Michael Jackson has his name in headlines once again after a popular tabloid media outlet chose to proclaim yet another scandalous claim. The National Enquirer ran a story on Feb. 19, 2013, about the pop music icon. Their claim? That Michael Jackson was ultimately a bully who was out to get his siblings. Yes, believe it or not that soft-spoken and otherwise seemingly gentle soul has been accused — after his death when he can’t defend himself — of bullying his brothers and sisters.
The gist of the celeb gossip story was this:
The Enquirer revealed that in his new tell-all book Clive Davis (a huge name in Hollywood social circles) allegedly confirmed that MJ was so insecure that he did everything in his power to make sure he was the only one of the Jackson children to really hit the big time with their own solo career. His account can be read personally in “Soundtrack Of My Life” — his autobiographical recanting of tales that includes lots of chit chat about the Jackson 5. But Davis’ was not the only person who seems to agree that Michael Jackson — a celebrity otherwise remembered as one of the most charitable celebrities in the world — may have had a bit of a passive aggressive mean streak. Bob Jones, MJ’s long time PR man, also confirmed the rumor that the singer was truly out to get his older brother Jermaine especially says the Enquirer (for reasons that are still uncertain).
[Source: Examiner]
But fans of the green celebrity singer — a man who was noted by the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the most charitable celeb in their millennial edition — say the claims against the star are one-sided poppycock.
MJ supported the professional career of and financially aided all of his family members regardless of family dysfunction. A stalwart contributor to the Big Brothers – Big Sisters program over the years, he knew the importance of mentoring. And, when his older siblings took advantage of him, he did not exclude them from his life or try to end their careers.
Instead, Michael Jackson sis what any empathetic person does — he internalized his dismay but kept a brave (albeit strange) face. He self mutilated rather than causing harm to others. And he threw himself into his family life — raising three beautiful children essentially as a single parent.
While the king of pop had no easy days during the course of his too-short life span, he did manage to excel at showing humanitarian love to the best of his ability every day. Was he an odd man? Yes? Did he have such a clear level of genius that made him stand apart from everyone else — keeping himself isolated in nearly every social, physical, and emotional way? Yes.
But he also was, through and through, a sensitive soul who family meant the world to… and Clive Davis should be ashamed that he is capitalizing on his relationship with the dead celebrity in such a bizarre way.
Was the relationship between Jackson and his siblings always perfect? No. But any human living in modern times knows that there are very few families where brothers and sisters don’t have disputes. What’s more, there are lots of families who have siblings that don’t talk for years on end — then tear each other apart the minute an inheritance comes their way.
In the case of Michael Jackson, it was he who controlled the purse strings in the family — mainly because it was his inner spark, creativity, and raw talent that brought most of his family members fortune and fame. To that end, as a humanitarian who gave money selflessly to children’s charities, medical charities, and the Jane Goodall Institute (as an animal lover), his memory should be applauded rather than disparaged.
The National Enquirer never had friendly or kind things to say about the man they nicknamed “Wacko Jacko” — so their claims about the star sounding negative are to be expected. But from Clive Davis? The man who throws the most famous Grammy party in the world — the one Whitney Houston was planning to attend when her celebrity death got in the way? Nah. He could have handled the chapter discussion about MJ and Jermaine having a rocky patch in their relationship in a more tactful way.
One that most likely would not have made the king of pop roll over in his grave.