visited him in America he'd always pick us up from the airport in a Rolls Royce which had been owned by Rockefeller - he had 40 actually, including one which had belonged to John Lennon. When we spent Christmas with Michael in Bahrain, immediatley after he was acquitted of child abuse, we returned with 22 crates of gifts including everything from ipods, mobile phones, digital cameras, computers, laptops and playstations to trampolines and water slides for our garden. He even had a bespoke perfume made for Lisa.
Mark, can we ask your daughter Lucy what kind of God-Parent Michael was?
Lucy: He never forgot Christmas or our birthdays. It's my 18th birthday in 2 weeks time and, last time I spoke to Michael, a few days before he died, he had invited me and my friends to watch him perform and to meet him backstage aftewards.
Do you feel self concious around Michael because of his fame?
Lucy: No, Michael wasn't like that, he was just a friend of my dad's. He was an ordinary person to me - he's sit down with us and watch cartoons like Spongbob-Squirtpants.
Did you get on well with his children?
Lucy: We all adored them. His children are just like we are, into the same kinds of music, TV and films and interested in fashion, especially Paris. You'd never hear one of them say, do you know who I am? They are just not that type. We all love them and hope to see them soon. I can't imagine life without my dad and i'm certian they feel the same way.
Have you spoken to Michael's children since their father's death?
Yes two days afterwards on the Saturday, I spoke with Paris who told me, Mark, don't worry, Daddy has gone to live with the angels now. Can we still come and stay with you? If anything, she was comforting me. Paris was incredibly strong and consoling and pleased to known that all of them are welcome to stay with us at any time.
There have been reports that Michael is not their biological father. What do you believe?
As Michael would say, "More rubbish, Applehead". I've steered clear of reading most of the tabloids because much of their information is incorrect and ghoulish, although I realise as much as Michael did that it sells newspapers.
What kind of friend was Michael?
Extremely loving, kind and generous. In the last few months he called me every Sunday - he asked if my daughter Harriet could join him on stage for Dirty Diana at the O2 because, he said, she reminded him of Princess Diana whom he had been extremely fond of, and who told him that, that was her favourite Michael Jackson song. He was also annoyed that I bought Lucy a car for her 17th Birthday because he wanted to do that himself and he made me promise that he could buy cars for Harriet and Olivia when they were old enough. We made plans for our families to spend the summer together at a rented house and had already looked at propeties in Berkshire and Kent on the internet.
Were his children aware of their dad's work and fame?
Very much so. Our clildren would often sit together and watch Michael's videos - Prince loved Thriller, Paris likes Smooth Criminal best and Blanket adored them all. He could easily be the next Michael Jackson. He loved to dance with his dad and Michael taught him how to do the moonwalk.
How well do you know the children?
We spent many family holidays together and always managed to evade the press thanks to Michael insisting that his children should be protected from the media. That's why they wore masks; they didn't walk around in them at home, it was purely to avoid them being photographed. It meant that when they came to stay with us, we could go out without anyone knowing who they were and frequently did so. When they came over in March, we took them with my children shopping for clothes in the West End and visited a circus nobody batted an eye because no body knew who they were. They loved it.
Do you worry about the children's exposure now?
The children have lead a sheltered life from the media but that's all. Otherwise, they have been bought up like ordinary kids. They squabble and bicker, usually Blanket giving Prince a thump, and have a great sense of mischief which Michael encouraged. I remember when we were all staying in the Presidentual suite at the Beverley Wilshire in Los Angeles a few years ago and Michael and the kids filled about 40 balloons with water and were chucking them over the balcony. One landed on a man who'd gone to get the ported and who was pointing up. Michael leant over and lobbed a water bomb which landed straight on him.
What kind of father was Michael?
I always felt he put me to shame a bit because he was such a hands-on dad. He often dismissed that the nannies when we were all together and changed nappies, cut up the children's food and fed them himself. He was also hot on manners and the kids were taken to task if they forgot to say please or thank you. As they got older he'd play computer games with them, although he was a right technophobe! He could use a playstation but didn't know how to turn on a computer and only just managed his mobile phone - he called me once to ask me how to turn it off! He was always excited by Christmas and anniverseries and liked to make a big deal of them because he had been brought up as a Jehovah's Witness where such things aren't celebrated. He over compensated really by being extremely generous and lavishing gifts on his friends, including my family, but he was also a firm father with his kids. If they squabled, he'd intervene and if they were very naughty he'd ground them.
How did Michael react to child abuse allogations against him in 2003 and the resulting Court case?
He was devestated. If he was going to die of anything it would have been a broken heart over that. I spoke to him regularly throught the ordeal and sent him pictures of my family to keep his spirits up. I believe he was very depressed over those allogations because he became withdrawn and reclusive. We spent Christmas together aftewards and he told me he was extremely hurt and confused by the whole thing, particularly since he'd been so kind to the boy, Gavin Arvitzo, and his family. I was at Neverland while they were staying there and the staff hated them because they had no respect, breaking one of Michael's golf buggies, for example, turning it over after racing it and then just leaving it there with no word of apology. Michael couldn't have been kinder to them and I could never understand how that case made it to trial. I never saw Michael be anything but gentle, understanding and playful with children, including mine.
Did Michael worry about the effects of his fame on the children?
Yes, in the sense that he wanted them to be able to enjoy a childhood free of hassle from the media. You have to remember he grew up with that kind of publicity glare so wanted to protect his children from it and let them enjoy an ordinary childhood. He often held barbeques while we were at Neverland to which the families of his friends were invited. Marlon Brando's son has children who are close to Blanket, Prince and Paris. The children are also very bright and well educated by private tutours - Blanket could read and write by the age of 4 - but not brattish or snobbish.
Was Michael difficult to please?
No, he was down to earth. His favourite meal was fish, chips and mushy peas which we'd often eat in the back of the car on the way from the airport when he came to England. We've stayed in some of the worlds finest hotels with Michael but he'd never eat the fancy food - if he couldn't have fish and chips he'd have pizza. We were recently at London's Dorchester where there's a michelin-starred restaurant...and Michael ordered a takeaway pizza from Domminos, his favourite. And a few years ago, while we were all spending the summer together at Cliveden in Berkshire, Michael did venture down to the extremely posh restaurant with us and insisted on ordering chicken nuggets and chips from the children's menu. I never saw him drink alcohol either. It was always difficult to know what gift to buy him but those he liked most came from joke shops - I bought him a face mask with sideburns and Elvis glasses which he wore for a while instead of his surgical mask. He thought it was hilarious.
Did you ever discuss Michael's plastic surgery?
No, it didn't bother me although I do believe Michael was conned into a lot of it. I remember, a few years ago, when Blanket needed a tooth filling, the nanny, Grace, took him to the dentist and the practitioner advised that he needed $40,000 worth of work. I spoke to Grace and told her to get a second opinion and take him to a dentist under a false name. She did and all he needed was a $200 filling.
Did Michael visit your home?
He visted while we were staying at Cliveden. Michael walked straight in and sat down to play with the kids and we all ate fish and chips from the local takeaway. Towards the end of the day, 2 fans did turn up on my doorstep. Michael respected the fans - I remember a time when we were staying in Berlin and he ordered 30 pizzas for the fans outside the hotel because they had waited so long in the freezing cold.
How generous was Michael?
Goodness, it never stopped. Whenever we spent holidays together Michael would insist on paying. Sometimes, I'd say, you know Michael, you don't have to pay. We're here for you, not your money, and he'd respond by booking the whole floor of a hotel and say, It makes no difference if your here because i've got all the rooms anyway. He flew us everywhere first class and when we visited him in America he'd always pick us up from the airport in a Rolls Royce which had been owned by Rockefeller - he had 40 actually, including one which had belonged to John Lennon. When we spent Christmas with Michael in Bahrain, immediatley after he was acquitted of child abuse, we returned with 22 crates of gifts including everything from ipods, mobile phones, digital cameras, computers, laptops and playstations to trampolines and water slides for our garden. He even had a bespoke perfume made for Lisa.
Mark, can we ask your daughter Lucy what kind of God-Parent Michael was?
Lucy: He never forgot Christmas or our birthdays. It's my 18th birthday in 2 weeks time and, last time I spoke to Michael, a few days before he died, he had invited me and my friends to watch him perform and to meet him backstage aftewards.
Do you feel self concious around Michael because of his fame?
Lucy: No, Michael wasn't like that, he was just a friend of my dad's. He was an ordinary person to me - he's sit down with us and watch cartoons like Spongbob-Squirtpants.
Did you get on well with his children?
Lucy: We all adored them. His children are just like we are, into the same kinds of music, TV and films and interested in fashion, especially Paris. You'd never hear one of them say, do you know who I am? They are just not that type. We all love them and hope to see them soon. I can't imagine life without my dad and i'm certian they feel the same way.
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